EGRET Observations of Pulsars

Abstract

EGRET can now study six pulsars since the recent detection of PSR B1951+32. Careful analysis of the three brightest pulsars shows that gamma rays are emitted through essentially the entire rotation. This calls into question the previous interpretation of the Crab's low-level emission as due entirely to its nebula. The pulse light curves have either well-separated double peaks or very broad peaks which might be resolved into multiple components. The spectra are consistent with power laws over a large portion of the EGRET energy range, and many show a dropoff at a few GeV.