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A.H. Rots (SAO), K. Jahoda (NASA/GSFC), A.G. Lyne (NRAL)
We have monitored the phase of the primary component in the X-ray pulse profile of the Crab pulsar with RXTE for almost three years. The absolute time of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer's clock is sufficiently accurate to allow this phase to be compared directly with the radio profile.
Our monitoring observations of the pulsar took place weekly (during the periods when it was at least 25 degrees from the Sun) and we correlated the data with radio timing ephemerides derived from observations made at Jodrell Bank. The phase of the X-ray primary component has been nearly constant over the monitoring period; it is leading the radio pulse component by approximately 300 \mus with an uncertainty of 50 \mus. There is no clear indication that this phase varies with energy or with time on short time scales. The phase difference between the primary and secondary pulse components is extremely constant at 0.399 period.
It will be invaluable if we can continue this monitoring campaign for three more years to answer questions about variations on longer time scales.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: arots@head-cfa.harvard.edu