Poloidal Flow in Axisymmetric Pulsar Magnetospheres

Abstract

This paper deals with dissipation-free flow in steadily rotating axisymmetric pulsar magnetospheres; for each species, relativistic inertia is balanced by the Lorentz force. Knowledge of integrals of the motion, including a complete integral for the limiting case of purely toroidal flow, is used to manipulate the fundamental electromagnetic and hydrodynamic equations into convenient forms. Consideration of the flow dynamics, incorporating plasma drift across the magnetic field and injection along it, provides the physical basis of a description of flow in which the poloidal motion is closely tied to the poloidal magnetic field lines (L. Mestel el al. to be published 1985). Particular attention is paid to flows whose toroidal part tends towards corotation as the symmetry axis is approached, and implications of the results for model building are discussed.