  A number of disparate observational and theoretical pieces of evidence
indicate that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, neutron stars' closed field
lines are populated by dense, hot plasma and may be responsible for producing
some radio and high energy emission. This conclusion is based on eclipse
modeling of the binary pulsar system PSR J0737-3039A/B (Lyutikov & Thompson
2005), a quantitative theory of Crab giant pulses (Lyutikov 2007) and a number
of theoretical works related to production of non-thermal spectra in magnetars
through resonant scattering. In magnetars, dense pair plasma is produced by
twisting magnetic field lines and associated electric fields required to lift
the particles from the surface. In long period pulsars, hot particles on closed
field lines can be efficiently trapped by magnetic mirroring, so that
relatively low supply rate, e.g. due to a drift from open field lines, may
result in high density. In short period pulsars, magnetic mirroring does not
work; large densities may still be expected at the magnetic equator near the
Y-point.
