title: Absolute time-of-arrival measurements of optical pulses from the Crab pulsar.
abstract: An attempt is made to understand the characteristics of pulsar slowdown in terms of various possible emission mechanisms. Though magnetic-dipole radiation seems to be dominant, the deviations from a pure dipolar decay are large compared with errors in measurement and indicate the presence of more complicated braking mechanisms, small fluctuations, and major "jumps", or period discontinuities. Some rapid-relaxation effect is evident following the discontinuous jump in period in September 1969, but there is no evidence of the quasi-sinusoidal behaviour reported before the jump by Arecibo. An alternative interpretation of the Arecibo data is given.
authors.affiliation: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Harvard University, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papaliolios
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Carleton
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Horowitz