English

The Low-Frequency Spectra of Radio Pulsars

Astrophysics of Galaxies 2025-10-13 v1

Abstract

Low-frequency spectral studies of radio pulsars represent a key method for uncovering their emission mechanisms, magnetospheric structure, and signal interactions with the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). In recent years, more next-generation low-frequency radio telescopes (e.g., LOFAR, LWA and MWA) have enriched the observational window below 350 MHz, enabling more detailed explorations of the ISM effects, such as absorption and scattering, resulting in diverse spectral behaviors observed across different pulsars. This paper reviews the morphology of pulsar radio spectra, advances in spectral modeling, and the key physical processes governing the low-frequency emission. Looking ahead, next-generation instruments such as SKA-Low - with their unprecedented sensitivity - are expected to resolve outstanding questions in pulsar emission processes, offering insights into the extreme physical regimes governing these exotic objects.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2510.09091,
  title  = {The Low-Frequency Spectra of Radio Pulsars},
  author = {Ting Yu and Zhongli Zhang and Hongyu Gong and Zhigang Wen},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.09091},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomische Nachrichten (2025)