SIMBAD references

Using all available multicomponent radio pulse profiles for pulsars with medium to long periods and good polarization data, we have constructed a two-dimensional image of the mean radio beam shape. This shows a peak near the centre of the beam but is otherwise relatively uniform with only mild enhancements in a few regions. This result supports the patchy beam model for emission beams, in which the mean beam shape represents the properties of the emission mechanism and observed pulse components result from emission sources distributed randomly across the beam.