Linear polarization of optical radiation from the Crab pulsar

The light curve of the Crab Nebula pulsar has been observed using an aperture of 1.3 arcsec with the Anglo-Australian Telescope. The background was measured in an annulus of 2 arcsec radius, contamination from the pulsar being estimated from the pulsed component. The resultant light curve has a minimum intensity 0.6 per cent of the peak. Around minimum the light is ∼ 70 per cent linearly polarized, and at other phases our measures accord with earlier work.