In view of recent efforts to probe the physical conditions in the pulsarcurrent sheet, we revisit the standard solution that describes the mainelements of the ideal force-free pulsar magnetosphere. The simple physicalrequirement that the electric current contained in the current layer consistsof the local electric charge moving outward at close to the speed of light,yields a new standard solution for the pulsar magnetosphere everywhere idealforce-free except in the current layer. The main elements of the new solutionare a) the pulsar spindown rate of the aligned rotator is 23% times larger thanthat of the orthogonal vacuum rotator, b) only 60% of the magnetic flux thatcrosses the light cylinder opens up to infinity, c) the electric current closesalong the other 40% which gradually converges to the equator, d) this transfers40% of the total pulsar spindown energy flux in the equatorial current sheetwhich is then dissipated in the acceleration of particles and in high-energyelectromagnetic radiation, e) there is no separatrix current layer. Oursolution is a minimum free-parameter solution in that the equatorial currentlayer is electrostatically supported against collapse and thus does not requirea thermal particle population. In that respect, it is one more step toward thedevelopment of a new standard solution. We discuss the implications forintermittent pulsars and long duration gamma-ray bursts. We conclude that thephysical conditions in the equatorial current layer determine the globalstructure of the pulsar magnetosphere.
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