Giant radio pulses of the Crab Pulsar A multifrequency study

Giant pulses (GPs) are a special form of radio emission observed from the Crab pulsar. They differ from regular pulses by their sporadic occurence mainly at the phases of the main pulse (P1) and the interpulse (P2), their flux densities which are at least by a factor of 1000 higher in contrast with regular pulses and their pulse widths ranging from nanoto microseconds. Several theories have been developed regarding the possible origin and properties of Crab radio GPs. One of them refers to the generation of GPs on closed magnetic field lines via reconnection events near the light cylinder. Recent detections of high energy flares originating apparently from the Crab nebula give rise to the question for the energy reservoir to power these outbursts detected by AGILE and Fermi LAT in 2010. Testing the theory of reconnection zones being probably responsible for the appearance of radio GPs and simultaneaously the energy reservoir for the observed flares, we examine the characteristics of radio GPs taken with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescop (WSRT) after the Crab nebula flare 2010. Simultaneously we examine the energetics of the 2010 flare event by photometrical studies of HST images of the anvil region.