Pulsar polarization: explanations and applications

Pulsar radio emission, and particularly its polarization, is a key probe of neutron star physics. This, in turn, means that we can use it to advance searches for gravitational waves and to map out the invisible structures of the galaxy. However, new and improved observations show that the conventional model of pulsar polarization behaviour does not explain everything we see.

In this talk, I will describe how impressive new broad-band observations reveal key relationships between polarization features in pulsar radio emission, and how this is related to neutron star physics. I will explain how the “partial-coherence model” accounts for these observational results, with examples of individual and collective pulsar behaviours. Finally, I will look to the future as we move towards the arrival of the SKA telescopes. I will discuss how large-scale pulsar surveys will advance our ability to use pulsars as accurate tools to probe high energy physics and measure gravitational waves.