A&A Supplement Ser., Vol. 124, July 1997, 123-128

Received July 16; accepted November 16, 1996

An atlas of X- and -ray pulse profiles of the Crab pulsar (PSR 0531+21): An analysis of energy and time variations

E. Massaro, M. Feroci, and G. Matt

  Istituto Astronomico, Univ. "La Sapienza", Unità GIFCO-CNR, Via Lancisi 29, I-00161 Roma, Italy
  Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale, C.N.R., Via E. Fermi 21, I-00044, Frascati, Italy
  Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá degli Studi "Roma Tre", Via della Vasca Navale 84, I-00146 Roma, Italy

Abstract:

We present an atlas of X and -ray pulse profiles of PSR 0531+21 (Crab pulsar) measured since 1967. This atlas, containing 250 profiles, is useful to study in detail the behaviour with time and energy of this important source and to test models of the emission geometrical pattern. The atlas database is also accessible from Mosaic. An analysis of the energy dependence and time changes of the Crab pulsar light curve (and in particular of the P2/P1 ratio), based on the atlas database, is presented.

keywords: pulsars: PSR 0531 + 21 = crab pulsar -- atlas -- X-rays: stars -- gamma rays: observations

 
• 1. Introduction
• 2. The database
• 3. Study of the profile shape
• 4. Conclusion
• References