Quote:
Originally Posted by CraigS
How do we know when we are looking at a pulsar, that we aren't seeing multiple light pulses per single revolution of the neutron ?
The assumption seems to be that the light beam has two poles (and presumably, we see only one of them because of our orientation to the beam).
Do we know for certain that there are only two poles ? If there were more, we'd see an increase in the pulse frequency.. leading to ever increasing theoretical rotation rates.
Cheers
PS: Like a big mirror ball flashing at you in a disco ?
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Having just done a scout around, I have a feeling that this possibility:
i) may not be needed to explain observations to date (in other words, a two pole light beam suffices in the presently accepted Pulsar model) and;
ii) if calculated spin rates (based on observations) ever exceed the theoretical spin maximum of ~1500 per sec they may then consider more exotic topologies.
Happy to be corrected on any of this, in going forward.
Cheers
PS: Are you losin it when you start to answer your own questions ?
