A solution to the \sigma problem — that of finding a mechanism capable of converting Poynting energy flux to particle-borne energy flux in a pulsar wind — was proposed several years ago by Coroniti and Michel who considered a particular prescription for magnetic reconnection in a striped wind .
This prescription was later shown to be ineffective .
In this paper , we discuss the basic microphysics of the reconnection process and conclude that a more rapid prescription is permissible .
Assuming dissipation to set in at some distance outside the light-cylinder , we compute the resulting radiation signature and find that the synchrotron emission of heated particles appears periodic , in general showing both a pulse and an interpulse .
The predicted spacing of these agrees well with observation in the case of the Crab and Vela pulsars .
Using parameters appropriate for the Crab pulsar — magnetization parameter at the light cylinder \sigma _ { L } = 6 \times 10 ^ { 4 } , Lorentz factor \Gamma = 250 — reasonable agreement is found with the observed total pulsed luminosity .
This suggest that the high-energy pulses from young pulsars originate not in the co-rotating magnetosphere within the light cylinder ( as in all other models ) but from the radially directed wind well outside it . \keywords Pulsars : general – pulsars : Crab – MHD – radiation mechanisms : non-thermal