Radio emission altitudes in pulsar magnetospheres

Abstract

A geometrical analysis of the pulse-profile widths at 0.43 and 1.42 GHz (Arecibo) as well as at 1.41 GHz (Effelsberg) is presented. We have measured the profile pulse widths at the lowest possible intensity level. An empirical relationship for the pulsar radio emission altitudes is proposed. We argue that for the millisecond pulsars the emission region lies close to the polar cap, as opposed to the long-period pulsars where the radiation originates few hundred km away from the surface of the neutron star.