Pulsar Radio Emission Cutoffs

Abstract

The propagation of radio emission in pulsar magnetospheres is discussed. We follow a kinematics model in order to derive dispersion relations for electromagnetic oscillations and transversal waves, propagating in a cold moving plasma. We have included relativistic corrections on the dispersion properties, involved with the relativistic motion of the emitting plasma. The occurrence of plasma instabilities is analyzed beside the conditions which should be fulfilled in order to permit the wave propagation and conversion in regions close to the cutoffs of the system. The existence of various frequencies of resonance has been predicted and we are working out these results in order to explain the low-frequency cutoffs observed in radio pulsar spectra.