NONLINEAR PLASMA MECHANISMS OF PULSAR ECLIPSE IN BINARY-SYSTEMS

Several nonlinear mechanisms are considered as mechanisms for DC (continuum) pulsar eclipse. Induced photon decay (into plasmon plus scattered photon) is found to be a viable mechanism at 300 MHz, but not at 1400 MHz, unless the density profile is extremely sharp. Induced scattering off electrons and ion charge clouds is found to be less important. Raman scattering by beam-induced plasma turbulence is found to depend less strongly on frequency and could work at both frequencies. Refined observations of residual pulse-smeared emission during the pulse eclipse, especially near its edges, could provide further tests of these mechanisms.