Sample records for accreting pulsar 4u

  1. Observations of Accreting Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bildsten, Lars; Chakrabarty, Deepto; Chiu, John; Finger, Mark H.; Koh, Danny T.; Nelson, Robert W.; Prince, Thomas A.; Rubin, Bradley C.; Scott, D. Matthew; Stollberg, Mark; hide

    1997-01-01

    We summarize 5 years of continuous monitoring of accretion-powered pulsars with the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Our 20-70 keV observations have determined or refined the orbital parameters of 13 binaries, discovered five new transient accreting pulsars, measured the pulsed flux history during outbursts of 12 transients (GRO J1744-28, 4U 0115+634, GRO J1750-27, GS 0834-430, 2S 1417-624, GRO J1948+32, EXO 2030+375, GRO J1008-57, A0535+26, GRO J2058+42, 4U 1145-619, and A1118-616), and also measured the accretion torque history during outbursts of six of those transients whose orbital param- eters were also known. We have also continuously measured the pulsed flux and spin frequency for eiaht persistently accreting pulsars (Her X-1, Cen X-3, Vela X-1, OAO 1657-415, GX 301-2, 4U 1626-67, 4U 1538-52, and GX 1+4). Because of their continuity and uniformity over a long baseline, BATSE observations have provided new insights into the long-term behavior of accreting magnetic neutron stars. We have found that all accreting pulsars show stochastic variations in their spin frequencies and luminosities, including those displaying secular spin-up or spin-down on long timescales, which blurs the con- ventional distinction between disk-fed and wind-fed binaries. Pulsed flux and accretion torque are strongly correlated in outbursts of transient accreting pulsars but are uncorrelated, or even anti- correlated, in persistent sources. We describe daily folded pulse profiles, frequency, and flux measurements that are available through the Compton Observatory Science Support Center at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

  2. Pulse-phase dependence of emission lines in the X-ray pulsar 4U 1626-67

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beri, Aru; Paul, Biswajit; Dewangan, Gulab C.

    2015-07-01

    We present results from a pulse-phase-resolved spectroscopy of the complex emission lines around 1 keV in the unique accretion-powered X-ray pulsar 4U 1626-67, using the observation made with XMM-Newton in 2003. In this source, the redshifted and blueshifted emission lines and the linewidths measured earlier with Chandra suggest their accretion-disc origin. Another possible signature of lines produced in the accretion disc can be a modulation of the line strength with the pulse phase. We have found that the line fluxes have pulse-phase dependence, making 4U 1626-67 only the second pulsar after Hercules X-1 to show such variability. The O VII line at 0.568 keV from 4U 1626-67 varied by a factor of ˜4, stronger than the continuum variability, which supports the accretion-disc origin. The line flux variability can appear due to variable illumination of the accretion disc by the pulsar or, more likely, a warp-like structure in the accretion disc. We also discuss some further possible diagnostics of the accretion disc in 4U 1626-67 with pulse-phase-resolved emission-line spectroscopy.

  3. Quasispherical subsonic accretion in X-ray pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakura, Nikolai I.; Postnov, Konstantin A.; Kochetkova, A. Yu; Hjalmarsdotter, L.

    2013-04-01

    A theoretical model is considered for quasispherical subsonic accretion onto slowly rotating magnetized neutron stars. In this regime, the accreting matter settles down subsonically onto the rotating magnetosphere, forming an extended quasistatic shell. Angular momentum transfer in the shell occurs via large-scale convective motions resulting, for observed pulsars, in an almost iso-angular-momentum \\omega \\sim 1/R^2 rotation law inside the shell. The accretion rate through the shell is determined by the ability of the plasma to enter the magnetosphere due to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities, with allowance for cooling. A settling accretion regime is possible for moderate accretion rates \\dot M \\lesssim \\dot M_* \\simeq 4\\times 10^{16} g s ^{-1}. At higher accretion rates, a free-fall gap above the neutron star magnetosphere appears due to rapid Compton cooling, and the accretion becomes highly nonstationary. Observations of spin-up/spin-down rates of quasispherically wind accreting equilibrium X-ray pulsars with known orbital periods (e.g., GX 301-2 and Vela X-1) enable us to determine the main dimensionless parameters of the model, as well as to estimate surface magnetic field of the neutron star. For equilibrium pulsars, the independent measurements of the neutron star magnetic field allow for an estimate of the stellar wind velocity of the optical companion without using complicated spectroscopic measurements. For nonequilibrium pulsars, a maximum value is shown to exist for the spin-down rate of the accreting neutron star. From observations of the spin-down rate and the X-ray luminosity in such pulsars (e.g., GX 1+4, SXP 1062, and 4U 2206+54), a lower limit can be put on the neutron star magnetic field, which in all cases turns out to be close to the standard value and which agrees with cyclotron line measurements. Furthermore, both explains the spin-up/spin-down of the pulsar frequency on large time-scales and also accounts for the irregular short

  4. Observations of Accreting Pulsars with the FERMI-GBM

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson-Hodge, Colleen

    2012-01-01

    The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on-board Fermi comprises 12 NaI detectors spanning the 8-1000 keV band and 2 BGO detectors spanning the 100 keV to 40 MeV band. These detectors view the entire unocculted sky, providing long (approximately 40 ks/day) observations of accreting pulsars daily, which allow long-term monitoring of spin-frequencies and pulsed uxes via epoch-folded searches plus daily blind searches for new pulsars. Phase averaged uxes can be measured using the Earth occultation technique. In this talk I will present highlights of GBM accretion-powered pulsar monitoring such as the discovery of a torque reversal in 4U1626-67, a high-energy QPO in A0535+26, and evidence for a stable accretion disk in OAO 1657-415.

  5. Observations of accreting pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prince, Thomas A.; Bildsten, Lars; Chakrabarty, Deepto; Wilson, Robert B.; Finger, Mark H.

    1994-01-01

    We discuss recent observations of accreting binary pulsars with the all-sky BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. BATSE has detected and studied nearly half of the known accreting pulsar systems. Continuous timing studies over a two-year period have yielded accurate orbital parameters for 9 of these systems, as well as new insights into long-term accretion torque histories.

  6. Classical Accreting Pulsars with NICER

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.

    2014-01-01

    Soft excesses are very common center dot Lx > 1038 erg/s - reprocessing by optically thick material at the inner edge of the accretion disk center dot Lx < 1036 erg/s - photoionized or collisionally heated diffuse gas or thermal emission from the NS surface center dot Lx 1037 erg/s - either or both types of emission center dot NICER observations of soft excesses in bright X-ray pulsars combined with reflection modeling will constrain the ionization state, metalicity and dynamics of the inner edge of the magnetically truncated accretion disk Reflection models of an accretion disk for a hard power law - Strong soft excess below 3 keV from hot X-ray heated disk - For weakly ionized case: strong recombination lines - Are we seeing changes in the disk ionization in 4U1626-26? 13 years of weekly monitoring with RXTE PCA center dot Revealed an unexpectedly large population of Be/X-ray binaries compared to the Milky Way center dot Plotted luminosities are typical of "normal" outbursts (once per orbit) center dot The SMC provides an excellent opportunity to study a homogenous population of HMXBs with low interstellar absorption for accretion disk studies. Monitoring with NICER will enable studies of accretion disk physics in X-ray pulsars center dot The SMC provides a potential homogeneous low-absorption population for this study center dot NICER monitoring and TOO observations will also provide measurements of spinfrequencies, QPOs, pulsed fluxes, and energy spectra.

  7. Analyzing the Spectra of Accreting X-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolff, Michael

    , we will develop the new software module (essentially a computer code representing the theoretical model) necessary to perform the analysis of accretion-powered pulsar X-ray spectra in the XSPEC spectral analysis environment. Also in this first year we will analyze new Suzaku Cycle 6 Target of Opportunity observations of GX 304-1 and 4U 0115+63, two known cyclotron line sources, that we have recently carried out. In the second year of this study we will apply our new XSPEC spectral continuum module to the archival X-ray observational data from a number of accreting X-ray pulsars from the RXTE/PCA/HEXTE and Suzaku/XIS/HXD instruments to extract basic accretion parameters. Our source list contains eight pulsars, seven of which have observed cyclotron scattering lines. These pulsars span a range in magnetic field strength, luminosity, expected accretion rate, expected polar cap size, and Comptonizing temperature. In the second year of this work we also plan to make our new fully tested XSPEC continuum analysis module available to the Goddard Space Flight Center HEASARC for distribution to the astrophysical research community. The development and analysis tasks proposed here will provide for the first time a physical basis for the analysis and interpretation of data on accreting X-ray pulsar spectra.

  8. The X-ray Spectra of Accreting Pulsars: Studies of Three Sources Using Empirical and Phenomenological Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hemphill, Paul Britton

    Accreting X-ray pulsars are a class of astrophysical objects consisting of a neutron star in a binary system with a stellar companion. Matter expelled by the companion star is captured by the neutron star's gravity; as this matter falls towards the neutron star's surface, is compressed and heated, giving off X-rays. As the matter falls the last few miles above the neutron star surface, a number of physical processes compete for dominance, resulting in a highly complex environment governed by the interplay of magnetic, hydrodynamical, and radiative processes. The resulting spectrum often shows broad absorption-like features called cyclotron lines, which provide the only direct measurement of the magnetic field of a neutron star and act as probes of the properties of the accretion column, and their behavior with respect to changes in the accretion rate onto the neutron star has been of interest in recent years. My work in this dissertation brings together nearly 20 years of data from three X-ray satellites to study the X-ray emission from accreting pulsars, with a focus on the hard X-ray continuum and cyclotron lines. I present results for the accreting pulsars 4U 1538-522 and 4U 1907+09, examining the behavior of their cyclotron lines with respect to their luminosity, finding evidence for a positive correlation between the line energy and luminosity in 4U 1907+09. A combined analysis of most of the available X-ray data for the accreting pulsar 4U 1538-522 shows no such correlation in this source, either positive or negative. However, I do present evidence that the cyclotron line energy in 4U 1538-522 has shifted upwards by ˜ 5% in recent years compared to measurements from 10-20 years ago. I additionally carry out an extensive analysis of the environment around 4U 1538-522 using the soft X-ray detectors aboard the satellite Suzaku. I finally present a set of new results from the transient X-ray pulsar V 0332+53, which I fit with a new physics-based model for the

  9. Theory of quasi-spherical accretion in X-ray pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakura, N.; Postnov, K.; Kochetkova, A.; Hjalmarsdotter, L.

    2012-02-01

    A theoretical model for quasi-spherical subsonic accretion on to slowly rotating magnetized neutron stars is constructed. In this model, the accreting matter subsonically settles down on to the rotating magnetosphere forming an extended quasi-static shell. This shell mediates the angular momentum removal from the rotating neutron star magnetosphere during spin-down episodes by large-scale convective motions. The accretion rate through the shell is determined by the ability of the plasma to enter the magnetosphere. The settling regime of accretion can be realized for moderate accretion rates ? g s-1. At higher accretion rates, a free-fall gap above the neutron star magnetosphere appears due to rapid Compton cooling, and accretion becomes highly non-stationary. From observations of the spin-up/spin-down rates (the angular rotation frequency derivative ?, and ? near the torque reversal) of X-ray pulsars with known orbital periods, it is possible to determine the main dimensionless parameters of the model, as well as to estimate the magnetic field of the neutron star. We illustrate the model by determining these parameters for three wind-fed X-ray pulsars GX 301-2, Vela X-1 and GX 1+4. The model explains both the spin-up/spin-down of the pulsar frequency on large time-scales and the irregular short-term frequency fluctuations, which can correlate or anticorrelate with the X-ray flux fluctuations in different systems. It is shown that in real pulsars an almost iso-angular-momentum rotation law with ω˜ 1/R2, due to strongly anisotropic radial turbulent motions sustained by large-scale convection, is preferred.

  10. Transitional millisecond pulsars in the low-level accretion state

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaodard, Amruta D.; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Archibald, Anne; Bogdanov, Slavko; Deller, Adam; Hernandez Santisteban, Juan; Patruno, Alessandro; D'Angelo, Caroline; Bassa, Cees; Amruta Jaodand

    2018-01-01

    In the canonical pulsar recycling scenario, a slowly spinning neutron star can be rejuvenated to rapid spin rates by the transfer of angular momentum and mass from a binary companion star. Over the last decade, the discovery of three transitional millisecond pulsars (tMSPs) has allowed us to study recycling in detail. These systems transition between accretion-powered (X-ray) and rotation-powered (radio) pulsar states within just a few days, raising questions such as: what triggers the state transition, when does the recycling process truly end, and what will the radio pulsar’s final spin rate be? Systematic multi-wavelength campaigns over the last decade have provided critical insights: multi-year-long, low-level accretion states showing coherent X-ray pulsations; extremely stable, bi-modal X-ray light curves; outflows probed by radio continuum emission; a surprising gamma-ray brightening during accretion, etc. In my thesis I am trying to bring these clues together to understand the low-level accretion process that recycles a pulsar. For example, recently we timed PSR J1023+0038 in the accretion state and found it to be spinning down ~26% faster compared to the non-accreting radio pulsar state. We are currently conducting simultaneous multi-wavelength campaigns (XMM, HST, Kepler and VLA) to understand the global variability of the accretion flow, as well as high-energy Fermi-LAT observations to probe the gamma-ray emission mechanism. I will highlight these recent developments, while also presenting a broad overview of tMSPs as exciting new laboratories to test low-level accretion onto magnetized neutron stars.

  11. Signs of magnetic accretion in the young Be/X-ray pulsar SXP 1062

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ikhsanov, N. R.

    2012-07-01

    The spin behaviour of the neutron star in the newly discovered young Be/X-ray long-period pulsar SXP 1062 is discussed. The star is observed to rotate with the period of 1062 s, and spin down at the rate ˜-2.6 × 10-12 Hz s-1. I show that all of the conventional accretion scenarios encounter major difficulties in explaining the rapid spin-down of the pulsar. These difficulties can be, however, avoided within the magnetic accretion scenario in which the neutron star is assumed to accrete from a magnetized wind. The spin-down rate of the pulsar can be explained within this scenario provided the surface magnetic field of the neutron star is B*˜ 4 × 1013 G. I show that the age of the pulsar in this case lies in the range (2-4) × 104 yr, which is consistent with observations. The spin evolution of the pulsar is briefly discussed.

  12. BOOK REVIEW: Rotation and Accretion Powered Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaspi, V. M.

    2008-03-01

    Pulsar astrophysics has come a long way in the 40 years since the discovery of the first pulsar by Bell and Hewish. From humble beginnings as bits of 'scruff' on the Cambridge University group's chart recorder paper, the field of pulsars has blossomed into a major area of mainstream astrophysics, with an unparalleled diversity of astrophysical applications. These range from Nobel-celebrated testing of general relativity in the strong-field regime to constraining the equation-of-state of ultradense matter; from probing the winds of massive stars to globular cluster evolution. Previous notable books on the subject of pulsars have tended to focus on some particular topic in the field. The classic text Pulsars by Manchester and Taylor (1977 San Francisco, CA: Freeman) targeted almost exclusively rotation-powered radio pulsars, while the Mészáros book High-Energy Radiation from Magnetized Neutron Stars (1992 Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press) considered both rotation- and accretion-powered neutron stars, but focused on their radiation at x-ray energies and above. The recent book Neutron Stars 1 by Haensel et al (2007 Berlin: Springer) considers only the equation of state and neutron-star structure. Into this context appears Rotation and Accretion Powered Pulsars, by Pranab Ghosh. In contrast to other books, here the author takes an encyclopedic approach and attempts to synthesize practically all of the major aspects of the two main types of neutron star. This is ambitious. The only comparable undertaking is the useful but more elementary Lyne and Graham-Smith text Pulsar Astronomy (1998 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), or Compact Stellar X-ray Sources (eds Lewin and van der Klis, 2006 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), an anthology of technical review articles that also includes black hole topics. Rotation and Accretion Powered Pulsars thus fills a clear void in the field, providing a readable, graduate-level book that covers nearly everything you

  13. General-relativistic Simulations of Four States of Accretion onto Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parfrey, Kyle; Tchekhovskoy, Alexander

    2017-12-01

    Accreting neutron stars can power a wide range of astrophysical phenomena including short- and long-duration gamma-ray bursts, ultra-luminous X-ray sources, and X-ray binaries. Numerical simulations are a valuable tool for studying the accretion-disk–magnetosphere interaction that is central to these problems, most clearly for the recently discovered transitional millisecond pulsars. However, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) methods, widely used for simulating accretion, have difficulty in highly magnetized stellar magnetospheres, while force-free methods, suitable for such regions, cannot include the accreting gas. We present an MHD method that can stably evolve essentially force-free, highly magnetized regions, and describe the first time-dependent relativistic simulations of magnetized accretion onto millisecond pulsars. Our axisymmetric general-relativistic MHD simulations for the first time demonstrate how the interaction of a turbulent accretion flow with a pulsar’s electromagnetic wind can lead to the transition of an isolated pulsar to the accreting state. This transition naturally leads to the formation of relativistic jets, whose power can greatly exceed the power of the isolated pulsar’s wind. If the accretion rate is below a critical value, the pulsar instead expels the accretion stream. More generally, our simulations produce for the first time the four possible accretion regimes, in order of decreasing mass accretion rate: (a) crushed magnetosphere and direct accretion; (b) magnetically channeled accretion onto the stellar poles; (c) the propeller state, where material enters through the light cylinder but is prevented from accreting by the centrifugal barrier; (d) almost perfect exclusion of the accretion flow from the light cylinder by the pulsar wind.

  14. How young the accretion-powered pulsars could be?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kostina, M. V.; Ikhsanov, N. R.

    2017-12-01

    A question about the age of accretion-powered X-ray pulsars has recently been reopened by a discovery of the X-ray pulsar SXP 1062 in the SMC. This High Mass X-ray Binary (HMXB) contains a neutron star rotating with the period of 1062 s and is associated with a supernova remnant of the age ∼ 104 yr. An attempt to explain the origin of this young long-period X-ray pulsar within the traditional scenario of three basic states (ejector, propeller and accretor) encounters difficulties. Even if this pulsar were born as a magnetar the spin-down time during the propeller stage would exceed 104 yr. Here we explore a more circuitous way of the pulsar spin evolution in HMXBs, in which the propeller stage in the evolutionary track is avoided. We find this way to be possible if the stellar wind of the massive companion to the neutron star is magnetized. The geometry of plasma flow captured by the neutron star in this case differs from spherically symmetrical and the magnetospheric radius of the neutron star is smaller than that evaluated in the convention accretion scenarios. We show that the age of an accretion-powered pulsar in this case can be as small as ∼ 104 years without the need of invoking initial magnetic field in excess of 1013 G.

  15. SAX J1808.4$-$3658, an accreting millisecond pulsar shining in gamma rays?

    DOE PAGES

    de Oña Wilhelmi, E.; Papitto, A.; Li, J.; ...

    2015-12-31

    We report the detection of a possible gamma-ray counterpart of the accreting millisec- ond pulsar SAXJ1808.4–3658. The analysis of ~6 years of data from the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi-LAT) within a re- gion of 15° radius around the position of the pulsar reveals a point gamma-ray source detected at a significance of ~6σ (Test Statistic TS = 32), with position compatible with that of SAXJ1808.4–3658 within 95% Confidence Level. The energy flux in the energy range between 0.6 GeV and 10 GeV amounts to (2.1 ± 0.5) × 10 -12 erg cm -2more » s -1 and the spectrum is well-represented by a power-law function with photon index 2.1±0.1. We searched for significant variation of the flux at the spin frequency of the pulsar and for orbital modulation, taking into account the trials due to the uncertain- ties in the position, the orbital motion of the pulsar and the intrinsic evolution of the pulsar spin. No significant deviation from a constant flux at any time scale was found, preventing a firm identification via time variability. Nonetheless, the association of the LAT source as the gamma-ray counterpart of SAXJ1808.4–3658 would match the emission expected from the millisecond pulsar, if it switches on as a rotation-powered source during X-ray quiescence.« less

  16. An Accretion Model for Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chatterjee, Pinaki; Hernquist, Lars; Narayan, Ramesh

    2000-05-01

    We present a model for the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) in which the emission is powered by accretion from a fossil disk, established from matter falling back onto the neutron star following its birth. The time-dependent accretion drives the neutron star toward a ``tracking'' solution in which the rotation period of the star increases slowly, in tandem with the declining accretion rate. For appropriate choices of disk mass, neutron star magnetic field strength, and initial spin period, we demonstrate that a rapidly rotating neutron star can be spun down to periods characteristic of AXPs on timescales comparable to the estimated ages of these sources. In other cases, accretion onto the neutron star switches off after a short time and the star becomes an ordinary radio pulsar. Thus, in our picture, radio pulsars and AXPs are drawn from the same underlying population, in contrast to the situation in models involving neutron stars with ultrastrong magnetic fields, which require a new population of stars with very different properties.

  17. Accretion torques in X-ray pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rappaport, S.; Joss, P. C.

    1977-01-01

    An analysis of the accretion process in an X-ray pulsar, whereby angular momentum is transferred to the star and its rotation period is changed, is presented, and an expression for the fractional rate of change of the pulse period in terms of X-ray luminosity and other star parameters is derived. It is shown that observed characteristic spin-up time scales for seven X-ray pulsars strongly support the view that in every source (1) the pulse period reflects the rotation period of a compact object, (2) the accretion is mediated by a disk surrounding the compact object and rotating in the same sense, and (3) the compact object is a neutron star rather than a white dwarf.

  18. Swings between rotation and accretion power in a binary millisecond pulsar.

    PubMed

    Papitto, A; Ferrigno, C; Bozzo, E; Rea, N; Pavan, L; Burderi, L; Burgay, M; Campana, S; Di Salvo, T; Falanga, M; Filipović, M D; Freire, P C C; Hessels, J W T; Possenti, A; Ransom, S M; Riggio, A; Romano, P; Sarkissian, J M; Stairs, I H; Stella, L; Torres, D F; Wieringa, M H; Wong, G F

    2013-09-26

    It is thought that neutron stars in low-mass binary systems can accrete matter and angular momentum from the companion star and be spun-up to millisecond rotational periods. During the accretion stage, the system is called a low-mass X-ray binary, and bright X-ray emission is observed. When the rate of mass transfer decreases in the later evolutionary stages, these binaries host a radio millisecond pulsar whose emission is powered by the neutron star's rotating magnetic field. This evolutionary model is supported by the detection of millisecond X-ray pulsations from several accreting neutron stars and also by the evidence for a past accretion disc in a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar. It has been proposed that a rotation-powered pulsar may temporarily switch on during periods of low mass inflow in some such systems. Only indirect evidence for this transition has hitherto been observed. Here we report observations of accretion-powered, millisecond X-ray pulsations from a neutron star previously seen as a rotation-powered radio pulsar. Within a few days after a month-long X-ray outburst, radio pulses were again detected. This not only shows the evolutionary link between accretion and rotation-powered millisecond pulsars, but also that some systems can swing between the two states on very short timescales.

  19. Monitoring Accreting X-ray Pulsars with the GLAST Burst Monitor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, Colleen A.; Finger, Mark H.; Patel, Sandeep K.; Bhat, P. Narayana; Preece, Robert D.; Meegan, Charles A.

    2007-01-01

    Accreting pulsars are exceptionally good laboratories for probing the detailed physics of accretion onto magnetic stars. While similar accretion flows also occur in other types of astrophysical systems, e.g. magnetic CVs, only neutron stars have a small enough moment of inertia for the accretion of angular momentum to result in measurable changes in spin-frequency in a timescale of days. Long-term monitoring of accreting pulsar spin-frequencies and fluxes was demonstrated with the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Here we present sample results from BATSE, discuss measurement techniques appropriate for GBM, and estimate the expected GBM sensitivity.

  20. THE EFFECT OF TRANSIENT ACCRETION ON THE SPIN-UP OF MILLISECOND PULSARS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bhattacharyya, Sudip; Chakrabarty, Deepto, E-mail: sudip@tifr.res.in

    A millisecond pulsar is a neutron star that has been substantially spun up by accretion from a binary companion. A previously unrecognized factor governing the spin evolution of such pulsars is the crucial effect of nonsteady or transient accretion. We numerically compute the evolution of accreting neutron stars through a series of outburst and quiescent phases, considering the drastic variation of the accretion rate and the standard disk–magnetosphere interaction. We find that, for the same long-term average accretion rate, X-ray transients can spin up pulsars to rates several times higher than can persistent accretors, even when the spin-down due tomore » electromagnetic radiation during quiescence is included. We also compute an analytical expression for the equilibrium spin frequency in transients, by taking spin equilibrium to mean that no net angular momentum is transferred to the neutron star in each outburst cycle. We find that the equilibrium spin rate for transients, which depends on the peak accretion rate during outbursts, can be much higher than that for persistent sources. This explains our numerical finding. This finding implies that any meaningful study of neutron star spin and magnetic field distributions requires the inclusion of the transient accretion effect, since most accreting neutron star sources are transients. Our finding also implies the existence of a submillisecond pulsar population, which is not observed. This may point to the need for a competing spin-down mechanism for the fastest-rotating accreting pulsars, such as gravitational radiation.« less

  1. Radio emission from Sgr A*: pulsar transits through the accretion disc

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Christie, I. M.; Petropoulou, M.; Mimica, P.; Giannios, D.

    2017-06-01

    Radiatively inefficient accretion flow models have been shown to accurately account for the spectrum and luminosity observed from Sgr A* in the X-ray regime down to mm wavelengths. However, observations at a few GHz cannot be explained by thermal electrons alone but require the presence of an additional non-thermal particle population. Here, we propose a model for the origin of such a population in the accretion flow via means of a pulsar orbiting the supermassive black hole in our Galaxy. Interactions between the relativistic pulsar wind with the disc lead to the formation of a bow shock in the wind. During the pulsar's transit through the accretion disc, relativistic pairs, accelerated at the shock front, are injected into the disc. The radio-emitting particles are long lived and remain within the disc long after the pulsar's transit. Periodic pulsar transits through the disc result in regular injection episodes of non-thermal particles. We show that for a pulsar with spin-down luminosity Lsd ˜ 3 × 1035 erg s-1 and a wind Lorentz factor of γw ˜ 104 a quasi-steady synchrotron emission is established with luminosities in the 1-10 GHz range comparable to the observed one.

  2. Accreting Millisecond Pulsars: Neutron Star Masses and Radii

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strohmayer, Tod

    2004-01-01

    High amplitude X-ray brightness oscillations during thermonuclear X-ray bursts were discovered with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in early 1996. Spectral and timing evidence strongly supports the conclusion that these oscillations are caused by rotational modulation of the burst emission and that they reveal the spin frequency of neutron stars in low mass X-ray binaries. The recent discovery of X-ray burst oscillations from two accreting millisecond pulsars has confirmed this basic picture and provided a new route to measuring neutron star properties and constraining the dense matter equation of state. I will briefly summarize the current observational understanding of accreting millisecond pulsars, and describe recent attempts to determine the mass and radius of the neutron star in XTE J1814-338.

  3. Applying a physical continuum model to describe the broadband X-ray spectra of accreting pulsars at high luminosity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pottschmidt, Katja; Hemphill, Paul B.; Wolff, Michael T.; Cheatham, Diana M.; Iwakiri, Wataru; Gottlieb, Amy M.; Falkner, Sebastian; Ballhausen, Ralf; Fuerst, Felix; Kuehnel, Matthias; Ferrigno, Carlo; Becker, Peter A.; Wood, Kent S.; Wilms, Joern

    2018-01-01

    A new window for better understanding the accretion onto strongly magnetized neutron stars in X-ray binaries is opening. In these systems the accreted material follows the magnetic field lines as it approaches the neutron star, forming accretion columns above the magnetic poles. The plasma falls toward the neutron star surface at near-relativistic speeds, losing energy by emitting X-rays. The X-ray spectral continua are commonly described using phenomenological models, i.e., power laws with different types of curved cut-offs at higher energies. Here we consider high luminosity pulsars. In these systems the mass transfer rate is high enough that the accreting plasma is thought to be decelerated in a radiation-dominated radiative shock in the accretion columns. While the theory of the emission from such shocks had already been developed by 2007, a model for direct comparison with X-ray continuum spectra in xspec or isis has only recently become available. Characteristic parameters of this model are the accretion column radius and the plasma temperature, among others. Here we analyze the broadband X-ray spectra of the accreting pulsars Centaurus X-3 and 4U 1626-67 obtained with NuSTAR. We present results from traditional empirical modeling as well as successfully apply the radiation-dominated radiative shock model. We also take the opportunity to compare to similar recent analyses of both sources using these and other observations.

  4. X-ray Pulsars Across the Parameter Space of Luminosity, Accretion Mode, and Spin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laycock, Silas

    We propose to expand the scope of our successful project providing a multi-satellite library of X-ray Pulsar observations to the community. The library provides high-level products, activity monitoring, pulse-profiles, phased event files, spectra, and a unique pulse-profile modeling interface. The library's scientific footprint will expand in 4 key directions: (1) Update, by processing all new XMM-Newton and Chandra observations (2015-2017) of X-ray Binary Pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds. (2) Expand, by including all archival Suzaku, Swift and NuStar observations, and including Galactic pulsars. (3) Improve, by offering innovative data products that provide deeper insight. (4) Advance, by implementing a new generation of physically motivated emission and pulse-profile models. The library currently includes some 2000 individual RXTE-PCA, 200 Chandra ACIS-I, and 120 XMM-PN observations of the SMC spanning 15 years, creating an unrivaled record of pulsar temporal behavior. In Phase-2, additional observations of SMC pulsars will be added: 221 Chandra (ACIS-S and ACIS-I), 22 XMM-PN, 142 XMM-MOS, 92 Suzaku, 25 NuSTAR, and >10,000 Swift; leveraging our pipeline and analysis techniques already developed. With the addition of 7 Galactic pulsars each having many hundred multisatellite observations, these datasets cover the entire range of variability timescales and accretion regimes. We will model the pulse-profiles using state of the art techniques to parameterize their morphology and obtain the distribution of offsets between magnetic and spin axes, and create samples of profiles under specific accretion modes (whether pencil-beam or fan-beam dominated). These products are needed for the next generation of advances in neutron star theory and modeling. The long-duration of the dataset and “whole-galaxy" nature of the SMC sample make possible a new statistical approach to uncover the duty-cycle distribution and hence population demographics of transient High Mass X

  5. Pulse Phase Dependence of Low Energy Emission Lines in an X-ray pulsar 4U 1626-67 during its spin-up and spin-down phase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beri, Aru; Paul, Biswajit; Dewangan, Gulab Chand

    2016-07-01

    We will present the results obtained from the new observation of an ultra-compact X-ray binary pulsar 4U 1626-67, carried out with the XMM-Newton observatory. 4U 1626-67, a unique accretion powered pulsar underwent two torque reversals since its discovery in 1977. Pulse phase resolved spectroscopy of this source performed using the data from the XMM-Newton observatory during its spin-down phase revealed the dependence of the emission lines on the pulse phase. O VII emission line at 0.569 keV showed the maximum variation by factor of 4. These variations were interpreted due to warps in the accretion disk (Beri et al. 2015). Radiation pressure induced warping is also believed to be the cause for spin-down. In light of this possible explanation for spin-down torque reversal we expect different line variability during the spin-up phase. We will discuss the implications of the results obtained after performing pulse phase resolved spectroscopy using data from the EPIC-pn during the current spin-up phase. Detailed study of the prominent Neon and Oxygen line complexes with the high resolution Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) on-board XMM-Newton will also be presented.

  6. On the Dramatic Spin-up/Spin-Down Torque Reversals in Accreting Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nelson, Robert W.; Bildsten, Lars; Chakrabarty, Deepto; Finger, Mark H.; Koh, Danny T.; Prince, Thomas A.; Rubin, Bradley C.; Scott, D. Mathew; Vaughan, Brian A.; Wilson, Robert B.

    1997-01-01

    Dramatic torque reversals between spin-up and spin-down have been observed in half of the persistent X-ray pulsars monitored by the Burst and Transient Space Experiment (BATSE) all-sky monitor on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Theoretical models developed to explain early pulsar timing data can explain spin-down torques via a disk-magnetosphere interaction if the star nearly corotates with the inner accretion disk. To produce the observed BATSE torque reversals, however, these equilibrium models require the disk to alternate between two mass accretion rates, with M+/- producing accretion torques of similar magnitude but always of opposite sign. Moreover, in at least one pulsar (GX 1+4) undergoing secular spin-down, the neutron star spins down faster during brief (approximately 20 day) hard X-ray flares-this is opposite the correlation expected from standard theory, assuming that BATSE pulsed flux increases with mass accretion rate. The 10 day to 10 yr intervals between torque reversals in these systems are much longer than any characteristic magnetic or viscous timescale near the inner disk boundary and are more suggestive of a global disk phenomenon. We discuss possible explanations of the observed torque behavior. Despite the preferred sense of rotation defined by the binary orbit, the BATSE observations are surprisingly consistent with an earlier suggestion for GX 1+4: the disks in these systems somehow alternate between episodes of prograde and retrograde rotation. We are unaware of any mechanism that could produce a stable retrograde disk in a binary undergoing Roche lobe overflow, but such flip-flop behavior does occur in numerical simulations of wind-fed systems. One possibility is that the disks in some of these binaries are fed by an X-ray-excited wind.

  7. X-ray Pulsars Across the Parameter Space of Luminosity, Accretion Mode, and Spin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laycock, Silas; Yang, Jun; Christodoulou, Dimitris; Coe, Malcolm; Cappallo, Rigel; Zezas, Andreas; Ho, Wynn C. G.; Hong, JaeSub; Fingerman, Samuel; Drake, Jeremy J.; Kretschmar, Peter; Antoniou, Vallia

    2017-08-01

    We present our multi-satellite library of X-ray Pulsar observations to the community, and highlight recent science results. Available at www.xraypulsars.space the library provides a range of high-level data products, including: activity histories, pulse-profiles, phased event files, and a unique pulse-profile modeling interface. The initial release (v1.0) contains some 15 years of RXTE-PCA, Chandra ACIS-I, and XMM-PN observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud, creating a valuable record of pulsar behavior. Our library is intended to enable new progress on fundamental NS parameters and accretion physics. The major motivations are (1) Assemble a large homogeneous sample to enable population statistics. This has so far been used to map the propeller transition, and explore the role of retrograde and pro-grade accretion disks. (2) Obtain pulse-profiles for the same pulsars on many different occasions, at different luminosities and states in order to break model degeneracies. This effort has led to preliminary measurements of the offsets between magnetic and spin axes. With the addition of other satellites, and Galactic pulsars, the library will cover the entire available range of luminosity, variability timescales and accretion regimes.

  8. Origin of Large and Highly Variable Changes in the Apparent Spin Frequencies of Accretion-Powered Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamb, Frederick K.; Dorris, D.; Clare, A.; Van Wassenhove, S.; Yu, W.; Miller, M. C.

    2006-09-01

    The spin-frequency behavior of accretion-powered millisecond pulsars is usually inferred by power spectral analysis of their X-ray waveforms. The reported behavior of the spin frequencies of several accretion-powered millisecond pulsars is puzzling in two respects. First, analysis of the waveforms of these pulsars indicates that their spin frequencies are changing faster than predicted by the standard model of accretion torques. Second, there are wild swings of both signs in their apparent spin frequencies that are not correlated with the mass accretion rates inferred from their X-ray fluxes. We have computed the expected X-ray waveforms of pulsars like these, including special and general relativistic effects, and find that the changes in their waveforms produced by physically plausible changes in the flow of accreting matter onto their surfaces can explain their apparently anomalous spin-frequency behavior. This research was supported in part by NASA grant NAG 5-12030, NSF grant AST 0098399, and funds of the Fortner Endowed Chair at Illinois, and NSF grant AST 0098436 at Maryland.

  9. CAN THE SUBSONIC ACCRETION MODEL EXPLAIN THE SPIN PERIOD DISTRIBUTION OF WIND-FED X-RAY PULSARS?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Tao; Shao, Yong; Li, Xiang-Dong, E-mail: lixd@nju.edu.cn

    Neutron stars in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) generally accrete from the wind matter of their massive companion stars. Recently, Shakura et al. suggested a subsonic accretion model for low-luminosity (<4 × 10{sup 36} erg s{sup −1}), wind-fed X-ray pulsars. To test the feasibility of this model, we investigate the spin period distribution of wind-fed X-ray pulsars with a supergiant companion star, using a population synthesis method. We find that the modeled distribution of supergiant HMXBs in the spin period–orbital period diagram is consistent with observations, provided that the winds from the donor stars have relatively low terminal velocities (≲1000 kmmore » s{sup −1}). The measured wind velocities in several supergiant HMXBs seem to favor this viewpoint. The predicted number ratio of wind-fed X-ray pulsars with persistent X-ray luminosities that are higher and lower than 4 × 10{sup 36} erg s{sup −1} is about 1:10.« less

  10. Discovery of a glitch in the accretion-powered pulsar SXP 1062

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Serim, M. M.; Şahiner, Ş.; ćerri-Serim, D.; Inam, S. ć.; Baykal, A.

    2017-11-01

    We present timing analysis of the accretion-powered pulsar SXP 1062, based on the observations of Swift, XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites covering a time span of about 2 yr. We obtain a phase coherent timing solution that shows that SXP 1062 has been steadily spinning down with a rate -4.29(7) × 10-14 Hz s-1 leading to a surface magnetic field estimate of about 1.5 × 1014 G. We also resolve the binary orbital motion of the system from X-ray data that confirms an orbital period of 656(2) d. On MJD 56834.5, a sudden change in pulse frequency occurs with Δν = 1.28(5) × 10-6 Hz, which indicates a glitch event. The fractional size of the glitch is Δν/ν ˜ 1.37(6) × 10-3 and SXP 1062 continues to spin-down with a steady rate after the glitch. A short X-ray outburst 25 d prior to the glitch does not alter the spin-down of the source; therefore, the glitch should be associated with the internal structure of the neutron star. While glitch events are common for isolated pulsars, the glitch of SXP 1062 is the first confirmation of the observability of this type of events among accretion-powered pulsars. Furthermore, the value of the fractional change of pulse frequency ensures that we discover the largest glitch reported up to now.

  11. Timing Studies and QPO Detection for Transient Xray Pulsar 4u 0115+634 by RXTE.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ram Dugair, Moti; Jaaffrey, S. N. A.

    We present results of timing analysis of data of the transient X-ray pulsar 4U 0115+634 (Neu-tron star with fast spin entry) taken by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) space satellite. We first time observed the occurrence of 3 QPOs of 3 m Hz, 8 m Hz and 60 m Hz of the X-ray outburst of 2008. In particular the frequencies of the QPO's may be attributed to those of oscillations of disturbance occuring in the inner region of the accreted disk of the neutron star during the truncation of viscous circum stellar disc around the Be-star. The role of the interaction between the neutron star and the circumstellar is very important. Appearance of three QPOs in X-ray Binary system is a new phenomenon and difficult to understand.

  12. A New Two-fluid Radiation-hydrodynamical Model for X-Ray Pulsar Accretion Columns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    West, Brent F.; Wolfram, Kenneth D.; Becker, Peter A.

    2017-02-01

    Previous research centered on the hydrodynamics in X-ray pulsar accretion columns has largely focused on the single-fluid model, in which the super-Eddington luminosity inside the column decelerates the flow to rest at the stellar surface. This type of model has been relatively successful in describing the overall properties of the accretion flows, but it does not account for the possible dynamical effect of the gas pressure. On the other hand, the most successful radiative transport models for pulsars generally do not include a rigorous treatment of the dynamical structure of the column, instead assuming an ad hoc velocity profile. In this paper, we explore the structure of X-ray pulsar accretion columns using a new, self-consistent, “two-fluid” model, which incorporates the dynamical effect of the gas and radiation pressures, the dipole variation of the magnetic field, the thermodynamic effect of all of the relevant coupling and cooling processes, and a rigorous set of physical boundary conditions. The model has six free parameters, which we vary in order to approximately fit the phase-averaged spectra in Her X-1, Cen X-3, and LMC X-4. In this paper, we focus on the dynamical results, which shed new light on the surface magnetic field strength, the inclination of the magnetic field axis relative to the rotation axis, the relative importance of gas and radiation pressures, and the radial variation of the ion, electron, and inverse-Compton temperatures. The results obtained for the X-ray spectra are presented in a separate paper.

  13. Discovery of a cyclotron absorption line in the spectrum of the binary X-ray pulsar 4U 1538 - 52 observed by Ginga

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clark, George W.; Woo, Jonathan W.; Nagase, Fumiaki; Makishima, Kazuo; Sakao, Taro

    1990-01-01

    A cyclotron absorption line near 20 keV has been found in the spectrum of the massive eclipsing binary X-ray pulsar 4U 1538 - 52 in observations with the Ginga observatory. The line is detected throughout the 529 s pulse cycle with a variable equivalent width that has its maximum value during the smaller peak of the two-peak pulse profile. It is found that the profile of the pulse and the phase-dependence of the cyclotron line can be explained qualitatively by a pulsar model based on recent theoretical results on the properties of pencil beams emitted by accretion-heated slabs of magnetized plasma at the magnetic poles of a neutron star. The indicated field at the surface of the neutron star is 1.7 (1 + z) x 10 to the 12th G, where z is the gravitational redshift.

  14. Contrasting Behaviour from Two Be/X-ray Binary Pulsars: Insights into Differing Neutron Star Accretion Modes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Townsend, L. J.; Drave, S. P.; Hill, A. B.; Coe, M. J.; Corbet, R. H. D.; Bird, A. J.

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we present the identification of two periodic X-ray signals coming from the direction of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). On detection with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), the 175.4 s and 85.4 s pulsations were considered to originate from new Be/X-ray binary (BeXRB) pulsars with unknown locations. Using rapid follow-up INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton observations, we show the first pulsar (designated SXP175) to be coincident with a candidate high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) in the northern bar region of the SMC undergoing a small Type II outburst. The orbital period (87d) and spectral class (B0-B0.5IIIe) of this system are determined and presented here for the first time. The second pulsar is shown not to be new at all, but is consistent with being SXP91.1 - a pulsar discovered at the very beginning of the 13 year long RXTE key monitoring programme of the SMC. Whilst it is theoretically possible for accreting neutron stars to change spin period so dramatically over such a short time, the X-ray and optical data available for this source suggest this spin-up is continuous during long phases of X-ray quiescence, where accretion driven spin-up of the neutron star should be minimal.

  15. XMM-Newton spectroscopy of the accreting magnetar candidate 4U0114+65

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanjurjo-Ferrrín, G.; Torrejón, J. M.; Postnov, K.; Oskinova, L.; Rodes-Roca, J. J.; Bernabeu, G.

    2017-10-01

    Aims: 4U0114+65 is one of the slowest known X-ray pulsars. We present an analysis of a pointed observation by the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope in order to study the nature of the X-ray pulsations and the accretion process, and to diagnose the physical properties of the donor's stellar wind. Methods: We analysed the energy-resolved light curve and the time-resolved X-ray spectra provided by the EPIC cameras on board XMM-Newton. We also analysed the first high-resolution spectrum of this source provided by the Reflection Grating Spectrometer. Results: An X-ray pulse of 9350 ± 160 s was measured. Comparison with previous measurements confirms the secular spin up of this source. We successfully fit the pulse-phase-resolved spectra with Comptonisation models. These models imply a very small (r 3 km) and hot (kT 2 - 3 keV) emitting region and therefore point to a hot spot over the neutron star (NS) surface as the most reliable explanation for the X-ray pulse. The long NS spin period, the spin-up rate, and persistent X-ray emission can be explained within the theory of quasi-spherical settling accretion, which may indicate that the magnetic field is in the magnetar range. Thus, 4U 0114+65 could be a wind-accreting magnetar. We also observed two episodes of low luminosity. The first was only observed in the low-energy light curve and can be explained as an absorption by a large over-dense structure in the wind of the B1 supergiant donor. The second episode, which was deeper and affected all energies, may be due to temporal cessation of accretion onto one magnetic pole caused by non-spherical matter capture from the structured stellar wind. The light curve displays two types of dips that are clearly seen during the high-flux intervals. The short dips, with durations of tens of seconds, are produced through absorption by wind clumps. The long dips, in turn, seem to be associated with the rarefied interclump medium. From the analysis of the X-ray spectra, we found evidence of

  16. The End of Accretion: The X-Ray Binary/Millisecond Pulsar Transition Object PSR J1023+0038

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Archibald, Anne

    2015-04-01

    Millisecond radio pulsars (MSRPs), those spinning hundreds of times per second, have long been understood to be old pulsars that have been spun up by the accretion of matter from a companion in a low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) phase. Yet the details of this transformation, particularly the end of the accretion process and the birth of a radio pulsar, remain mysterious. I will describe the discovery and detailed study of the first object known to transition between MSRP and LMXB states, PSR J1023+0038. By dint of a multiwavelength campaign of observations in the RMSP state, we are able to measure all the key system parameters and show the existence of an X-ray shock close to the pulsar-facing side of the companion. Since the discovery of PSR J1023+0038, two more objects (XSS J12270-4859 and M28I) have been found to make the same transition, and the study of these transitioning objects has become an active field of research. Most interestingly, PSR J1023+0038 has transitioned back into an LMXB state, with an active accretion disk and a puzzling increase in gamma-ray flux. Our detailed picture of the system allows us to test models of accretion against the phenomena we observe in PSR J1023+0038, and in fact these observations challenge current models: in spite of the low luminosity of the system (and low inferred accretion rate) some material is penetrating the centrifugal barrier and falling on the neutron-star surface. Key evidence for explaining this puzzling behaviour will come when PSR J1023+0038 returns to an MSRP state and we are able to compare pulsar timing models from after the LMXB state with those we obtained in this work.

  17. Further NICER observations of the accreting millisecond pulsar Swift J1756.9-2508

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bult, P. M.; Gendreau, K. C.; Ray, P. S.; Altamirano, D.; Arzoumanian, Z.; Strohmayer, T. E.; Homan, J.; Chakrabarty, D.

    2018-04-01

    The accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar Swift J1756.9-2508 has been in outburst since 2018 April 1 (ATel #11497, #11502, #11505, #11523, #11566) and has been subject to regular monitoring with NICER (ATel #11502).

  18. Neutron stars and millisecond pulsars from accretion-induced collapse in globular clusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bailyn, Charles D.; Grindlay, Jonathan E.

    1990-01-01

    This paper examines the limits on the number of millisecond pulsars which could be formed in globular clusters by the generally accepted scenario (in which a neutron star is created by the supernova of an initially massive star and subsequently captures a companion to form a low-mass X-ray binary which eventually becomes a millisecond pulsar). It is found that, while the number of observed low-mass X-ray binaries can be adequately explained in this way, the reasonable assumption that the pulsar luminosity function in clusters extends below the current observational limits down to the luminosity of the faintest millisecond pulsars in the field suggests a cluster population of millisecond pulsars which is substantially larger than the standard model can produce. Alleviating this problem by postulating much shorter lifetimes for the X-ray binaries requires massive star populations sufficiently large that the mass loss resulting from their evolution would be likely to unbind the cluster. It is argued that neutron star formation in globular clusters by accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs may resolve the discrepancy in birthrates.

  19. Evidence for a Millisecond Pulsar in 4U 1636-53 During a Superburst

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strohmayer, Tod E.; Markwardt, Craig B.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    We report the discovery with the Proportional Counter Array on board the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer of highly coherent 582 Hz pulsations during the February 22, 2001 (UT) 'superburst' from 4U 1636-53. The pulsations are detected during an 800 s interval spanning the flux maximum of the burst. Within this interval the barycentric oscillation frequency increases in a monotonic fashion from 581.89 to 581.93 Hz. The predicted orbital motion of the neutron star during this interval is consistent with such an increase as long as optical maximum corresponds roughly with superior conjunction of V801 Arae, the optical companion to the neutron star in 4U 1636-53. We show that a range of circular orbits with 90 < v(sub ns) sin i < 175 km/s and 0.336 > phi(sub 0) > 0.277 for the neutron star can provide an excellent description of the frequency and phase evolution. The brevity of the observed pulse train with respect to the 3.8 hour orbital period unfortunately does not allow more precise constraints. The average pulse profile is sinusoidal and the time averaged pulsation amplitude, as inferred from the half amplitude of the sinusoid is 1%, smaller than typical for burst oscillations observed in normal thermonuclear bursts. We do not detect any higher harmonics nor the putative subharmonic near 290 Hz. The 90% upper limits on signal amplitude at the subharmonic and first harmonic are 0.1 and 0.06%, respectively. The highly coherent pulsation, with a Q = v(sub 0)/delta-v > 4.5 x 10(exp 5) provides compelling evidence for a rapidly rotating neutron star in 4U 1636-53, and further supports the connection of burst oscillation frequencies with the spin frequencies of neutron stars. Our results provide further evidence that some millisecond pulsars are spun up via accretion in LMXBs. We also discuss the implications of our orbital velocity constraint for the masses of the components of 4U 1636-53.

  20. Pulse-to-pulse variations in accreting X-ray pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kretschmar, Peter; Marcu, Diana; Kühnel, Matthias; Klochkov, Dmitry; Pottschmidt, Katja; Staubert, Rüdiger; Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.; Jenke, Peter A.; Caballero, Isabel; Fürst, Felix

    2014-01-01

    In most accreting X-ray pulsars, the periodic signal is very clear and easily shows up as soon as data covering sufficient pulse periods (a few ten) are available. The mean pulse profile is often quite typical for a given source and with minor variations repeated and recognisable across observations done years or even decades apart. At the time scale of individual pulses, significant pulse-to-pulse variations are commonly observed. While at low energies some of these variations might be explained by absorption, in the hard X-rays they will reflect changes in the accretion and subsequent emission. The amount of these variations appears to be quite different between sources and contains information about the surrounding material as well ass possibly interactions at the magnetosphere. We investigate such variations for a sample of well-known sources.

  1. PULSE AMPLITUDE DEPENDS ON kHz QPO FREQUENCY IN THE ACCRETING MILLISECOND PULSAR SAX J1808.4-3658

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bult, Peter; Van der Klis, Michiel, E-mail: p.m.bult@uva.nl

    2015-01-10

    We study the relation between the 300-700 Hz upper kHz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) and the 401 Hz coherent pulsations across all outbursts of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 observed with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. We find that the pulse amplitude systematically changes by a factor of ∼2 when the upper kHz QPO frequency passes through 401 Hz: it halves when the QPO moves to above the spin frequency and doubles again on the way back. This establishes for the first time the existence of a direct effect of kHz QPOs on the millisecond pulsations and provides amore » new clue to the origin of the upper kHz QPO. We discuss several scenarios and conclude that while more complex explanations can not formally be excluded, our result strongly suggests that the QPO is produced by azimuthal motion at the inner edge of the accretion disk, most likely orbital motion. Depending on whether this azimuthal motion is faster or slower than the spin, the plasma then interacts differently with the neutron-star magnetic field. The most straightforward interpretation involves magnetospheric centrifugal inhibition of the accretion flow that sets in when the upper kHz QPO becomes slower than the spin.« less

  2. Evidence from Quasi-Periodic Oscillations for a Millisecond Pulsar in the Low Mass X-Ray Binary 4U 0614+091

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ford, E.; Kaaret, P.; Tavani, M.; Barret, D.; Bloser, P.; Grindlay, J.; Harmon, B. A.; Paciesas, W. S.; Zhang, S. N.

    1997-01-01

    We have detected quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) near 1 kHz from the low mass X-ray binary 4U 0614+091 in observations with RXTE. The observations span several months and sample the source over a large range of X-ray luminosity. In every interval QPOs are present above 400 Hz with fractional RMS amplitudes from 3 to 12% over the full PCA band. At high count rates, two high frequency QPOs are detected simultaneously. The difference of their frequency centroids is consistent with a constant value of 323 Hz in all observations. During one interval a third signal is detected at 328 +/- 2 Hz. This suggests the system has a stable 'clock' which is most likely the neutron star with spin period 3.1 msec. Thus, our observations of 4U 0614+091 and those of 4U 1728-34 provide the first evidence for millisecond pulsars within low-mass X-ray binary systems and reveal the 'missing-link' between millisecond radiopulsars and the late stages of binary evolution in low mass X-ray binaries. The constant difference of the high frequency QPOs sug,,ests a beat-frequency interpretation. In this model, the high frequency QPO is associated with the Keplerian frequency of the inner accretion disk and the lower frequency QPO is a 'beat' between the differential rotation frequency of the inner disk and the spinning neutron star. Assuming the high frequency QPO is a Keplerian orbital frequency for the accretion disk, we find a maximum mass of 1.9 solar mass and a maximum radius of 17 km for the neutron star.

  3. A Comparison of the Variability of the Symbiotic X-ray Binaries GX 1+4, 4U 1954+31, and 4U 1700+24 from Swift/BAT and RXTE/ASM Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Corbet, R. H. D.; Sokoloski, J. L.; Mukai, K.; Markwardt, C. B.; Tueller, J.

    2007-01-01

    We present an analysis of the X-ray variability of three symbiotic X-ray binaries, GX 1+4, 4U 1700+24, and 4U 1954+31, using observations made with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) All-Sky Monitor (ASM). Observations of 4U 1954+31 with the Swift BAT show modulation at a period near 5 hours. Models to explain this modulation are discussed including the presence of an exceptionally slow X-ray pulsar in the system and accretion instabilities. We conclude that the most likely interpretation is that 4U 1954+31 contains one of the slowest known X-ray pulsars. Unlike 4U 1954+31, neither GX 1+4 nor 4U 1700+24 show any evidence for modulation on a timescale of hours. An analysis of the RXTE ASM light curves of GX l+4, 4U 1700+24, and 4U 1954+31 does not show the presence of periodic modulation in any source, although there is considerable variability on long timescales for all three sources. There is no modulation in GX 1+4 on either the optical 1161 day orbital period or a previously reported 304 day X-ray period. For 4U 1700+24 we do not confirm the 404 day period previously proposed for this source from a shorter duration ASM light curve.

  4. Identification of the High-energy Gamma-Ray Source 3FGL J1544.6-1125 as a Transitional Millisecond Pulsar Binary in an Accreting State

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bogdanov, Slavko; Halpern, Jules P.

    2015-04-01

    We present X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical observations of 1RXS J154439.4-112820, the most probable counterpart of the unassociated Fermi-LAT source 3FGL J1544.6-1125. The optical data reveal rapid variability, which is a feature of accreting systems. The X-rays exhibit large-amplitude variations in the form of fast switching (within ˜10 s) between two distinct flux levels that differ by a factor of ≈10. The detailed optical and X-ray behavior is virtually identical to that seen in the accretion-disk-dominated states of the transitional millisecond pulsar (MSP) binaries PSR J1023+0038 and XSS J12270-4859, which are also associated with γ-ray sources. Based on the available observational evidence, we conclude that 1RXS J154439.4-112820 and 3FGL J1544.6-1125 are the same object, with the X-rays arising from intermittent low-luminosity accretion onto an MSP and the γ-rays originating from an accretion-driven outflow. 1RXS J154439.4-112820 is only the fourth γ-ray-emitting low-mass X-ray binary system to be identified and is likely to sporadically undergo transformations to a non-accreting rotation-powered pulsar system.

  5. The puzzling case of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J00291+5934: flaring optical emission during quiescence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baglio, M. C.; Campana, S.; D'Avanzo, P.; Papitto, A.; Burderi, L.; Di Salvo, T.; Muñoz-Darias, T.; Rea, N.; Torres, D. F.

    2017-04-01

    We present an optical (gri) study during quiescence of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J00291+5934 performed with the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in August 2014. Although the source was in quiescence at the time of our observations, it showed a strong optical flaring activity, more pronounced in bluer filters (I.e. the g-band). After subtracting the flares, we tentatively recovered a sinusoidal modulation at the system orbital period in all bands, even when a significant phase shift with respect to an irradiated star, typical of accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars, was detected. We conclude that the observed flaring could be a manifestation of the presence of an accretion disc in the system. The observed light curve variability could be explained by the presence of a superhump, which might be another proof of the formation of an accretion disc. In particular, the disc at the time of our observations was probably preparing the new outburst of the source, which occurred a few months later, in 2015. Based on observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), installed in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, in the island of La Palma.

  6. Discovery of a Second Millesecond Accreting Pulsar: XTE J1751-305

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markwardt, C. B.; Swank, J. H.; Strohmayer, T. E.; intZand, J. J. M.; Marshall, F. E.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    We report the discovery by the RXTE PCA of a second transient accreting millisecond pulsar, XTE J1751-305, during regular monitoring observations of the galactic bulge region. The pulsar has a spin frequency of 435 Hz, making it one of the fastest pulsars. The pulsations contain the signature of orbital Doppler modulation, which implies an orbital period of 42 minutes, the shortest orbital period of any known radio or X-ray millisecond pulsar. The mass function, f(sub x) = (1.278 +/- 0.003) x 10 (exp -6) solar mass, yields a minimum mass for the companion of between 0.013 and 0.0017 solar mass depending on the mass of the neutron star. No eclipses were detected. A previous X-ray outburst in June, 1998, was discovered in archival All-Sky Monitor data. Assuming mass transfer in this binary system is driven by gravitational radiation, we constrain the orbital inclination to be in the range 30 deg-85 deg and the companion mass to be 0.013-0.035 solar mass. The companion is most likely a heated helium dwarf. We also present results from the Chandra HRC-S observations which provide the best known position of XTE J1751-305.

  7. Accretion and Propeller Torque in the Spin-Down Phase of Neutron Stars: The case of transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ertan, Ünal

    2018-05-01

    The spin-down rate of PSR J1023+0038, one of the three confirmed transitional millisecond pulsars, was measured in both radio pulsar (RMSP) and X-ray pulsar (LMXB) states. The spin-down rate in the LMXB state is only about 27% greater than in the RMSP state (Jaodand et al. 2016). The inner disk radius, rin, obtained recently by Ertan (2017) for the propeller phase, which is close to the co-rotation radius, rco, and insensitive to the mass-flow rate, can explain the observed torques together with the X-ray luminosities, Lx . The X-ray pulsar and radio pulsar states correspond to accretion with spin-down (weak propeller) and strong propeller situations respectively. Several times increase in the disk mass-flow rate takes the source from the strong propeller with a low Lx to the weak propeller with a higher Lx powered by accretion on to the star. The resultant decrease in rin increases the magnetic torque slightly, explaining the observed small increase in the spin-down rate. We have found that the spin-up torque exerted by accreting material is much smaller than the magnetic spin-down torque exerted by the disk in the LMXB state.

  8. IDENTIFICATION OF THE HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SOURCE 3FGL J1544.6–1125 AS A TRANSITIONAL MILLISECOND PULSAR BINARY IN AN ACCRETING STATE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bogdanov, Slavko; Halpern, Jules P.

    We present X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical observations of 1RXS J154439.4–112820, the most probable counterpart of the unassociated Fermi-LAT source 3FGL J1544.6–1125. The optical data reveal rapid variability, which is a feature of accreting systems. The X-rays exhibit large-amplitude variations in the form of fast switching (within ∼10 s) between two distinct flux levels that differ by a factor of ≈10. The detailed optical and X-ray behavior is virtually identical to that seen in the accretion-disk-dominated states of the transitional millisecond pulsar (MSP) binaries PSR J1023+0038 and XSS J12270–4859, which are also associated with γ-ray sources. Based on the available observationalmore » evidence, we conclude that 1RXS J154439.4–112820 and 3FGL J1544.6–1125 are the same object, with the X-rays arising from intermittent low-luminosity accretion onto an MSP and the γ-rays originating from an accretion-driven outflow. 1RXS J154439.4–112820 is only the fourth γ-ray-emitting low-mass X-ray binary system to be identified and is likely to sporadically undergo transformations to a non-accreting rotation-powered pulsar system.« less

  9. Rapid Spin-Up Episodes in the Wind-Fed Accreting Pulsar GX 301-2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koh, Danny T.; Bildsten, Lars; Chakrabarty, Deepto; Nelson, Robert W.; Prince, Thomas A.; Vaughn, Brian A.; Finger, Mark H.; Wilson, Robert B.; Rubin, Bradley C.

    1997-01-01

    The accreting pulsar GX 301-2 (P = 680 s) has been observed continuously by the large-area detectors of the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory since 1991 April 5. Orbital parameters determined from these data are consistent with previous measurements, with improved accuracy in the current orbital epoch. The most striking features in the pulsar frequency history are two steady and rapid spin-up episodes, with a dot-nu approximately equal to (3_5) x 10(exp -12) Hz/s, each lasting for about 30 days. They probably represent the formation of transient accretion disks in this wind-fed pulsar. Except for these spin-up episodes, there are virtually no net changes in the neutron star spin frequency on long timescales. We suggest that the long-term spin-up trend observed since 1984 (dot-nu is approximately equals 2x10(exp -13) Hz/s) may be due entirely to brief (approximately 20 days) spin-up episodes similar to those we have discovered. We assess different accretion models and their ability to explain the orbital phase dependence of the observed flux. In addition to the previously observed preperiastron peak at orbital phase 0.956 +/- 0.022, we also find a smaller peak close to - at orbital phase 0.498 +/- 0.057. We show that if the companion star's effective temperature is less than 22,000 K, then it must have a mass M(sub c) < 70 solar mass and a radius R(sub c) < 85 solar radius so as not to overfill the tidal lobe at periastron. In order not to overflow the Roche lobe at periastron, the corresponding values are M(sub c) < 55 solar mass and R(sub c) < 68 solar radius. These constraints are nearly at odds with the reclassification of the companion as a B1 Ia + hypergiant.

  10. The 4U 0115+63: Another energetic gamma ray binary pulsar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chadwick, P. M.; Dipper, N. A.; Dowthwaite, J. C.; Kirkman, I. W.; Mccomb, T. J. L.; Orford, K. J.; Turver, K. E.

    1985-01-01

    Following the discovery of Her X-1 as a source of pulsed 1000 Gev X-rays, a search for emission from an X-ray binary containing a pulsar with similar values of period, period derivative and luminosity was successful. The sporadic X-ray binary 4U 0115-63 has been observed, with probability 2.5 x 10 to the minus 6 power ergs/s to emit 1000 GeV gamma-rays with a time averaged energy flux of 6 to 10 to the 35th power.

  11. Accreting Neutron Star and Black Hole Binaries with NICER

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chakrabarty, Deepto

    2018-01-01

    The NICER mission on the International Space Station has significant new capabilities for the study of accreting neutron stars and blackholes, including large effective area, low background, and excellent low-energy X-ray response. Both the NICER Burst and Accretion Working Group and the Observatory Science Working Group have designed observing programs that probe various aspects of accretion physics. I will present some early results from the first six months of the NICER mission, including observations of the black hole transients MAXI J1535-571 and GX 339-4, the high-mass X-ray binary pulsars GRO J1008-57 and Swift J02436+6124, and the X-ray burster 4U 1820-30.

  12. Pulsed Thermal Emission from the Accreting Pulsar XMMU J054134.7-682550

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manousakis, Antonis; Walter, Roland; Audard, Marc; Lanz, Thierry

    2009-05-01

    XMMU J054134.7-682550, located in the LMC, featured a type II outburst in August 2007. We analyzed XMM-Newton (EPIC-MOS) and RXTE (PCA) data in order to derive the spectral and temporal characteristics of the system throughout the outburst. Spectral variability, spin period evolution, energy dependent pulse shape are discussed. The outburst (LX~3×1038 erg/s~LEDD) spectrum can be modeled using, cutoff power law, soft X-ray blackbody, disk emission, and cyclotron absorption line. The blackbody component shows a sinusoidal behavior, expected from hard X-ray reprocessing on the inner edge of the accretion disk. The thickness of the inner accretion disk (width of ~75 km) can be constrained. The spin-up of the pulsar during the outburst is the signature of a (huge) accretion rate. Simbol-X will provide similar capabilities as XMM-Newton and RXTE together, for such bright events.

  13. 4U 1909+07: A Hidden Pearl

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kreykenbohm, Ingo; Fuerst, Felix; Barragan, Laura; Wilms, Joern; Rothschild, Richard E.; Suchy, Slawomir; Pottschmidt, Katja

    2010-01-01

    We present a detailed spectral and timing analysis of the High Mass X-ray Binary (HMXB) 4U 1909+07 with INTEGRAL and RXTE. 4U 1909+07 is a persistent accreting X-ray pulsar with a period of approximately 605 s. The period changes erratically consistent with a random walk expected for a wind accreting system. INTEGRAL detects the source with an average of 2.4 cps (corresponding to 15 mCrab), but sometimes exhibits flaring activity up to 50 cps (i.e. 300 mCrab). The strongly energy dependent pulse profile shows a double peaked structure at low energies and only a single narrow peak at energies above 20 keV. The phase averaged spectrum is well described by a powerlaw modified at higher energies by an exponential cutoff and photoelectric absorption at low energies. In addition at 6.4 keV a strong iron fluorescence line and at lower energies a black body component are present. We performed phase resolved spectroscopy to study the pulse phase dependence of the spectral parameters: while most spectral parameters are constant within uncertainties, the blackbody normalization and the cutoff folding energy vary strongly with phase.

  14. A Comprehensive Spectral Analysis of the X-Ray Pulsar 4U 1907+09 from Two Observations with the Suzaku X-Ray Observatory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rivers, Elizabeth; Markowitz, Alex; Pottschmidt, Katja; Roth, Stefanie; Barragan, Laura; Furst, Felix; Suchy, Slawomir; Kreykenbohm, Ingo; Wilms, Jorn; Rothschild, Richard

    2009-01-01

    We present results from two observations of the wind-accreting X-ray pulsar 4U 1907+09 using the Suzaku observatory, The broadband time-averaged spectrum allows us to examine the continuum emission of the source and the cyclotron resonance scattering feature at approx. 19 keV. Additionally, using the narrow CCD response of Suzaku near 6 ke V allows us to study in detail the Fe K bandpass and to quantify the Fe Kp line for this source for the first time. The source is absorbed by fully-covering material along the line of sight with a column density of N(sub H) approx. 2 x 10(exp 22)/sq cm, consistent with a wind accreting geometry, and a high Fe abundance (approx. 3 - 4 x solar). Time and phase-resolved analyses allow us to study variations in the source spectrum. In particular, dips found in the 2006 observation which are consistent with earlier observations occur in the hard X-ray bandpass, implying a variation of the whole continuum rather than occultation by intervening material, while a dip near the end of the 2007 observation occurs mainly in the lower energies implying an increase in NH along the line of sight, perhaps indicating clumpiness in the stellar wind

  15. Understanding The Time Evolution Of Luminosity And Associated Accretion Structures In X-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laycock, Silas

    We propose to analyze the large archive of RXTE, XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of X-ray Binary Pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds and Milky Way. There are some 2000 individual RXTE PCA pointings on the SMC spanning 15 years, and a smaller number on the LMC. Each PCA observation covers a large fraction of the whole SMC (or LMC) population, and we are able to deconvolve the sometimes simultaneous signals to create an unrivaled record of pulsar temporal behavior. More than 200 XMM- Newton and Chandra observations of the SMC/LMC and individual Galactic pulsars provide information at lower luminosity levels. Together, these datasets cover the entire range of variability timescales and accretion regimes in High Mass X-ray Binaries. We will produce a comprehensive library of energy- resolved pulse profiles covering the entire luminosity and spin-period parameter space, and make this available to the community. We will then model these pulse profiles using state of the art techniques to parameterize the morphology, and publish the resulting data-cube. This result will include for example the distribution of offsets between magnetic and spin axes. These products are needed for the next generation of advances in neutron star theory and modeling. The unique dataset will also enable us to determine the upper and lower limits of accretion powered luminosity in a large statistically complete sample of neutron stars, and hence make several direct tests of fundamental NS parameters and accretion physics. In addition the long-duration of the dataset and "whole-galaxy" nature of the SMC sample make possible a new statistical approach to uncover the duty-cycle distribution and hence population demographics of transient High Mass X-ray Binary (HMXB) populations.

  16. Be/X-Ray Pulsar Binary Science with LOFT

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.

    2011-01-01

    Accretion disks are ubiquitous in astronomical sources. Accretion powered pulsars are a good test bed for accretion disk physics, because unlike for other objects, the spin of the neutron star is directly observable allowing us to see the effects of angular momentum transfer onto the pulsar. The combination of a sensitive wide-field monitor and the large area detector on LOFT will enable new detailed studies of accretion powered pulsars which I will review. RXTE observations have shown an unusually high number of Be/X-ray pulsar binaries in the SMC. Unlike binaries in the Milky Way, these systems are all at the same distance, allowing detailed population studies using the sensitive LOFT WFM, potentially providing connections to star formation episodes. For Galactic accreting pulsar systems, LOFT will allow measurement of spectral variations within individual pulses, mapping the accretion column in detail for the first time. LOFT will also provide better constraints on magnetic fields in accreting pulsars, allowing measurements of cyclotron features, observations of transitions into the centrifugal inhibition regime, and monitoring of spin-up rate vs flux correlations. Coordinated multi-wavelength observations are crucial to extracting the best science from LOFT from these and numerous other objects.

  17. General Relativistic Radiation MHD Simulations of Supercritical Accretion onto a Magnetized Neutron Star: Modeling of Ultraluminous X-Ray Pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Takahashi, Hiroyuki R.; Ohsuga, Ken, E-mail: takahashi@cfca.jp, E-mail: ken.ohsuga@nao.ac.jp

    By performing 2.5-dimensional general relativistic radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we demonstrate supercritical accretion onto a non-rotating, magnetized neutron star, where the magnetic field strength of dipole fields is 10{sup 10} G on the star surface. We found the supercritical accretion flow consists of two parts: the accretion columns and the truncated accretion disk. The supercritical accretion disk, which appears far from the neutron star, is truncated at around ≃3 R {sub *} ( R {sub *} = 10{sup 6} cm is the neutron star radius), where the magnetic pressure via the dipole magnetic fields balances with the radiation pressure of themore » disks. The angular momentum of the disk around the truncation radius is effectively transported inward through magnetic torque by dipole fields, inducing the spin up of a neutron star. The evaluated spin-up rate, ∼−10{sup −11} s s{sup −1}, is consistent with the recent observations of the ultraluminous X-ray pulsars. Within the truncation radius, the gas falls onto a neutron star along the dipole fields, which results in a formation of accretion columns onto the northern and southern hemispheres. The net accretion rate and the luminosity of the column are ≃66 L {sub Edd}/ c {sup 2} and ≲10 L {sub Edd}, where L {sub Edd} is the Eddington luminosity and c is the light speed. Our simulations support a hypothesis whereby the ultraluminous X-ray pulsars are powered by the supercritical accretion onto the magnetized neutron stars.« less

  18. IGR J170626143 is an Accreting Millisecond X-Ray Pulsar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strohmayer, Tod E.; Keek, Laurens

    2017-01-01

    We present the discovery of 163.65 Hz X-ray pulsations from IGR J17062-6143 in the only observation obtained from the source with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. This detection makes IGR J17062-6143 the lowest frequency accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar presently known. The pulsations are detected in the 2-12 keV band with an overall significance of 4.3sigma and an observed pulsed amplitude of 5.54% +/-0.67% (in this band). Both dynamic power spectral and coherent phase timing analysis indicate that the pulsation frequency is decreasing during the approx. =1.2 ks observation in a manner consistent with orbital motion of the neutron star. Because the observation interval is short, we cannot precisely measure the orbital period; however, periods shorter than 17 minutes are excluded at 90% confidence. For the range of acceptable circular orbits the inferred binary mass function substantially overlaps the observed range for the AMXP population as a whole.

  19. A COMPREHENSIVE SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF THE X-RAY PULSAR 4U 1907+09 FROM TWO OBSERVATIONS WITH THE SUZAKU X-RAY OBSERVATORY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rivers, Elizabeth; Markowitz, Alex; Suchy, Slawomir

    2010-01-20

    We present results from two observations of the wind-accreting X-ray pulsar 4U 1907+09 using the Suzaku Observatory. The broadband time-averaged spectrum allows us to examine the continuum emission of the source and the cyclotron resonance scattering feature at approx19 keV. Additionally, using the narrow CCD response of Suzaku near 6 keV allows us to study in detail the Fe K bandpass and to quantify the Fe Kbeta line for this source for the first time. The source is absorbed by fully covering material along the line of sight with a column density of N{sub H} approx 2 x 10{sup 22}more » cm{sup -2}, consistent with a wind-accreting geometry, and a high Fe abundance (approx3-4 times solar). Time- and phase-resolved analyses allow us to study variations in the source spectrum. In particular, dips found in the 2006 observation which are consistent with earlier observations occur in the hard X-ray bandpass, implying a variation of the whole continuum rather than occultation by intervening material, while a dip near the end of the 2007 observation occurs mainly in the lower energies implying an increase in N{sub H} along the line of sight, perhaps indicating clumpiness in the stellar wind.« less

  20. Discovery of Eclipses from the Accreting Millisecond X-Ray Pulsar Swift J1749.4-2807

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markwardt, C. B.; Stromhmayer, T. E.

    2010-01-01

    We report the discovery of X-ray eclipses in the recently discovered accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SWIFT J1749.4-2807. This is the first detection of X-ray eclipses in a system of this type and should enable a precise neutron star mass measurement once the companion star is identified and studied. We present a combined pulse and eclipse timing solution that enables tight constraints on the orbital parameters and inclination and shows that the companion mass is in the range 0.6-0.8 solar mass for a likely range of neutron star masses, and that it is larger than a main-sequence star of the same mass. We observed two individual eclipse egresses and a single ingress. Our timing model shows that the eclipse features are symmetric about the time of 90 longitude from the ascending node, as expected. Our eclipse timing solution gives an eclipse duration (from the mid-points of ingress to egress) of 2172+/-13 s. This represents 6.85% of the 8.82 hr orbital period. This system also presents a potential measurement of "Shapiro" delay due to general relativity; through this technique alone, we set an upper limit to the companion mass of 2.2 Solar mass .

  1. Possible Detection of an Emission Cyclotron Resonance Scattering Feature from the Accretion-Powered Pulsar 4U 1626-67

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Iwakiri, W. B.; Terada, Y.; Tashiro, M. S.; Mihara, T.; Angelini, L.; Yamada, S.; Enoto, T.; Makishima, K.; Nakajima, M.; Yoshida, A.

    2012-01-01

    We present analysis of 4U 1626-67, a 7.7 s pulsar in a low-mass X-ray binary system, observed with the hard X-ray detector of the Japanese X-ray satellite Suzaku in 2006 March for a net exposure of 88 ks. The source was detected at an average 10-60 keY flux of approx 4 x 10-10 erg / sq cm/ s. The phase-averaged spectrum is reproduced well by combining a negative and positive power-law times exponential cutoff (NPEX) model modified at approx 37 keY by a cyclotron resonance scattering feature (CRSF). The phase-resolved analysis shows that the spectra at the bright phases are well fit by the NPEX with CRSF model. On the other hand. the spectrum in the dim phase lacks the NPEX high-energy cutoff component, and the CRSF can be reproduced by either an emission or an absorption profile. When fitting the dim phase spectrum with the NPEX plus Gaussian model. we find that the feature is better described in terms of an emission rather than an absorption profile. The statistical significance of this result, evaluated by means of an F test, is between 2.91 x 10(exp -3) and 1.53 x 10(exp -5), taking into account the systematic errors in the background evaluation of HXD-PIN. We find that the emission profile is more feasible than the absorption one for comparing the physical parameters in other phases. Therefore, we have possibly detected an emission line at the cyclotron resonance energy in the dim phase.

  2. Multiwavelength study of accretion-powered pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nespoli, Elisa

    2010-11-01

    of systems. In this way I followed both a model-independent (CD/HID) and model-dependent approach (spectral fits) to investigate the rapid aperiodic variability as a function of spectral sates in HMXBs. I obtained lightcurves, energy and power spectra for a total number of 320 observations. From X-ray colors, spectral and timing fitting, I clearly identified in all the four systems two different spectral states, i.e. the Diagonal Branch (DB) and Horizontal Branch (HB). The HB corresponds to a lower-flux state, with larger rms than the DB. Also, the power-law photon index decreases with flux in the HB, while stays constant or increases in the DB. The HB shows lower characteristic frequencies of the noise components than in the DB. The cyclotron resonant scattering features are generally associated with the DB, while absent or weaker during the DB. We showed how the transition between the two states may correspond to the transition from the standing shock emission to the thermal mound emission due to the turning point from super-Eddington luminosity regime (DB) to sub-Eddington luminosity regime (HB). From color, spectral and timing point of view, differences among systems easily distinguishes two subgroups, with the slower pulsars, KS 1947+300 and EXO2030+375, on one side, and the faster ones, 4U 0115+63 and V 0332+53, on the other. The first group is characterized by softer spectra in the HB compared with the other systems. Hysteresis is not observed in the slower pulsars, while it is evident in V 0332+53 and 4U 0115+63. Cyclotron resonant scattering features are crucial in the spectral shape of V 0332+53 and 4U 0115+63, where also a harmonic is observed in the 3-30 keV energy range. They are instead absent or very weak in the first group. According to timing features, a strong difference between the two groups is the presence of QPOs in the faster pulsars.

  3. The binary millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 during its accretion state - I. Optical variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shahbaz, T.; Linares, M.; Nevado, S. P.; Rodríguez-Gil, P.; Casares, J.; Dhillon, V. S.; Marsh, T. R.; Littlefair, S.; Leckngam, A.; Poshyachinda, S.

    2015-11-01

    We present time-resolved optical photometry of the binary millisecond `redback' pulsar PSR J1023+0038 (=AY Sex) during its low-mass X-ray binary phase. The light curves taken between 2014 January and April show an underlying sinusoidal modulation due to the irradiated secondary star and accretion disc. We also observe superimposed rapid flaring on time-scales as short as ˜20 s with amplitudes of ˜0.1-0.5 mag and additional large flare events on time-scales of ˜5-60 min with amplitudes of ˜0.5-1.0 mag. The power density spectrum of the optical flare light curves is dominated by a red-noise component, typical of aperiodic activity in X-ray binaries. Simultaneous X-ray and UV observations by the Swift satellite reveal strong correlations that are consistent with X-ray reprocessing of the UV light, most likely in the outer regions of the accretion disc. On some nights we also observe sharp-edged, rectangular, flat-bottomed dips randomly distributed in orbital phase, with a median duration of ˜250 s and a median ingress/egress time of ˜20 s. These rectangular dips are similar to the mode-switching behaviour between disc `active' and `passive' luminosity states, observed in the X-ray light curves of other redback millisecond pulsars. This is the first time that the optical analogue of the X-ray mode-switching has been observed. The properties of the passive- and active-state light curves can be explained in terms of clumpy accretion from a trapped inner accretion disc near the corotation radius, resulting in rectangular, flat-bottomed optical and X-ray light curves.

  4. The Intensity Modulation of the Fluorescent Line by a Finite Light Speed Effect in Accretion-powered X-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoshida, Yuki; Kitamoto, Shunji; Hoshino, Akio

    2017-11-01

    The X-ray line diagnostic method is a powerful tool for an investigation of plasma around accretion-powered X-ray pulsars. We point out an apparent intensity modulation of emission lines, with their rotation period of neutron stars, due to the finite speed of light (we call this effect the “finite light speed effect”) if the line emission mechanism is a kind of reprocessing, such as fluorescence or recombination after ionization by X-ray irradiation from pulsars. The modulation amplitude is determined by the size of the emission region, which is in competition with the smearing effect by the light crossing time in the emission region. This is efficient if the size of the emission region is roughly comparable to that of the rotation period multiplied by the speed of light. We apply this effect to a symbiotic X-ray pulsar, GX 1+4, where a spin modulation of the intense iron line of which has been reported. The finite light speed effect can explain the observed intensity modulation if its fluorescent region is the size of ˜ {10}12 cm.

  5. A soft mHz quasi periodic oscillation in the fastest accreting millisecond pulsar.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrigno, C.; Bozzo, E.; Sanna, A.; Pintore, F.; Papitto, A.; Riggio, A.; Burderi, L.; Di Salvo, T.; Iaria, R.; D'ai, A.

    2017-10-01

    We illustrate the peculiar X-ray variability displayed by the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J00291+5934 in a 80 ks-long joint Nustar and XMM-Newton observation performed during the source outburst in 2015. The lightcurve of the source is characterized by a flaring behavior, with typical rise and decay timescales of ˜120 s. The flares are accompanied by a remarkable spectral variability, with the X- ray emission being generally softer at the peak of the flares. A strong QPO is detected at ˜8 mHz in the power spectrum of the source and clearly associated to its flaring-like behaviour. This feature has the strongest power at soft X-rays (<3 keV). We carried out a dedicated hardness-ratio resolved spectral analysis and a QPO-phase resolved spectral analysis together with an in-depth study of the source timing properties to investigate the origin of this behaviour. We discuss that it could be due either a disk-instability like the hearth-beat in the black-hole binary GRS 1915+105, or, less likely, to unstable nuclear burning on the neutron star surface, as observed in the burster 4U 1636-536. This phenomenology could be ideally studied with the large throughput and wide energy coverage of present and future instruments.

  6. Phenomenological constraints on accretion of non-annihilating dark matter on the PSR B1257+12 pulsar from orbital dynamics of its planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iorio, Lorenzo

    2010-11-01

    We analytically compute the effects that a pulsar's mass variation, whatever its physical origin may be, has on the standard Keplerian changes ΔτKep in the times of arrival of its pulses due to potential test particle companions, and on their orbital dynamics over long time scales. We apply our results to the planetary system of the PSR B1257+12 pulsar, located in the Galaxy at ~ 600 pc from us, to phenomenologically constrain a putative accretion of non-annihilating dark matter on the hosting neutron star. By comparing our prediction for Δτdot M/M to the root-mean-square accuracy of the timing residuals δ(Δτ) = 3.0μs we find for the mass variation rate dot M/M <= 1.3 × 10-6 yr-1. Actually, considerations related to the pulsar's lifetime, of the order of Δt ~ 0.8 Gyr, and to the currently accepted picture of the formation of its planets point toward a tighter constrain on the mass accretion rate, i.e. dot M/M <= 10-9 yr-1. Otherwise, the planets would have formed at about 300-700 au from PSR B1257+12, i.e. too far with respect to the expected extension of 1-2 au of the part of the protoplanetary disk containing the solid constituents from which they likely originated. In fact, an even smaller upper limit, dot M/M <= 10-11 yr-1, would likely be more realistic to avoid certain technical inconsistencies with the quality of the fit of the timing data, performed by keeping the standard value M = 1.4Modot fixed for the neutron star's mass. Anyway, the entire pulsar data set should be re-processed by explicitly modeling the mass variation rate and solving for it. Model-dependent theoretical predictions for the pulsar's mass accretion, in the framework of the mirror matter scenario, yield a mass increment rate of about 10-16 yr-1 for a value of the density of mirror matter ρdm as large as 10-17 g cm-3 = 5.6 × 106 GeV cm-3. Such a rate corresponds to a fractional mass variation of ΔM/M ~ 10-7 over the pulsar's lifetime. It would imply a formation of a black

  7. Discovery of the Accretion-Powered Millisecond Pulsar SWIFT 51756.9-2508 with a Low-Mass Companion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krimm, H.A.; Markwardt, C.B.; Deloye, C.J.; Romano, P.; Chakrabarty, S.; Campana. S.; Cummings, J.C.; Galloway, D.K.; Gehrels, N.; Hartman, J.M.; hide

    2007-01-01

    We report on the discovery by the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer of the eighth known transient accretion-powered millisecond pulsar: SWIFT J1756.9-2508, as part of routine observations with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope hard X-ray transient monitor. The pulsar was subsequently observed by both the X-Ray Telescope on Swift and the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Proportional Counter Array. It has a spin frequency of 182 Hz (5.5 ms) and an orbital period of 54.7 minutes. The minimum companion mass is between 0.0067 and 0.0086 Solar Mass, depending on the mass of the neutron star, and the upper limit on the mass is 0.030 Solar Mass (95% confidence level). Such a low mass is inconsistent with brown dwarf models. and comparison with white dwarf models suggests that the companion is a He-dominated donor whose thermal cooling has been at least modestly slowed by irradiation from the accretion flux. No X-ray bursts. dips, eclipses or quasi-periodic oscillations were detected. The current outburst lasted approx. 13 days and no earlier outbursts were found in archival data.

  8. The Stochastic X-Ray Variability of the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar MAXI J0911-655

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bult, Peter

    2017-01-01

    In this work, I report on the stochastic X-ray variability of the 340 hertz accreting millisecond pulsar MAXI J0911-655. Analyzing pointed observations of the XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observatories, I find that the source shows broad band-limited stochastic variability in the 0.01-10 hertz range with a total fractional variability of approximately 24 percent root mean square timing residuals in the 0.4 to 3 kiloelectronvolt energy band that increases to approximately 40 percent root mean square timing residuals in the 3 to 10 kiloelectronvolt band. Additionally, a pair of harmonically related quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are discovered. The fundamental frequency of this harmonic pair is observed between frequencies of 62 and 146 megahertz. Like the band-limited noise, the amplitudes of the QPOs show a steep increase as a function of energy; this suggests that they share a similar origin, likely the inner accretion flow. Based on their energy dependence and frequency relation with respect to the noise terms, the QPOs are identified as low-frequency oscillations and discussed in terms of the Lense-Thirring precession model.

  9. Magnetic field decay in black widow pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mendes, Camile; de Avellar, Marcio G. B.; Horvath, J. E.; Souza, Rodrigo A. de; Benvenuto, O. G.; De Vito, M. A.

    2018-04-01

    We study in this work the evolution of the magnetic field in `redback-black widow' pulsars. Evolutionary calculations of these `spider' systems suggest that first the accretion operates in the redback stage, and later the companion star ablates matter due to winds from the recycled pulsar. It is generally believed that mass accretion by the pulsar results in a rapid decay of the magnetic field when compared to the rate of an isolated neutron star. We study the evolution of the magnetic field in black widow pulsars by solving numerically the induction equation using the modified Crank-Nicolson method with intermittent episodes of mass accretion on to the neutron star. Our results show that the magnetic field does not fall below a minimum value (`bottom field') in spite of the long evolution time of the black widow systems, extending the previous conclusions for much younger low-mass X-ray binary systems. We find that in this scenario, the magnetic field decay is dominated by the accretion rate, and that the existence of a bottom field is likely related to the fact that the surface temperature of the pulsar does not decay as predicted by the current cooling models. We also observe that the impurity of the pulsar crust is not a dominant factor in the decay of magnetic field for the long evolution time of black widow systems.

  10. State Switching of the X-Ray/Radio Transitional Millisecond Pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shang, Lun-Hua; Zhang, Cheng-Min; Li, Di; Wang, De-Hua; Wang, Shuang-Qiang; Wang, Pei; Pan, Yuan-Yue; Yang, Yi-Yan; Zhi, Qi-Jun

    2017-11-01

    PSR J1023+0038 is a known transitional pulsar, which switches between the accretion-powered X-ray pulsar state and the rotation-powered radio millisecond pulsar (MSP) state. Here, we study the conditions for its state transition by ascribing ˜GHz radio pulse emission to the plasma cutoff oscillation frequency at the magnetosphere, which depends on the plasma density or accretion rate. With the accretion X-ray luminosity declining fromhigh to low state (e.g., ˜ {10}35 erg s-1 to ˜ {10}32 erg s-1), the magnetosphere boundary expands to the light cylinder, where the plasma density is low enough to permit the emission of radio waves at the several-GHz frequency band. Thus, for a sufficiently low accretion-rate state (˜ {10}32 erg s-1), the radio emission at the several-GHz band is not blocked by the plasma, and the radio pulsar can be detected in the favored “observational windows,” I.e., the L band (1-2 GHz), S band (2-4 GHz), and C band (4-8 GHz). Furthermore, to evaluate the penetration characteristics of the outgoing radio wave of low frequency, we calculate its skin depth, which is found to be a couple of centimeters for the low X-ray luminosity of {10}34{--}{10}32 erg s-1, a scale that is much shorter than the light cylinder radius of about 100 km for MSPs.

  11. A NuSTAR OBSERVATION OF THE GAMMA-RAY-EMITTING X-RAY BINARY AND TRANSITIONAL MILLISECOND PULSAR CANDIDATE 1RXS J154439.4–112820

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bogdanov, Slavko

    I present a 40 ks Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array observation of the recently identified low-luminosity X-ray binary and transitional millisecond pulsar (tMSP) candidate 1RXS J154439.4 112820, which is associated with the high-energy γ -ray source 3FGL J1544.6 1125. The system is detected up to ∼30 keV with an extension of the same power-law spectrum and rapid large-amplitude variability between two flux levels observed in soft X-rays. These findings provide further evidence that 1RXS J154439.4 112820 belongs to the same class of objects as the nearby bona fide tMSPs PSR J1023+0038 and XSS J12270 4859 and therefore almost certainly hosts amore » millisecond pulsar accreting at low luminosity. I also examine the long-term accretion history of 1RXS J154439.4 112820 based on archival optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, and γ -ray light curves covering approximately the past decade. Throughout this period, the source has maintained similar flux levels at all wavelengths, which is an indication that it has not experienced prolonged episodes of a non-accreting radio pulsar state but may spontaneously undergo such events in the future.« less

  12. Maser mechanism of optical pulsations from anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Y.; Zhang, S. N.

    2004-11-01

    Based on the work of Luo & Melrose from the early 1990s, a maser curvature emission mechanism in the presence of curvature drift is used to explain the optical pulsations from anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs). The model comprises a rotating neutron star with a strong surface magnetic field, i.e. a magnetar. Assuming the space-charge-limited flow acceleration mechanism, in which the strongly magnetized neutron star induces strong electric fields that pull the charges from its surface and flow along the open field lines, the neutron star generates a dense flow of electrons and positrons (relativistic pair plasma) by either two-photon pair production or one-photon pair creation resulting from inverse Compton scattering of the thermal photons above the pulsar polar cap (PC). The motion of the pair plasma is essentially one-dimensional along the field lines. We propose that optical pulsations from AXPs are generated by a curvature-drift-induced maser developing in the PC of magnetars. Pair plasma is considered as an active medium that can amplify its normal modes. The curvature drift, which is energy-dependent, is another essential ingredient in allowing negative absorption (maser action) to occur. For the source AXP 4U 0142+61, we find that the optical pulsation triggered by curvature-drift maser radiation occurs at the radial distance R(νM) ~ 4.75 × 109 cm to the neutron star. The corresponding curvature maser frequency is about νM~ 1.39 × 1014 Hz, and the pulse component from the maser amplification is about 27 per cent. The result is consistent with the observation of the optical pulsations from AXP 4U 0142+61.

  13. A Hard Look at the Neutron Stars and Accretion Disks in 4U 1636-53, GX 17+2, and 4U 1705-44 with NuStar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ludlam, R. M.; Miller, J. M.; Bachetti, M.; Barret, D.; Bostrom, A. C.; Cackett, E. M.; Degenaar, N.; Di Salvo, T.; Natalucci, L.; Tomsick, J. A.; Paerels, F.; Parker, M. L.

    2017-02-01

    We present NuSTAR observations of neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binaries: 4U 1636-53, GX 17+2, and 4U 1705-44. We observed 4U 1636-53 in the hard state, with an Eddington fraction, {F}{Edd}, of 0.01; GX 17+2 and 4U 1705-44 were in the soft state with fractions of 0.57 and 0.10, respectively. Each spectrum shows evidence for a relativistically broadened Fe K α line. Through accretion disk reflection modeling, we constrain the radius of the inner disk in 4U 1636-53 to be {R}{in}=1.03+/- 0.03 ISCO (innermost stable circular orbit), assuming a dimensionless spin parameter {a}* ={cJ}/{{GM}}2=0.0, and {R}{in}=1.08+/- 0.06 ISCO for {a}* =0.3 (errors quoted at 1σ). This value proves to be model independent. For {a}* =0.3 and M=1.4 {M}⊙ , for example, 1.08 ± 0.06 ISCO translates to a physical radius of R=10.8+/- 0.6 km, and the NS would have to be smaller than this radius (other outcomes are possible for allowed spin parameters and masses). For GX 17+2, {R}{in}=1.00{--}1.04 ISCO for {a}* =0.0 and {R}{in}=1.03{--}1.30 ISCO for {a}* =0.3. For {a}* =0.3 and M=1.4 {M}⊙ , {R}{in}=1.03{--}1.30 ISCO translates to R=10.3{--}13.0 km. The inner accretion disk in 4U 1705-44 may be truncated just above the stellar surface, perhaps by a boundary layer or magnetosphere; reflection models give a radius of 1.46-1.64 ISCO for {a}* =0.0 and 1.69-1.93 ISCO for {a}* =0.3. We discuss the implications our results may have on the equation of state of ultradense, cold matter and our understanding of the innermost accretion flow onto NSs with low surface magnetic fields, and systematic errors related to the reflection models and spacetime metric around less idealized NSs.

  14. Dynamical and Radiative Properties of X-Ray Pulsar Accretion Columns: Phase-averaged Spectra

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    West, Brent F.; Wolfram, Kenneth D.; Becker, Peter A.

    2017-02-01

    The availability of the unprecedented spectral resolution provided by modern X-ray observatories is opening up new areas for study involving the coupled formation of the continuum emission and the cyclotron absorption features in accretion-powered X-ray pulsar spectra. Previous research focusing on the dynamics and the associated formation of the observed spectra has largely been confined to the single-fluid model, in which the super-Eddington luminosity inside the column decelerates the flow to rest at the stellar surface, while the dynamical effect of gas pressure is ignored. In a companion paper, we have presented a detailed analysis of the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic structure of the accretion column obtained using a new self-consistent model that includes the effects of both gas and radiation pressures. In this paper, we explore the formation of the associated X-ray spectra using a rigorous photon transport equation that is consistent with the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic structure of the column. We use the new model to obtain phase-averaged spectra and partially occulted spectra for Her X-1, Cen X-3, and LMC X-4. We also use the new model to constrain the emission geometry, and compare the resulting parameters with those obtained using previously published models. Our model sheds new light on the structure of the column, the relationship between the ionized gas and the photons, the competition between diffusive and advective transport, and the magnitude of the energy-averaged cyclotron scattering cross-section.

  15. Hunting for swinging millisecond pulsars with XMM-Newton

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papitto, Alessandro

    2013-10-01

    The recent XMM discovery of a millisecond pulsar swinging between an accretion- powered (X-ray) and a rotation-powered (radio) pulsar state provided the final evidence of the evolutionary link between these two classes, demonstrating that transitions between the two states can be observed over of a few weeks. We propose a ToO program (made of 3 triggers of 60 ks, over a 3years timescale) aimed at detecting X-ray accretion powered pulsations in sources already known as ms radio pulsars. Candidates are restricted to black widows and redbacks, systems in an evolutionary phase that allows state transitions. Enlarging the number of systems in this transitional phase is crucial to test binary evolution theories, and to study the disk-field interaction over a large range of mass accretion rates.

  16. Acceleration by pulsar winds in binary systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, Alice K.; Gaisser, T. K.

    1990-01-01

    In the absence of accretion torques, a pulsar in a binary system will spin down due to electromagnetic dipole radiation and the spin-down power will drive a wind of relativistic electron-positron pairs. Winds from pulsars with short periods will prevent any subsequent accretion but may be confined by the companion star atmosphere, wind, or magnetosphere to form a standing shock. The authors investigate the possibility of particle acceleration at such a pulsar wind shock and the production of very high energy (VHE) and ultra high energy (UHE) gamma rays from interactions of accelerated protons in the companion star's wind or atmosphere. They find that in close binaries containing active pulsars, protons will be shock accelerated to a maximum energy dependent on the pulsar spin-down luminosity. If a significant fraction of the spin-down power goes into particle acceleration, these systems should be sources of VHE and possibly UHE gamma rays. The authors discuss the application of the pulsar wind model to binary sources such as Cygnus X-3, as well as the possibility of observing VHE gamma-rays from known binary radio pulsar systems.

  17. Torque Enhancement, Spin Equilibrium, and Jet Power from Disk-Induced Opening of Pulsar Magnetic Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parfrey, Kyle; Spitkovsky, Anatoly; Beloborodov, Andrei M.

    2016-05-01

    The interaction of a rotating star’s magnetic field with a surrounding plasma disk lies at the heart of many questions posed by neutron stars in X-ray binaries. We consider the opening of stellar magnetic flux due to differential rotation along field lines coupling the star and disk, using a simple model for the disk-opened flux, the torques exerted on the star by the magnetosphere, and the power extracted by the electromagnetic wind. We examine the conditions under which the system enters an equilibrium spin state, in which the accretion torque is instantaneously balanced by the pulsar wind torque alone. For magnetic moments, spin frequencies, and accretion rates relevant to accreting millisecond pulsars, the spin-down torque from this enhanced pulsar wind can be substantially larger than that predicted by existing models of the disk-magnetosphere interaction, and is in principle capable of maintaining spin equilibrium at frequencies less than 1 kHz. We speculate that this mechanism may account for the non-detection of frequency increases during outbursts of SAX J1808.4-3658 and XTE J1814-338, and may be generally responsible for preventing spin-up to sub-millisecond periods. If the pulsar wind is collimated by the surrounding environment, the resulting jet can satisfy the power requirements of the highly relativistic outflows from Cir X-1 and Sco X-1. In this framework, the jet power scales relatively weakly with accretion rate, {L}{{j}}\\propto {\\dot{M}}4/7, and would be suppressed at high accretion rates only if the stellar magnetic moment is sufficiently low.

  18. Dynamical and Radiative Properties of X-Ray Pulsar Accretion Columns: Phase-averaged Spectra

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    West, Brent F.; Wolfram, Kenneth D.; Becker, Peter A., E-mail: bwest@usna.edu, E-mail: kswolfram@gmail.com, E-mail: pbecker@gmu.edu

    The availability of the unprecedented spectral resolution provided by modern X-ray observatories is opening up new areas for study involving the coupled formation of the continuum emission and the cyclotron absorption features in accretion-powered X-ray pulsar spectra. Previous research focusing on the dynamics and the associated formation of the observed spectra has largely been confined to the single-fluid model, in which the super-Eddington luminosity inside the column decelerates the flow to rest at the stellar surface, while the dynamical effect of gas pressure is ignored. In a companion paper, we have presented a detailed analysis of the hydrodynamic and thermodynamicmore » structure of the accretion column obtained using a new self-consistent model that includes the effects of both gas and radiation pressures. In this paper, we explore the formation of the associated X-ray spectra using a rigorous photon transport equation that is consistent with the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic structure of the column. We use the new model to obtain phase-averaged spectra and partially occulted spectra for Her X-1, Cen X-3, and LMC X-4. We also use the new model to constrain the emission geometry, and compare the resulting parameters with those obtained using previously published models. Our model sheds new light on the structure of the column, the relationship between the ionized gas and the photons, the competition between diffusive and advective transport, and the magnitude of the energy-averaged cyclotron scattering cross-section.« less

  19. Spectral and timing properties of the accreting X-ray millisecond pulsar IGR J17498-2921

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falanga, M.; Kuiper, L.; Poutanen, J.; Galloway, D. K.; Bozzo, E.; Goldwurm, A.; Hermsen, W.; Stella, L.

    2012-09-01

    Context. IGR J17498-2921 is the third X-ray transient accreting millisecond pulsar discovered by INTEGRAL. It was in outburst for about 40 days beginning on August 08, 2011. Aims: We analyze the spectral and timing properties of the object and the characteristics of X-ray bursts to constrain the physical processes responsible for the X-ray production in this class of sources. Methods: We studied the broad-band spectrum of the persistent emission in the 0.6-300 keV energy band using simultaneous INTEGRAL, RXTE, and Swift data obtained in August-September 2011. We also describe the timing properties in the 2-100 keV energy range such as the outburst lightcurve, pulse profile, pulsed fraction, pulsed emission, time lags, and study the properties of X-ray bursts discovered by RXTE, Swift, and INTEGRAL and the recurrence time. Results: The broad-band average spectrum is well-described by thermal Comptonization with an electron temperature of kTe ~ 50 keV, soft seed photons of kTbb ~ 1 keV, and Thomson optical depth τT ~ 1 in a slab geometry. The slab area corresponds to a black body radius of Rbb ~ 9 km. During the outburst, the spectrum stays remarkably stable with plasma and soft seed photon temperatures and scattering optical depth that are constant within the errors. This behavior has been interpreted as indicating that the X-ray emission originates above the neutron star (NS) surface in a hot slab (either the heated NS surface or the accretion shock). The INTEGRAL, RXTE, and Swift data reveal the X-ray pulsation at a period of 2.5 ms up to ~65 keV. The pulsed fraction is consistent with being constant, i.e. energy independent and has a typical value of 6-7%. The nearly sinusoidal pulses show soft lags that seem to saturate near 10 keV at a rather small value of ~-60 μs with those observed in other accreting pulsars. The short burst profiles indicate that there is a hydrogen-poor material at ignition, which suggests either that the accreted material is hydrogen

  20. The Evolution of the Accretion Disk Around 4U 1820-30 During a Superburst

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ballantyne, D. R.; Strohmayer, T. E.

    2004-01-01

    Accretion from a disk onto a collapsed, relativistic star - a neutron star or black hole - is the mechanism widely believed to be responsible for the emission from compact X-ray binaries. Because of the extreme spatial resolution required, it is not yet possible to directly observe the evolution or dynamics of the inner parts of the accretion disk where general relativistic effects are dominant. Here, we use the bright X-ray emission from a superburst on the surface of the neutron star 4U 1820-30 as a spotlight to illuminate the disk surface. The X-rays cause iron atoms in the disk t o fluoresce, allowing a determination of the ionization state, covering factor and inner radius of the disk over the course of the burst. The time-resolved spectral fitting shows that the inner region of the disk is disrupted by the burst, possibly being heated into a thicker, more tenuous flow, before recovering its previous form in approximately 1000 s. This marks the first instance that the evolution of the inner regions of an accretion disk has been observed in real-time.

  1. Coherent variability of GX 1+4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nielsen, Ann-Sofie Bak; Patruno, Alessandro

    2018-06-01

    The accreting pulsar GX 1+4 is a symbiotic X-ray binary system with a M-type giant star companion. The system has a spin period of about 150 s and a proposed strong magnetic field of 1012-1014G. In this paper we study the coherent variability of the source and attempt to find a phase-coherent solution for the pulsar. We also test for the presence of a pulse phase - flux correlation, similar to what is observed for the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars, in order to test whether this feature is dependent on the magnetic field strength. We find that no phase coherent solution exists which suggests that the pulsar is accreting plasma from a wind rather than an accretion disc. We also find evidence that the pulse phase is not correlated with the X-ray flux, which strengthens the idea that such relation might be present only in weak magnetic field sources like accreting millisecond pulsars.

  2. Stable accretion from a cold disc in highly magnetized neutron stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsygankov, S. S.; Mushtukov, A. A.; Suleimanov, V. F.; Doroshenko, V.; Abolmasov, P. K.; Lutovinov, A. A.; Poutanen, J.

    2017-11-01

    Aims: The aim of this paper is to investigate the transition of a strongly magnetized neutron star into the accretion regime with very low accretion rate. Methods: For this purpose, we monitored the Be-transient X-ray pulsar GRO J1008-57 throughout a full orbital cycle. The current observational campaign was performed with the Swift/XRT telescope in the soft X-ray band (0.5-10 keV) between two subsequent Type I outbursts in January and September 2016. Results: The expected transition to the propeller regime was not observed. However, transitions between different regimes of accretion were detected. In particular, after an outburst, the source entered a stable accretion state characterised by an accretion rate of 1014-1015 g s-1. We associate this state with accretion from a cold (low-ionised) disc of temperature below 6500 K. We argue that a transition to this accretion regime should be observed in all X-ray pulsars that have a certain combination of the rotation frequency and magnetic field strength. The proposed model of accretion from a cold disc is able to explain several puzzling observational properties of X-ray pulsars.

  3. Birth of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grindlay, J. E.; Bailyn, C. D.

    1988-01-01

    It is argued here that accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs in binaries can form millisecond pulsars directly without requiring a precursor low-mass X-ray binary stage. Ablation of the precollapse binary companion by the millisecond pulsar's radiation field, a process invoked to explain some of the characteristics of the recently discovered eclipsing millisecond pulsar, can then yield isolated neutron stars witout requiring an additional stellar encounter.

  4. Quasi-Periodic Pulse Amplitude Modulation in the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar IGR J00291+5934

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bult, Peter; van Doesburgh, Marieke; van der Klis, Michiel

    2017-01-01

    We introduce a new method for analyzing the a periodic variability of coherent pulsations in accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs). Our method involves applying a complex frequency correction to the time-domain lightcurve, allowing for the aperiodic modulation of the pulse amplitude to be robustly extracted in the frequency domain. We discuss the statistical properties of the resulting modulation spectrum and show how it can be correlated with the non-pulsed emission to determine if the periodic and a periodic variability are coupled processes. Using this method, we study the 598.88 Hz coherent pulsations of the AMXP IGR J00291+5934 as observed with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and XMM-Newton. We demonstrate that our method easily confirms the known coupling between the pulsations and a strong 8 mHz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in XMM-Newton observations. Applying our method to the RXTE observations, we further show, for the first time, that the much weaker 20 mHz QPO and its harmonic are also coupled with the pulsations. We discuss the implications of this coupling and indicate how it may be used to extract new information on the underlying accretion process.

  5. The X-ray Pulsar 2A 1822-371 as a super-Eddington source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bak Nielsen, A.; Patruno, A.

    2017-10-01

    The LMXB pulsar 2A 1822-371 is a slow accreting x-ray pulsar which shows several peculiar properties. The pulsar is observed to spin-up continuously on a timescale of 7000 years , shorter than expected for these type of systems. The orbital period is expanding on an extremely short timescale that challenges current theories of binary evolution. Furthermore, the presence of a thick accretion disc corona poses a problem, since we observe X-ray pulsations which would otherwise be smeared out by the Compton scattering. I propose a solution to all of the above problems by suggesting that the system may be a super-Eddington source with a donor out of thermal equilibrium. I propose that 2A 1822-371 has a thin accretion outflow being launched from the inner accretion disk region. The solution reconciles both the need for an accretion disk corona, the fast spin-up and the changes in the orbital separation. I will also present preliminary results obtained with new XMM-Newton data that show the possible presence of a low frequency modulation similar to those observed in two accreting millisecond pulsars. Given the relatively strong magnetic field of 2A 1822-371, the modulation requires a super-Eddington mass transfer rate, further strengthening the proposed scenario.

  6. Nature and evolution of the eclipsing millisecond binary pulsar PSR1957 + 20

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kluzniak, W.; Ruderman, M.; Shaham, J.; Tavani, M.

    1988-01-01

    A model in which a millisecond pulsar may be able to evaporate a very light companion by a particular component of its energetic radiation is applied to the recently discovered 1.6-ms pulsar PSR1957 + 20. Pulsar turn-on in the very low-mass X-ray binary follows a stage of mass transfer dominated by an evaporative wind from the surface of the companion. The wind is driven by a large MeV gamma-ray flux powered by an accretion dynamo. That source of radiation ceases when it is replaced by that from the millisecond pulsar, which has been spun up by accretion.

  7. Radius of the neutron star magnetosphere during disk accretion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Filippova, E. V.; Mereminskiy, I. A.; Lutovinov, A. A.; Molkov, S. V.; Tsygankov, S. S.

    2017-11-01

    The dependence of the spin frequency derivative \\dot ν of accreting neutron stars with a strongmagnetic field (X-ray pulsars) on the mass accretion rate (bolometric luminosity, L bol) has been investigated for eight transient pulsars in binary systems with Be stars. Using data from the Fermi/GBM and Swift/BAT telescopes, we have shown that for seven of the eight systems the dependence \\dot ν ( L bol) can be fitted by the model of angular momentum transfer through an accretion disk, which predicts the relation \\dot ν ˜ L 6/7 bol. Hysteresis in the dependence \\dot ν ( L bol) has been confirmed in the system V 0332+53 and has been detected for the first time in the systems KS 1947+300, GRO J1008-57, and 1A 0535+26. Estimates for the radius of the neutron star magnetosphere in all of the investigated systems have been obtained. We show that this quantity varies from pulsar to pulsar and depends strongly on the analytical model and the estimates for the neutron star and binary system parameters.

  8. Retrograde Accretion Discs in High-Mass Be/X-Ray Binaries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Christodoulou, D. M.; Laycock, S. G. T.; Kazanas, D.

    2017-01-01

    We have compiled a comprehensive library of all X-ray observations of Magellanic pulsars carried out by XMM-Newton, Chandra and RXTE in the period 1997-2014. In this work, we use the data from 53 high-mass Be/X-ray binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud to demonstrate that the distribution of spin-period derivatives versus spin periods of spinning-down pulsars is not at all different from that of the accreting spinning-up pulsars. The inescapable conclusion is that the up and down samples were drawn from the same continuous parent population; therefore, Be/X-ray pulsars that are spinning down over periods spanning 18 yr are, in fact, accreting from retrograde discs. The presence of prograde and retrograde discs in roughly equal numbers supports a new evolutionary scenario for Be/X-ray pulsars in their spin period-period derivative diagram.

  9. Not an Oxymoron: Some X-ray Binary Pulsars with Enormous Spinup Rates Reveal Weak Magnetic Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Christodoulou, D. M.; Laycock, S. G. T.; Kazanas, D.

    2018-05-01

    Three high-mass X-ray binaries have been discovered recently exhibiting enormous spinup rates. Conventional accretion theory predicts extremely high surface dipolar magnetic fields that we believe are unphysical. Instead, we propose quite the opposite scenario: some of these pulsars exhibit weak magnetic fields, so much so that their magnetospheres are crushed by the weight of inflowing matter. The enormous spinup rate is achieved before inflowing matter reaches the pulsar's surface as the penetrating inner disk transfers its excess angular momentum to the receding magnetosphere which, in turn, applies a powerful spinup torque to the pulsar. This mechanism also works in reverse: it spins a pulsar down when the magnetosphere expands beyond corotation and finds itself rotating faster than the accretion disk which then exerts a powerful retarding torque to the magnetic field and to the pulsar itself. The above scenaria cannot be accommodated within the context of neutron-star accretion processes occurring near spin equilibrium, thus they constitute a step toward a new theory of extreme (far from equilibrium) accretion phenomena.

  10. Evidence for hot clumpy accretion flow in the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shahbaz, T.; Dallilar, Y.; Garner, A.; Eikenberry, S.; Veledina, A.; Gandhi, P.

    2018-06-01

    We present simultaneous optical and near-infrared (IR) photometry of the millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 during its low-mass X-ray binary phase. The r΄- and Ks-band light curves show rectangular, flat-bottomed dips, similar to the X-ray mode-switching (active-passive state transitions) behaviour observed previously. The cross-correlation function (CCF) of the optical and near-IR data reveals a strong, broad negative anticorrelation at negative lags, a broad positive correlation at positive lags, with a strong, positive narrow correlation superimposed. The shape of the CCF resembles the CCF of black hole X-ray binaries but the time-scales are different. The features can be explained by reprocessing and a hot accretion flow close to the neutron star's magnetospheric radius. The optical emission is dominated by the reprocessed component, whereas the near-IR emission contains the emission from plasmoids in the hot accretion flow and a reprocessed component. The rapid active-passive state transition occurs when the hot accretion flow material is channelled on to the neutron star and is expelled from its magnetosphere. During the transition the optical reprocessing component decreases resulting in the removal of a blue spectral component. The accretion of clumpy material through the magnetic barrier of the neutron star produces the observed near-IR/optical CCF and variability. The dip at negative lags corresponds to the suppression of the near-IR synchrotron component in the hot flow, whereas the broad positive correlation at positive lags is driven by the increased synchrotron emission of the outflowing plasmoids. The narrow peak in the CCF is due to the delayed reprocessed component, enhanced by the increased X-ray emission.

  11. Quasi-periodic Pulse Amplitude Modulation in the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar IGR J00291+5934

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bult, Peter; Doesburgh, Marieke van; Klis, Michiel van der

    We introduce a new method for analyzing the aperiodic variability of coherent pulsations in accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs). Our method involves applying a complex frequency correction to the time-domain light curve, allowing for the aperiodic modulation of the pulse amplitude to be robustly extracted in the frequency domain. We discuss the statistical properties of the resulting modulation spectrum and show how it can be correlated with the non-pulsed emission to determine if the periodic and aperiodic variability are coupled processes. Using this method, we study the 598.88 Hz coherent pulsations of the AMXP IGR J00291+5934 as observed with themore » Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and XMM-Newton . We demonstrate that our method easily confirms the known coupling between the pulsations and a strong 8 mHz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in XMM-Newton observations. Applying our method to the RXTE observations, we further show, for the first time, that the much weaker 20 mHz QPO and its harmonic are also coupled with the pulsations. We discuss the implications of this coupling and indicate how it may be used to extract new information on the underlying accretion process.« less

  12. State-change in the "transition" binary millisecond pulsar J1023+0038

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stappers, B. W.; Archibald, A.; Bassa, C.; Hessels, J.; Janssen, G.; Kaspi, V.; Lyne, A.; Patruno, A.; Hill, A. B.

    2013-10-01

    We report a change in the state of PSR J1023+0038, a source which is believed to be transitioning from an X-ray binary to an eclipsing binary radio millisecond pulsar (Archibald et al. 2009, Science, 324, 1411). The system was known to contain an accretion disk in 2001 but has shown no signs of it, or of accretion, since then, rather exhibiting all the properties of an eclipsing binary millisecond radio pulsar (MSP).

  13. Accretion powered X-ray pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    White, N. E.; Swank, J. H.; Holt, S. S.

    1982-01-01

    A unified description of the properties of 14 X-ray pulsars is presented and compared with the current theoretical understanding of these systems. The sample extends over six orders of magnitude in luminosity, with the only trend in the phase averaged spectra being that the lower luminosity systems appear to have less abrupt high energy cutoffs. There is no correlation of luminosity with power law index, high energy cutoff energy or iron line EW. Detailed pulse phase spectroscopy is given for five systems.

  14. Where are the r-modes? Chandra Observations of Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mahmoodifar, Simin; Strohmayer, Tod E.

    2017-01-01

    We present the results of Chandra observations of two non-accreting millisecond pulsars, PSRs J1640+2224(J1640) and J1709+2313 (J1709), with low inferred magnetic fields and spin-down rates in order to constrain their surface temperatures, obtain limits on the amplitude of unstable r-modes in them, and make comparisons with similar limits obtained for a sample of accreting low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) neutron stars. We detect both pulsars in the X-ray band for the first time. They are faint, with inferred soft X-ray fluxes(0.3-3 keV) of approx. 6 x 10(exp -15) and 3 x 10( exp -15) erg/sq cm for J1640 and J1709, respectively. Spectral analysis assuming hydrogen atmosphere emission gives global effective temperature upper limits (90% confidence) of 3.3-4.3 x 10(exp 5) K for J1640 and 3.6-4.7 x 10(exp 5) K for J1709, where the low end of the range corresponds to canonical neutron stars (M = 1.4 Stellar Mass), and the upper end corresponds to higher-mass stars (M = 2.21 Stellar Mass). Under the assumption that r-mode heating provides the thermal support, we obtain dimensionless r-mode amplitude upper limits of 3.2-4.8 x 10(exp -8) and 1.8-2.8 x 10(exp -7) for J1640 and J1709, respectively, where again the low end of the range corresponds to lower-mass, canonical neutron stars (M =1.4 Stellar Mass). These limits are about an order of magnitude lower than those we derived previously for a sample of LMXBs, except for the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.43658, which has a comparable amplitude limit to J1640 and J1709.

  15. The Unusual Binary Pulsar PSR J1744-3922: Radio Flux Variability, Near-Infrared Observation, and Evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Breton, R. P.; Roberts, M. S. E.; Ransom, S. M.; Kaspi, V. M.; Durant, M.; Bergeron, P.; Faulkner, A. J.

    2007-06-01

    PSR J1744-3922 is a binary pulsar exhibiting highly variable pulsed radio emission. We report on a statistical multifrequency study of the pulsed radio flux variability which suggests that this phenomenon is extrinsic to the pulsar and possibly tied to the companion, although not strongly correlated with orbital phase. The pulsar has an unusual combination of characteristics compared to typical recycled pulsars: a long spin period (172 ms); a relatively high magnetic field strength (1.7×1010 G); a very circular, compact orbit of 4.6 hr; and a low-mass companion (0.08 Msolar). These spin and orbital properties are likely inconsistent with standard evolutionary models. We find similarities between the properties of the PSR J1744-3922 system and those of several other known binary pulsar systems, motivating the identification of a new class of binary pulsars. We suggest that this new class could result from: a standard accretion scenario of a magnetar or a high magnetic field pulsar; common envelope evolution with a low-mass star and a neutron star, similar to what is expected for ultracompact X-ray binaries; or accretion induced collapse of a white dwarf. We also report the detection of a possible K'=19.30(15) infrared counterpart at the position of the pulsar, which is relatively bright if the companion is a helium white dwarf at the nominal distance, and discuss its implications for the pulsar's companion and evolutionary history.

  16. Binary millisecond pulsar discovery via gamma-ray pulsations.

    PubMed

    Pletsch, H J; Guillemot, L; Fehrmann, H; Allen, B; Kramer, M; Aulbert, C; Ackermann, M; Ajello, M; de Angelis, A; Atwood, W B; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Barbiellini, G; Bastieri, D; Bechtol, K; Bellazzini, R; Borgland, A W; Bottacini, E; Brandt, T J; Bregeon, J; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Buehler, R; Buson, S; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Caraveo, P A; Casandjian, J M; Cecchi, C; Çelik, Ö; Charles, E; Chaves, R C G; Cheung, C C; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Conrad, J; Cutini, S; D'Ammando, F; Dermer, C D; Digel, S W; Drell, P S; Drlica-Wagner, A; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Favuzzi, C; Ferrara, E C; Franckowiak, A; Fukazawa, Y; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giglietto, N; Giordano, F; Giroletti, M; Godfrey, G; Grenier, I A; Grondin, M-H; Grove, J E; Guiriec, S; Hadasch, D; Hanabata, Y; Harding, A K; den Hartog, P R; Hayashida, M; Hays, E; Hill, A B; Hou, X; Hughes, R E; Jóhannesson, G; Jackson, M S; Jogler, T; Johnson, A S; Johnson, W N; Kataoka, J; Kerr, M; Knödlseder, J; Kuss, M; Lande, J; Larsson, S; Latronico, L; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lovellette, M N; Lubrano, P; Massaro, F; Mayer, M; Mazziotta, M N; McEnery, J E; Mehault, J; Michelson, P F; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Monzani, M E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, I V; Murgia, S; Nakamori, T; Nemmen, R; Nuss, E; Ohno, M; Ohsugi, T; Omodei, N; Orienti, M; Orlando, E; de Palma, F; Paneque, D; Perkins, J S; Piron, F; Pivato, G; Porter, T A; Rainò, S; Rando, R; Ray, P S; Razzano, M; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, T; Ritz, S; Romani, R W; Romoli, C; Sanchez, D A; Saz Parkinson, P M; Schulz, A; Sgrò, C; do Couto e Silva, E; Siskind, E J; Smith, D A; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Suson, D J; Takahashi, H; Tanaka, T; Thayer, J B; Thayer, J G; Thompson, D J; Tibaldo, L; Tinivella, M; Troja, E; Usher, T L; Vandenbroucke, J; Vasileiou, V; Vianello, G; Vitale, V; Waite, A P; Winer, B L; Wood, K S; Wood, M; Yang, Z; Zimmer, S

    2012-12-07

    Millisecond pulsars, old neutron stars spun up by accreting matter from a companion star, can reach high rotation rates of hundreds of revolutions per second. Until now, all such "recycled" rotation-powered pulsars have been detected by their spin-modulated radio emission. In a computing-intensive blind search of gamma-ray data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (with partial constraints from optical data), we detected a 2.5-millisecond pulsar, PSR J1311-3430. This unambiguously explains a formerly unidentified gamma-ray source that had been a decade-long enigma, confirming previous conjectures. The pulsar is in a circular orbit with an orbital period of only 93 minutes, the shortest of any spin-powered pulsar binary ever found.

  17. ULXs from Accreting Neutron Stars: the Light Cylinder, the Stellar Surface, and Everything in Between

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parfrey, K.; Tchekhovskoy, A.

    2017-10-01

    I will present results from the first relativistic MHD simulations of accretion onto magnetized neutron stars, performed in general relativity in the Kerr spacetime. The accretion flow is geometrically thick with a relativistic-gas equation of state, appropriate for super-Eddington systems. Four regimes are recovered, in order of increasing stellar magnetic field strength (equivalently, decreasing mass accretion rate): (a) crushing of the stellar magnetosphere and direct accretion; (b) magnetically channeled accretion onto the stellar poles; (c) the propeller state, where material enters through the light cylinder but is prevented from accreting by the centrifugal barrier; (d) almost perfect exclusion of the accretion flow from the light cylinder by the pulsar's electromagnetic wind. A Poynting-flux-dominated relativistic jet, powered by stellar rotation, is produced when the intruding plasma succeeds in opening the pulsar's previously closed magnetic field lines. I will demonstrate the effect of changing the relative orientation of the stellar dipole and the large-scale magnetic field in the accreting plasma, and discuss our results in the context of the neutron-star-powered ULXs, as well as the transitional millisecond X-ray/radio pulsars and jet-launching neutron-star X-ray binaries.

  18. X-ray pulsars in nearby irregular galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jun

    2018-01-01

    The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Irregular Galaxy IC 10 are valuable laboratories to study the physical, temporal and statistical properties of the X-ray pulsar population with multi-satellite observations, in order to probe fundamental physics. The known distance of these galaxies can help us easily categorize the luminosity of the pulsars and their age difference can be helpful for for studying the origin and evolution of compact objects. Therefore, a complete archive of 116 XMM-Newton PN, 151 Chandra (Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer) ACIS, and 952 RXTE PCA observations for the pulsars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) were collected and analyzed, along with 42 XMM-Newton and 30 Chandra observations for the Large Magellanic Cloud, spanning 1997-2014. From a sample of 67 SMC pulsars we generate a suite of products for each pulsar detection: spin period, flux, event list, high time-resolution light-curve, pulse-profile, periodogram, and X-ray spectrum. Combining all three satellites, I generated complete histories of the spin periods, pulse amplitudes, pulsed fractions and X-ray luminosities. Many of the pulsars show variations in pulse period due to the combination of orbital motion and accretion torques. Long-term spin-up/down trends are seen in 28/25 pulsars respectively, pointing to sustained transfer of mass and angular momentum to the neutron star on decadal timescales. The distributions of pulse detection and flux as functions of spin period provide interesting findings: mapping boundaries of accretion-driven X-ray luminosity, and showing that fast pulsars (P<10 s) are rarely detected, which yet are more prone to giant outbursts. In parallel we compare the observed pulse profiles to our general relativity (GR) model of X-ray emission in order to constrain the physical parameters of the pulsars.In addition, we conduct a search for optical counterparts to X-ray sources in the local dwarf galaxy IC 10 to form a comparison

  19. NICER Discovers the Ultracompact Orbit of the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar IGR J17062–6143

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strohmayer, T. E.; Arzoumanian, Z.; Bogdanov, S.; Bult, P. M.; Chakrabarty, D.; Enoto, T.; Gendreau, K. C.; Guillot, S.; Harding, A. K.; Ho, W. C. G.; Homan, J.; Jaisawal, G. K.; Keek, L.; Kerr, M.; Mahmoodifar, S.; Markwardt, C. B.; Ransom, S. M.; Ray, P. S.; Remillard, R.; Wolff, M. T.

    2018-05-01

    We present results of recent Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) observations of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar (AMXP) IGR J17062‑6143 that show that it resides in a circular, ultracompact binary with a 38-minute orbital period. NICER observed the source for ≈26 ks over a 5.3-day span in 2017 August, and again for 14 and 11 ks in 2017 October and November, respectively. A power spectral analysis of the August exposure confirms the previous detection of pulsations at 163.656 Hz in Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) data, and reveals phase modulation due to orbital motion of the neutron star. A coherent search for the orbital solution using the Z 2 method finds a best-fitting circular orbit with a period of 2278.21 s (37.97 minutes), a projected semimajor axis of 0.00390 lt-s, and a barycentric pulsar frequency of 163.6561105 Hz. This is currently the shortest known orbital period for an AMXP. The mass function is 9.12 × 10‑8 M ⊙, presently the smallest known for a stellar binary. The minimum donor mass ranges from ≈0.005 to 0.007 M ⊙ for a neutron star mass from 1.2 to 2 M ⊙. Assuming mass transfer is driven by gravitational radiation, we find donor mass and binary inclination bounds of 0.0175–0.0155 M ⊙ and 19° < i < 27.°5, where the lower and upper bounds correspond to 1.4 and 2 M ⊙ neutron stars, respectively. Folding the data accounting for the orbital modulation reveals a sinusoidal profile with fractional amplitude 2.04 ± 0.11% (0.3–3.2 keV).

  20. A Pulsar Eases Off the Brakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2015-10-01

    In 2006, pulsar PSR 18460258 unexpectedly launched into a series of energetic X-ray outbursts. Now a study has determined that this event may have permanently changed the behavior of this pulsar, raising questions about our understanding of how pulsars evolve.Between CategoriesA pulsar a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation can be powered by one of three mechanisms:Rotation-powered pulsars transform rotational energy into radiation, gradually slowing down in a predictable way.Accretion-powered pulsars convert the gravitational energy of accreting matter into radiation.Magnetars are powered by the decay of their extremely strong magnetic fields.Astronomical classification often results in one pesky object that doesnt follow the rules. In this case, that object is PSR 18460258, a young pulsar categorized as rotation-powered. But in 2006, PSR 18460258 suddenly emitted a series of short, hard X-ray bursts and underwent a flux increase behavior that is usually only exhibited by magnetars. After this outburst, it returned to normal, rotation-powered-pulsar behavior.Since the discovery of this event, scientists have been attempting to learn more about this strange pulsar that seems to straddle the line between rotation-powered pulsars and magnetars.Unprecedented DropOne way to examine whats going on with PSR 18460258 is to evaluate whats known as its braking index, a measure of how quickly the pulsars rotation slows down. For a rotation-powered pulsar, the braking index should be roughly constant. The pulsar then slows down according to a fixed power law, where the slower it rotates, the slower it slows down.In a recent study, Robert Archibald (McGill University) and collaborators report on 7 years worth of timing observations of PSR 18460258 after its odd magnetar-like outburst. They then compare these observations to 6.5 years of data from before the outburst. The team finds that the braking index for this bizarre

  1. Roto-chemical heating in a neutron star with fall-back disc accretion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Wei; Liu, Xi-Wei; Zheng, Xiao-Ping

    2018-07-01

    Recent research on the classical pulsar B0950+08 demonstrates that the explanation of its high surface temperature by roto-chemical heating encounters some difficulties. We assume that there is a fall-back disc around the newborn neutron star, which originates from the supernova ejecta and influences the spin and magnetic evolution of the star. By taking into account disc accretion and magnetic field evolution simultaneously, the effect of the fall-back disc accretion process on the roto-chemical heating in the neutron star is studied. The results show that there are two roto-chemical deviation phases (spin-up deviation and spin-down deviation), but that only the spin-down deviation leads to heating. The specific cooling curve depends on the accretion disc mass, the initial magnetic field and the magnetic field decay rate. Most importantly, the observations of surface temperature, magnetic field strength and spin period of the classical pulsar B0950+08 are well explained by the accretion roto-chemical heating model. The fall-back accretion process is important in roto-chemical heating for explanations of classical pulsars with high temperature. Given the absence of any evidence of fall-back accretion on to B0950+08, our study is purely hypothetical.

  2. The 2006-2007 Active Phase Of Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61: Radiative and Timing Changes, Bursts, and Burst Spectral Features

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gavril, Fotis P.; Dib, Rim; Kaspi, Victoria M.

    2009-01-01

    After at least 6 years of quiescence, Anomalous X-ray Pulsar (AXP) 4U 0142+61 entered an active phase in 2006 March that lasted several months and included six X-ray bursts as well as many changes in the persistent X-ray emission. The bursts, the first seen from this AXP in >11 years of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer monitoring, all occurred in the interval between 2006 April 6 and 2007 February 7. The burst durations ranged from 8-3x10(exp 3)s. The first five burst spectra are well modeled by blackbodies, with temperatures kT approx. 2 - 6 keV. However, the sixth burst had a complicated spectrum that is well characterized by a blackbody plus three emission features whose amplitude varied throughout the burst. The most prominent feature was at 14.0 keV. Upon entry into the active phase the pulsar showed a significant change in pulse morphology and a likely timing glitch. The glitch had a total frequency jump of (1.9+/-0.4)x10(exp -7) Hz, which recovered with a decay time of 17+/-2 days by more than the initial jump, implying a net spin-down of the pulsar. We discuss these events in the context of the magnetar model.

  3. A State Change In The Missing Link Binary Pulsar System Psr J1023+0038

    DOE PAGES

    Stappers, B. W.; Archibald, A. M.; Hessels, J. W. T.; ...

    2014-07-01

    We present radio, X-ray, and γ-ray observations which reveal that the binary millisecond pulsar / low-mass X-ray binary transition system PSR J1023+0038 has undergone a transformation in state. Whereas until recently the system harbored a bright millisecond radio pulsar, the radio pulsations at frequencies between 300 to 5000MHz have now become undetectable. Concurrent with this radio disappearance, the γ-ray flux of the system has quintupled. We conclude that, though the radio pulsar is currently not detectable, the pulsar mechanism is still active and the pulsar wind, as well as a newly formed accretion disk, are together providing the necessary conditionsmore » to create the γ-ray increase. The system is the first example of a transient, compact, low-mass γ-ray binary and will continue to provide an exceptional test bed for better understanding the formation of millisecond pulsars as well as accretion onto neutron stars in general.« less

  4. A Pulsar and a Disk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2016-07-01

    V appeared.Hong and collaborators were then left with the task of piecing together this strange behavior into a picture of what was happening with this binary system.The authors proposed model for SXP 214. Here the binary has a ~30-day orbit tilted at 15 to the circumstellar disk. The pulsar passes through the circumstellar disk of its companion once per orbit. The interval marked A (orange line) is suggested as the period of time corresponding to the Chandra observations in this study: just as the neutron star is emerging from the disk after passing through it. [Hong et al. 2016]Passing Through a DiskIn the model the authors propose, the pulsar is on a ~30-day eccentric orbit that takes it through the circumstellar disk of its companion once per orbit.In this picture, the authors Chandra detections must have been made just as the pulsar was emerging from the circumstellar disk. The disk had initially hidden the soft X-ray emission from the pulsar, but as the pulsar emerged, that component became brighter, causing both the overall rise in X-ray counts and the shift in the spectrum to lower energies.Since the pulsars accretion is fueled by material picked up as it passes through the circumstellar disk, the accretion from a recent passage through the disk likely also caused the observed spin-up to the shorter period.If the authors model is correct, this series of observations of the pulsar as it emerges from the disk provides a rare opportunity to examine what happens to X-ray emission during this passage. More observations of this intriguing system can help us learn about the properties of the disk and the emission geometry of the neutron star surface.CitationJaeSub Hong et al 2016 ApJ 826 4. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/826/1/4

  5. Simultaneous X-Ray/Ultraviolet Timing of 4U 1626-67

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chakrabarty, Deepto

    2003-01-01

    The science results from our observation have been published (Chakrabarty et al. 2001, ApJ, 562, 985). We detected large-amplitude 0.3- 1.2 mHz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) from the low-mass X-ray binary pulsar 4U 1626--67, using ultraviolet photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based optical photometry. These 1 mHz QPOs, which have coherence (nu/Delta_nu) = 8, are entirely distinct from the 130 mHz pulsar spin frequency, a previously known 48 mHz QPO, and the 42 min binary period (independently confirmed here). Unlike the 48 mHz and 130 mHz oscillations which are present in both the optical/UV and the X-ray emission, the 1 mHz QPOs are not detected in simultaneous observations with the X-Ray Timing Explorer. The rms amplitude of the mHz QPO decreases from 15% in the far UV to 3% in the optical, while the upper limit on a corresponding X-ray QPO is as low as 0.8\\%. We suggest that the mHz oscillations are due to warping of the inner accretion disk. We also report the detection of coherent upper and lower sidebands of the 130 mHz optical pulsations, with unequal amplitude and a spacing of 1.93 mHz around the main pulsation. The origin of these sidebands remains unclear.

  6. Where Are the r-modes? Chandra Observations of Millisecond Pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mahmoodifar, Simin; Strohmayer, Tod

    We present the results of Chandra observations of two non-accreting millisecond pulsars, PSRs J1640+2224 (J1640) and J1709+2313 (J1709), with low inferred magnetic fields and spin-down rates in order to constrain their surface temperatures, obtain limits on the amplitude of unstable r -modes in them, and make comparisons with similar limits obtained for a sample of accreting low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) neutron stars. We detect both pulsars in the X-ray band for the first time. They are faint, with inferred soft X-ray fluxes (0.3–3 keV) of ≈6 × 10{sup −15} and 3 × 10{sup −15} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} formore » J1640 and J1709, respectively. Spectral analysis assuming hydrogen atmosphere emission gives global effective temperature upper limits (90% confidence) of 3.3–4.3 × 10{sup 5} K for J1640 and 3.6–4.7 × 10{sup 5} K for J1709, where the low end of the range corresponds to canonical neutron stars ( M = 1.4 M {sub ⊙}), and the upper end corresponds to higher-mass stars ( M = 2.21 M {sub ⊙}). Under the assumption that r -mode heating provides the thermal support, we obtain dimensionless r -mode amplitude upper limits of 3.2–4.8 × 10{sup −8} and 1.8–2.8 × 10{sup −7} for J1640 and J1709, respectively, where again the low end of the range corresponds to lower-mass, canonical neutron stars ( M = 1.4 M {sub ⊙}). These limits are about an order of magnitude lower than those we derived previously for a sample of LMXBs, except for the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4–3658, which has a comparable amplitude limit to J1640 and J1709.« less

  7. Quasi-spherical accretion in High Mass X-ray Binaries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Postnov, Konstantin

    2016-07-01

    Quasi-spherical accreion onto magnetized neutron stars from stellar winds in high-mass X-ray binaries is discussed. Depending on the X-ray luminosity of the neutron star, the accretion can proceed in two regimes (modes): at L_x ≳ 4× 10^{36} erg/s, Compton cooling of accreting matter near magnetosphere leads to a supersonic (Bondi) accretion, while at smaller X-ray luminosity the Compton cooling is ineffective, and subsonic settling accretion regime sets in. In this regime, a hot convective shell is formed around the magnetosphere, and the plasma entry rate into magnetosphere is controlled by less effective radiative plasma cooling. The shell mediates the angular momentum transfer from/to the neutron star magnetosphere. Observational evidences for the different accretion regimes in slowly rotating X-ray pulsars with moderate and low X-ray luminosity, as well as possible manifestations of non-stationary quasi-spherical settling accretion due to the magnetospheric shell instability in Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients will be presented.

  8. SWIFT OBSERVATIONS OF TWO OUTBURSTS FROM THE MAGNETAR 4U 0142+61

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Archibald, R. F.; Kaspi, V. M.; Scholz, P.

    2017-01-10

    4U 0142+61 is one of a small class of persistently bright magnetars. Here, we report on a monitoring campaign of 4U 0142+61 from 2011 July 26 to 2016 June 12 using the Swift X-ray Telescope, continuing a 16-year timing campaign with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer . We show that 4U 0142+61 had two radiatively loud timing events, on 2011 July 29 and 2015 February 28, both with short soft γ -ray bursts, and a long-lived flux decay associated with each case. We show that the 2015 timing event resulted in a net spin-down of the pulsar that is duemore » to overrecovery of a glitch. We compare this timing event to previous such events in other pulsars with high magnetic fields and discuss net spin-down glitches now seen in several young, high-B pulsars.« less

  9. Binary Millisecond Pulsar Discovery via Gamma-Ray Pulsations

    DOE PAGES

    Pletsch, H. J.; Guillemot, L.; Fehrmann, H.; ...

    2012-12-07

    We present that millisecond pulsars, old neutron stars spun up by accreting matter from a companion star, can reach high rotation rates of hundreds of revolutions per second. Until now, all such “recycled” rotation-powered pulsars have been detected by their spin-modulated radio emission. In a computing-intensive blind search of gamma-ray data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (with partial constraints from optical data), we detected a 2.5-millisecond pulsar, PSR J1311-3430. This unambiguously explains a formerly unidentified gamma-ray source that had been a decade-long enigma, confirming previous conjectures. Lastly, the pulsar is in a circular orbit with an orbital period ofmore » only 93 minutes, the shortest of any spin-powered pulsar binary ever found.« less

  10. NuSTAR Discovery of a Cyclotron Line in the Accreting X-Ray Pulsar IGR J16393-4643

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bodaghee, Arash; Tomsick, John A.; Fornasini, Francesca M.; Krivonos, Roman; Stern, Daniel; Mori, Kaya; Rahoui, Farid; Boggs, Steven E.; Christensen, Finn E.; Craig, William W.; hide

    2016-01-01

    The high-mass X-ray binary and accreting X-ray pulsar IGR J16393-4643 was observed by the Nuclear Spectroscope Telescope Array in the 3-79 keV energy band for a net exposure time of 50 ks. We present the results of this observation which enabled the discovery of a cyclotron resonant scattering feature with a centroid energy of -29.3(sup +1.1)(sub -1.3) keV. This allowed us to measure the magnetic field strength of the neutron star for the first time: B = (2.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(exp 12) G. The known pulsation period is now observed at 904.0+/- 0.1 s. Since 2006, the neutron star has undergone a long-term spin-up trend at a rate of P= -2 x 10(exp -8) s s(exp -1) (-0.6 s per year, or a frequency derivative of v = 3 x 10(exp -14) Hz s(exp -1)). In the power density spectrum, a break appears at the pulse frequency which separates the zero slope at low frequency from the steeper slope at high frequency. This addition of angular momentum to the neutron star could be due to the accretion of a quasi-spherical wind, or it could be caused by the transient appearance of a prograde accretion disk that is nearly in corotation with the neutron star whose magnetospheric radius is around 2 x 10(exp 8) cm.

  11. "Missing Link" Revealing Fast-Spinning Pulsar Mysteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2009-05-01

    Astronomers have discovered a unique double-star system that represents a "missing link" stage in what they believe is the birth process of the most rapidly-spinning stars in the Universe -- millisecond pulsars. "We've thought for some time that we knew how these pulsars get 'spun up' to rotate so swiftly, and this system looks like it's showing us the process in action," said Anne Archibald, of McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Pulsar and Companion Neutron star with accretion disk (left) drawing material from companion star (right). CREDIT:Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF Animations of this system and its evolution. Pulsars are superdense neutron stars, the remnants left after massive stars have exploded as supernovae. Their powerful magnetic fields generate lighthouse-like beams of light and radio waves that sweep around as the star rotates. Most rotate a few to tens of times a second, slowing down over thousands of years. However, some, dubbed millisecond pulsars, rotate hundreds of times a second. Astronomers believe the fast rotation is caused by a companion star dumping material onto the neutron star and spinning it up. The material from the companion would form a flat, spinning disk around the neutron star, and during this period, the radio waves characteristic of a pulsar would not be seen coming from the system. As the amount of matter falling onto the neutron star decreased and stopped, the radio waves could emerge, and the object would be recognized as a pulsar. This sequence of events is apparently what happened with a binary-star system some 4000 light-years from Earth. The millisecond pulsar in this system, called J1023, was discovered by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia in 2007 in a survey led by astronomers at West Virginia University and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). The astronomers then found that the object had been detected by NSF's Very Large Array (VLA) radio

  12. Alternancia entre el estado de emisión de Rayos-X y Pulsar en Sistemas Binarios Interactuantes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Vito, M. A.; Benvenuto, O. G.; Horvath, J. E.

    2015-08-01

    Redbacks belong to the family of binary systems in which one of the components is a pulsar. Recent observations show redbacks that have switched their state from pulsar - low mass companion (where the accretion of material over the pulsar has ceased) to low mass X-ray binary system (where emission is produced by the mass accretion on the pulsar), or inversely. The irradiation effect included in our models leads to cyclic mass transfer episodes, which allow close binary systems to switch between one state to other. We apply our results to the case of PSR J1723-2837, and discuss the need to include new ingredients in our code of binary evolution to describe the observed state transitions.

  13. The superslow pulsation X-ray pulsars in high mass X-ray binaries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Wei

    2013-03-01

    There exists a special class of X-ray pulsars that exhibit very slow pulsation of P spin > 1000 s in the high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). We have studied the temporal and spectral properties of these superslow pulsation neutron star binaries in hard X-ray bands with INTEGRAL observations. Long-term monitoring observations find spin period evolution of two sources: spin-down trend for 4U 2206+54 (P spin ~ 5560 s with Ṗ spin ~ 4.9 × 10-7 s s-1) and long-term spin-up trend for 2S 0114+65 (P spin ~ 9600 s with Ṗ spin ~ -1 × 10-6 s s-1) in the last 20 years. A Be X-ray transient, SXP 1062 (P spin ~ 1062 s), also showed a fast spin-down rate of Ṗ spin ~ 3 × 10-6 s s-1 during an outburst. These superslow pulsation neutron stars cannot be produced in the standard X-ray binary evolution model unless the neutron star has a much stronger surface magnetic field (B > 1014 G). The physical origin of the superslow spin period is still unclear. The possible origin and evolution channels of the superslow pulsation X-ray pulsars are discussed. Superslow pulsation X-ray pulsars could be younger X-ray binary systems, still in the fast evolution phase preceding the final equilibrium state. Alternatively, they could be a new class of neutron star system - accreting magnetars.

  14. Spin-down of radio millisecond pulsars at genesis.

    PubMed

    Tauris, Thomas M

    2012-02-03

    Millisecond pulsars are old neutron stars that have been spun up to high rotational frequencies via accretion of mass from a binary companion star. An important issue for understanding the physics of the early spin evolution of millisecond pulsars is the impact of the expanding magnetosphere during the terminal stages of the mass-transfer process. Here, I report binary stellar evolution calculations that show that the braking torque acting on a neutron star, when the companion star decouples from its Roche lobe, is able to dissipate >50% of the rotational energy of the pulsar. This effect may explain the apparent difference in observed spin distributions between x-ray and radio millisecond pulsars and help account for the noticeable age discrepancy with their young white dwarf companions.

  15. EVOLUTION OF TRANSIENT LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES TO REDBACK MILLISECOND PULSARS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jia, Kun; Li, Xiang-Dong, E-mail: lixd@nju.edu.cn

    2015-11-20

    Redback millisecond pulsars (MSPs; hereafter redbacks) are a subpopulation of eclipsing MSPs in close binaries. The formation processes of these systems are not clear. The three pulsars showing transitions between rotation- and accretion-powered states belong to both redbacks and transient low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), suggesting a possible evolutionary link between them. Through binary evolution calculations, we show that the accretion disks in almost all LMXBs are subject to the thermal-viscous instability during certain evolutionary stages, and the parameter space for the disk instability covers the distribution of known redbacks in the orbital period—companion mass plane. We accordingly suggest that themore » abrupt reduction of the mass accretion rate during quiescence of transient LMXBs provides a plausible way to switch on the pulsar activity, leading to the formation of redbacks, if the neutron star has been spun up to be an energetic MSP. We investigate the evolution of redbacks, taking into account the evaporation feedback, and discuss its possible influence on the formation of black widow MSPs.« less

  16. Identifying the donor star of the most extreme ULX pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heida, Marianne

    2017-08-01

    Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) were once among the most promising candidates for long sought after intermediate-mass black holes, owing to their high X-ray luminosities (>10^39 erg/s) and off-nuclear positions. NGC 5907 ULX-1 was a prime example, and since it regularly reaches 10^41 erg/s it was thought to harbour a black hole with a mass of at least 500 solar masses. But in an astonishing discovery, the source was found to exhibit pulsations in the X-rays on second-timescales, revealing it to be a pulsar powered by accretion onto a neutron star with only 1.4 solar masses. This discovery challenges every known theory of accretion onto a compact object, which in this object exceeds the Eddington limit by a factor of 500. It requires us to imagine extreme departures from known accretion theory and/or binary evolution scenarios. The fuel source should be a massive companion star in order to sustain the required mass accretion rate, however X-ray timing favors a low-mass star. With the ability to detect a massive star, a short HST/WFC3 NIR observation would solve this mystery. A detection of a supergiant donor would open the path to future dynamical mass measurements with JWST, while a non-detection would prove that this extreme ULX pulsar contains a low-mass donor star, forcing us to consider new evolutionary formation channels.

  17. Spectral and Timing Nature of the Symbiotic X-Ray Binary 4U 1954+319: The Slowest Rotating Neutron Star in AN X-Ray Binary System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Enoto, Teruaki; Sasano, Makoto; Yamada, Shin'Ya; Tamagawa, Toru; Makishima, Kazuo; Pottschmidt, Katja; Marcu, Diana; Corbet, Robin H. D.; Fuerst, Felix; Wilms, Jorn

    2014-01-01

    The symbiotic X-ray binary (SyXB) 4U 1954+319 is a rare system hosting a peculiar neutron star (NS) and an M-type optical companion. Its approx. 5.4 hr NS spin period is the longest among all known accretion-powered pulsars and exhibited large (is approx. 7%) fluctuations over 8 yr. A spin trend transition was detected with Swift/BAT around an X-ray brightening in 2012. The source was in quiescent and bright states before and after this outburst based on 60 ks Suzaku observations in 2011 and 2012. The observed continuum is well described by a Comptonized model with the addition of a narrow 6.4 keV Fe-K alpha line during the outburst. Spectral similarities to slowly rotating pulsars in high-mass X-ray binaries, its high pulsed fraction (approx. 60%-80%), and the location in the Corbet diagram favor high B-field (approx. greater than 10(exp12) G) over a weak field as in low-mass X-ray binaries. The observed low X-ray luminosity (10(exp33)-10(exp35) erg s(exp-1)), probable wide orbit, and a slow stellar wind of this SyXB make quasi-spherical accretion in the subsonic settling regime a plausible model. Assuming a approx. 10(exp13) G NS, this scheme can explain the approx. 5.4 hr equilibrium rotation without employing the magnetar-like field (approx. 10(exp16) G) required in the disk accretion case. The timescales of multiple irregular flares (approx. 50 s) can also be attributed to the free-fall time from the Alfv´en shell for a approx. 10(exp13) G field. A physical interpretation of SyXBs beyond the canonical binary classifications is discussed.

  18. On the morphology of outbursts of accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar Aquila X-1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Güngör, C.; Ekşi, K. Y.; Göğüş, E.

    2017-10-01

    We present the X-ray light curves of the last two outbursts - 2014 & 2016 - of the well known accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar (AMXP) Aquila X-1 using the monitor of all sky X-ray image (MAXI) observations in the 2-20 keV band. After calibrating the MAXI count rates to the all-sky monitor (ASM) level, we report that the 2016 outburst is the most energetic event of Aql X-1, ever observed from this source. We show that 2016 outburst is a member of the long-high class according to the classification presented by Güngör et al. with ˜ 68 cnt/s maximum flux and ˜ 60 days duration time and the previous outburst, 2014, belongs to the short-low class with ˜ 25 cnt/s maximum flux and ˜ 30 days duration time. In order to understand differences between outbursts, we investigate the possible dependence of the peak intensity to the quiescent duration leading to the outburst and find that the outbursts following longer quiescent episodes tend to reach higher peak energetic.

  19. Properties of the observed recycle radio pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnston, Simon

    1994-04-01

    Recent searches for pulsars have been highly successful in discovering recycle and binary pulsars, and we now know of approximately 25 recycled pulsars in the Galaxy and approximately 30 in globular cluster systems. These pulsars fall into four classes; those with high-mass stellar companions, with neutron star companions, with low-mass companions, and those whose evolutionary history has been affected by a companion since lost. There are two pulsars known to have high-mass stellar companions. Both systems contain approximately 10 solar mass B-star companions and have high eccentricities (e approximately 0.85). PSR B1259-63 has a spin period of 47 ms and an orbital period in excess of three years. In constrast, PSR J0045-7319 has a spin period close to 1 s and an orbital period of only 50 days. These systems originated from a binary system containing two massive stars. The supernova explosion (SN) creates the pulsar and is also responsible for the observed high eccentricity. There are five pulsars thought to have neutron star companions. All these systems have orbital eccentricities in excess of 0.2, and they fall into two classes. The first class contain the pulsars formed after the first SN, and which have been spun-up to approximately 50 ms periods during the giant phase of their companion star. This also reduces the orbital peirod to 0.3 day and the second SN induces the high eccentricity. The pulsars observed in the second class were born after the second SN and thus have periods more typical of the bulk of pulsars (greater than 250 ms). The bulk of the recycled pulsars have low-mass (probably white dwarf) companions. In general, these pulsars have very fast spin-rates (the 'millisecond' pulsars) and large apparent ages. The observed eccentricities are extremely small (less than 10-5). These pulsars are re-born as millisecond pulsars after accreting matter and angular momentum from their companion stars in their giant phase. The orbit is circularized during

  20. Simulating X-ray bursts during a transient accretion event

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnston, Zac; Heger, Alexander; Galloway, Duncan K.

    2018-06-01

    Modelling of thermonuclear X-ray bursts on accreting neutron stars has to date focused on stable accretion rates. However, bursts are also observed during episodes of transient accretion. During such events, the accretion rate can evolve significantly between bursts, and this regime provides a unique test for burst models. The accretion-powered millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 exhibits accretion outbursts every 2-3 yr. During the well-sampled month-long outburst of 2002 October, four helium-rich X-ray bursts were observed. Using this event as a test case, we present the first multizone simulations of X-ray bursts under a time-dependent accretion rate. We investigate the effect of using a time-dependent accretion rate in comparison to constant, averaged rates. Initial results suggest that using a constant, average accretion rate between bursts may underestimate the recurrence time when the accretion rate is decreasing, and overestimate it when the accretion rate is increasing. Our model, with an accreted hydrogen fraction of X = 0.44 and a CNO metallicity of ZCNO = 0.02, reproduces the observed burst arrival times and fluences with root mean square (rms) errors of 2.8 h, and 0.11× 10^{-6} erg cm^{-2}, respectively. Our results support previous modelling that predicted two unobserved bursts and indicate that additional bursts were also missed by observations.

  1. The Dripping Handrail Model: Transient Chaos in Accretion Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Young, Karl; Scargle, Jeffrey D.; Cuzzi, Jeffrey (Technical Monitor)

    1995-01-01

    We define and study a simple dynamical model for accretion systems, the "dripping handrail" (DHR). The time evolution of this spatially extended system is a mixture of periodic and apparently random (but actually deterministic) behavior. The nature of this mixture depends on the values of its physical parameters - the accretion rate, diffusion coefficient, and density threshold. The aperiodic component is a special kind of deterministic chaos called transient chaos. The model can simultaneously exhibit both the quasiperiodic oscillations (QPO) and very low frequency noise (VLFN) that characterize the power spectra of fluctuations of several classes of accretion systems in astronomy. For this reason, our model may be relevant to many such astrophysical systems, including binary stars with accretion onto a compact object - white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole - as well as active galactic nuclei. We describe the systematics of the DHR's temporal behavior, by exploring its physical parameter space using several diagnostics: power spectra, wavelet "scalegrams," and Lyapunov exponents. In addition, we note that for large accretion rates the DHR has periodic modes; the effective pulse shapes for these modes - evaluated by folding the time series at the known period - bear a resemblance to the similarly- determined shapes for some x-ray pulsars. The pulsing observed in some of these systems may be such periodic-mode accretion, and not due to pure rotation as in the standard pulsar model.

  2. A curious case of the accretion-powered X-ray pulsar GX 1+4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaisawal, Gaurava K.; Naik, Sachindra; Gupta, Shivangi; Chenevez, Jérôme; Epili, Prahlad

    2018-04-01

    We present detailed spectral and timing studies using a NuSTAR observation of GX 1+4 in October 2015 during an intermediate intensity state. The measured spin period of 176.778 s is found to be one of the highest values since its discovery. In contrast to a broad sinusoidal-like pulse profile, a peculiar sharp peak is observed in profiles below ˜25 keV. The profiles at higher energies are found to be significantly phase-shifted compared to the soft X-ray profiles. Broadband energy spectra of GX 1+4, obtained from NuSTAR and Swift observations, are described with various continuum models. Among these, a two component model consisting of a bremsstrahlung and a blackbody component is found to best-fit the phase-averaged and phase-resolved spectra. Physical models are also used to investigate the emission mechanism in the pulsar, which allows us to estimate the magnetic field strength to be in ˜(5-10)× 1012 G range. Phase-resolved spectroscopy of NuSTAR observation shows a strong blackbody emission component in a narrow pulse phase range. This component is interpreted as the origin of the peculiar peak in the pulse profiles below ≤25 keV. The size of emitting region is calculated to be ˜400 m. The bremsstrahlung component is found to dominate in hard X-rays and explains the nature of simple profiles at high energies.

  3. A curious case of the accretion-powered X-ray pulsar GX 1+4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaisawal, Gaurava K.; Naik, Sachindra; Gupta, Shivangi; Chenevez, Jérôme; Epili, Prahlad

    2018-07-01

    We present detailed spectral and timing studies using a NuSTAR observation of GX 1+4 in 2015 October during an intermediate-intensity state. The measured spin period of 176.778 s is found to be one of the highest values since its discovery. In contrast to a broad sinusoidal-like pulse profile, a peculiar sharp peak is observed in profiles below ˜25 keV. The profiles at higher energies are found to be significantly phase shifted compared to the soft X-ray profiles. Broad-band energy spectra of GX 1+4, obtained from NuSTAR and Swift observations, are described with various continuum models. Among these, a two-component model consisting of a bremsstrahlung and a blackbody component is found to best fit the phase-averaged and phase-resolved spectra. Physical models are also used to investigate the emission mechanism in the pulsar, which allows us to estimate the magnetic field strength to be in ˜(5-10) × 1012 G range. Phase-resolved spectroscopy of NuSTAR observation shows a strong blackbody emission component in a narrow pulse phase range. This component is interpreted as the origin of the peculiar peak in the pulse profiles below ≤25 keV. The size of emitting region is calculated to be ˜400 m. The bremsstrahlung component is found to dominate in hard X-rays and explains the nature of simple profiles at high energies.

  4. Analysis of variability in the burst oscillations of the accreting millisecond pulsar XTE J1814-338

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Watts, Anna L.; Strohmayer, Tod E.; Markwardt, Craig B.

    2005-01-01

    The accreting millisecond pulsar XTE J1814-338 exhibits oscillations at the known spin frequency during Type I X-ray bursts. The properties of the burst oscillations reflect the nature of the thermal asymmetry on the stellar surface. We present an analysis of the variability of the burst oscillations of this source, focusing on three characteristics: fractional amplitude, harmonic content and frequency. Fractional amplitude and harmonic content constrain the size, shape and position of the emitting region, whilst variations in frequency indicate motion of the emitting region on the neutron star surface. We examine both long-term variability over the course of the outburst, and short-term variability during the bursts. For most of the bursts, fractional amplitude is consistent with that of the accretion pulsations, implying a low degree of fuel spread. There is however a population of bursts whose fractional amplitudes are substantially lower, implying a higher degree of fuel spread, possibly forced by the explosive burning front of a precursor burst. For the first harmonic, substantial differences between the burst and accretion pulsations suggest that hotspot geometry is not the only mechanism giving rise to harmonic content in the latter. Fractional amplitude variability during the bursts is low; we can only rule out the hypothesis that the fractional amplitude remains constant at the l(sigma) level for bursts that do not exhibit photospheric radius expansion (PRE). There are no significant variations in frequency in any of the bursts except for the one burst that exhibits PRE. This burst exhibits a highly significant but small (= 0.1Hz) drop in frequency in the burst rise. The timescale of the frequency shift is slower than simple burning layer expansion models predict, suggesting that other mechanisms may be at work.

  5. The 2006-2007 Active Phase of Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61: Radiative and Timing Changes, Bursts,and Burst Spectral Features

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gavriil, Fotis P.; Dib, Rim; Kaspi, Victoria M.

    2011-01-01

    After at least 6 years of quiescence, Anomalous X-ray Pulsar (AXP) 4U 0142+61 entered an active phase in 2006 March that lasted several months and included six X-ray bursts as well as many changes in the persistent X-ray emission. The bursts, the first seen from this AXP in > 11 years of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer monitoring, all occurred in the interval between 2006 April 6 and 2007 February 7. The burst durations ranged from 0.4 - 1.8 x 10(exp 3) s. The first five burst spectra are well modeled by blackbodies, with temperatures kT approx 2 - 9 keV. However, the sixth burst had a complicated spectrum that is well characterized by a blackbody plus two emission features whose amplitude varied throughout the burst. The most prominent feature was at 14.0 keV. Upon entry into the active phase the pulsar showed a significant change in pulse morphology and a likely timing glitch. The glitch had a total frequency jump of (1.9+/-0.4) x 10(exp -7) Hz, which recovered with a decay time of 17+/-2 days by more than the initial jump, implying a net spin-down of the pulsar. Within the framework of the magnetar model, the net spin-down of the star could be explained by regions of the superfluid that rotate. slower than the rest. The bursts, flux enhancements, and pulse morphology changes can be explained as arising from crustal deformations due to stresses imposed by the highly twisted internal magnetic field. However, unlike other AXP outbursts, we cannot account for a major twist being implanted in the magnetosphere.

  6. Constraining the dipolar magnetic field of M82 X-2 by the accretion model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Wen-Cong

    2017-02-01

    Recently, ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) M82 X-2 has been identified to be an accreting neutron star, which has a P = 1.37 s spin period, and is spinning up at a rate dot{P}=-2.0× 10^{-10} s s^{-1}. Interestingly, its isotropic X-ray luminosity Liso = 1.8 × 1040 erg s- 1 during outbursts is 100 times the Eddington limit for a 1.4 M⊙ neutron star. In this Letter, based on the standard accretion model we attempt to constrain the dipolar magnetic field of the pulsar in ULX M82 X-2. Our calculations indicate that the accretion rate at the magnetospheric radius must be super-Eddington during outbursts. To support such a super-Eddington accretion, a relatively high multipole field ( ≳ 1013 G) near the surface of the accretor is invoked to produce an accreting gas column. However, our constraint shows that the surface dipolar magnetic field of the pulsar should be in the range of 1.0-3.5 × 1012 G. Therefore, our model supports that the neutron star in ULX M82 X-2 could be a low-magnetic-field magnetar (proposed by Tong) with a normal dipolar field (˜1012 G) and relatively strong multipole field. For the large luminosity variations of this source, our scenario can also present a self-consistency interpretation.

  7. The Velocity Distribution of Isolated Radio Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arzoumanian, Z.; Chernoff, D. F.; Cordes, J. M.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    spatially bounded surveys; (3) an important low-velocity population exists that increases the fraction of neutron stars retained by globular clusters and is consistent with the number of old objects that accrete from the interstellar medium; (4) under standard assumptions for supernova remnant expansion and pulsar spin-down, approx. 10% of pulsars younger than 20 kyr will appear to lie outside of their host remnants. Finally, we comment on the ramifications of our birth velocity distribution for binary survival and the population of inspiraling binary neutron stars relevant to some GRB models and potential sources for LIGO.

  8. The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. II. The Discovery and Timing of 10 Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kawash, A. M.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Kaplan, D. L.; DeCesar, M. E.; Levin, L.; Lorimer, D. R.; Lynch, R. S.; Stovall, K.; Swiggum, J. K.; Fonseca, E.; Archibald, A. M.; Banaszak, S.; Biwer, C. M.; Boyles, J.; Cui, B.; Dartez, L. P.; Day, D.; Ernst, S.; Ford, A. J.; Flanigan, J.; Heatherly, S. A.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Hinojosa, J.; Jenet, F. A.; Karako-Argaman, C.; Kaspi, V. M.; Kondratiev, V. I.; Leake, S.; Lunsford, G.; Martinez, J. G.; Mata, A.; Matheny, T. D.; Mcewen, A. E.; Mingyar, M. G.; Orsini, A. L.; Ransom, S. M.; Roberts, M. S. E.; Rohr, M. D.; Siemens, X.; Spiewak, R.; Stairs, I. H.; van Leeuwen, J.; Walker, A. N.; Wells, B. L.

    2018-04-01

    We present timing solutions for 10 pulsars discovered in 350 MHz searches with the Green Bank Telescope. Nine of these were discovered in the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap survey and one was discovered by students in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory program during an analysis of drift-scan data. Following the discovery and confirmation with the Green Bank Telescope, timing has yielded phase-connected solutions with high-precision measurements of rotational and astrometric parameters. Eight of the pulsars are slow and isolated, including PSR J0930‑2301, a pulsar with a nulling fraction lower limit of ∼30% and a nulling timescale of seconds to minutes. This pulsar also shows evidence of mode changing. The remaining two pulsars have undergone recycling, accreting material from binary companions, resulting in higher spin frequencies. PSR J0557‑2948 is an isolated, 44 ms pulsar that has been partially recycled and is likely a former member of a binary system that was disrupted by a second supernova. The paucity of such so-called “disrupted binary pulsars” (DRPs) compared to double neutron star (DNS) binaries can be used to test current evolutionary scenarios, especially the kicks imparted on the neutron stars in the second supernova. There is some evidence that DRPs have larger space velocities, which could explain their small numbers. PSR J1806+2819 is a 15 ms pulsar in a 44-day orbit with a low-mass white dwarf companion. We did not detect the companion in archival optical data, indicating that it must be older than 1200 Myr.

  9. Mapping the QCD Phase Transition with Accreting Compact Stars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blaschke, D.; Bogoliubov Laboratory for Theoretical Physics, JINR Dubna, Joliot-Curie str. 6, 141980 Dubna; Poghosyan, G.

    2008-10-29

    We discuss an idea for how accreting millisecond pulsars could contribute to the understanding of the QCD phase transition in the high-density nuclear matter equation of state (EoS). It is based on two ingredients, the first one being a ''phase diagram'' of rapidly rotating compact star configurations in the plane of spin frequency and mass, determined with state-of-the-art hybrid equations of state, allowing for a transition to color superconducting quark matter. The second is the study of spin-up and accretion evolution in this phase diagram. We show that the quark matter phase transition leads to a characteristic line in themore » {omega}-M plane, the phase border between neutron stars and hybrid stars with a quark matter core. Along this line a drop in the pulsar's moment of inertia entails a waiting point phenomenon in the accreting millisecond pulsar (AMXP) evolution: most of these objects should therefore be found along the phase border in the {omega}-M plane, which may be viewed as the AMXP analog of the main sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for normal stars. In order to prove the existence of a high-density phase transition in the cores of compact stars we need population statistics for AMXPs with sufficiently accurate determination of their masses, spin frequencies and magnetic fields.« less

  10. 4U 1626-67 as Seen by Suzaku Before and After the 2008 Torque Reversal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Camero-Arranz, A.; Pottschmidt, K.; Finger, M. H.; Ikhsanov, N. R.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.; Marcu, D. M.

    2012-01-01

    Aims. The accretion-powered pulsar 4U 1626-67 experienced a new torque reversal at the beginning of 2008, after about 18 years of steadily spinning down. The main goal of the present work is to study this recent torque reversal that occurred in 2008 February. Methods. We present a spectral analysis of this source using two pointed observations performed by Suzaku in 2006 March and in 2010 September. Results. We confirm with Suzaku the presence of a strong emission-line complex centered on 1 keV, with the strongest line being the hydrogen-like Ne Lya at 1.025(3) keV. We were able to resolve this complex with up to seven emission lines. A dramatic increase of the intensity of the Ne Lya line after the 2008 torque reversal occurred, with the equivalent width of this line reaching almost the same value measured by ASCA in 1993. We also report on the detection of a cyclotron line feature centered at approximately 37 keV. In spite of the fact that an increase of the X-ray luminosity (0.5-100keV) of a factor of approximately 2.8 occurred between these two observations, no significant change in the energy of the cyclotron line feature was observed. However, the intensity of the approximately 1 keV line complex increased by an overall factor of approximately 8. Conclusions. Our results favor a scenario in which the neutron star in 4U 1626-67 accretes material from a geometrically thin disk during both the spin-up and spin-down phases.

  11. NuSTAR rules out a cyclotron line in the accreting magnetar candidate 4U2206+54.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torrejón, J. M.; Reig, P.; Fürst, F.; Martinez-Chicharro, M.; Postnov, K.; Oskinova, L.

    2018-06-01

    Based on our new NuSTAR X-ray telescope data, we rule out any cyclotron line up to 60 keV in the spectra of the high mass X-ray binary 4U2206+54. In particular, we do not find any evidence of the previously claimed line around 30 keV, independently of the source flux, along the spin pulse. The spin period has increased significantly, since the last observation, up to 5750 ± 10 s, confirming the rapid spin down rate \\dot{ν }=-1.8× 10^{-14} Hz s-1. This behaviour might be explained by the presence of a strongly magnetized neutron star (Bs > several times 1013 G) accreting from the slow wind of its main sequence O9.5 companion.

  12. X-ray observations of the accreting Be/X-ray binary pulsar A 0535+26 in outburst

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caballero, I.

    2009-04-01

    Neutron stars are compact objects, characterized by R~10-14 km radius, M~1.4Msun and extremely high central densities ~10e15 g/cm^3. If they are part of a binary system, a flow of matter can take place from the companion star onto the neutron star. The accretion of matter onto neutron stars is one of the most powerful sources of energy in the universe. The accretion of matter takes place under extreme physical conditions, with magnetic fields in the range B~10^(8-15)G, which are impossible to reproduce on terrestrial laboratories. Therefore, accreting neutron stars are unique laboratories to study the matter under extreme conditions. In this thesis, X-ray observations of the accreting Be/X-ray binary A 0535+26 during a normal (type I) outburst are presented. In this system, the neutron star orbits around the optical companion HDE 245770 in an eccentric orbit, and sometimes presents X-ray outbursts (giant or normal) associated with the passage of the neutron star through the periastron. After more than eleven years of quiescence, A 0535+26 showed outbursting activity in 2005. The normal outburst analyzed in this work took place in August/September 2005, and reached a maximum X-ray flux of ~400 mCrab in the 5-100 kev range. The outburst, which lasted for ~30 days, was observed with the RXTE and INTEGRAL observatories. We have measured the spectrum of the source. In particular, two absorption-like features, interpreted as fundamental and first harmonic cyclotron resonant scattering features, have been detected at E~46 kev and E~102 kev with INTEGRAL and RXTE. Cyclotron lines are the only direct way to measure the magnetic field of a neutron star. Our observations have allowed to confirm the magnetic field of A 0535+26 at the site of the X-ray emission to be B~5x10^12 G. We studied the luminosity dependence of the cyclotron line in A 0535+26, and contrary to other sources, we found no significant variation of the cyclotron line energy with the luminosity. Changes of

  13. Multi-wavelength Observations of Accreting Compact Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hernandez Santisteban, Juan Venancio

    2016-11-01

    The study of compact binaries invokes core astrophysical concepts ranging from stellar and sub-stellar atmospheres and interiors, stellar and binary evolution to physics of accretion. All of these systems are hosts to a compact object a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole ???? which produces a wide variety of exotic and energetic phenomena across the full electromagnetic spectrum. In this thesis, I will make use of multi-wavelength observations ranging from far-ultraviolet to nearinfrared in order to investigate two main topics: a) the late evolution of cataclysmic variables, and b) the accreting state of transitional millisecond pulsars. Firstly, I analyse the Very Large Telescope X-Shooter time-resolved spectroscopy of the short orbital period cataclysmic variable, SDSS J1433+1011, in Chapter 2. The wide wavelength coverage allowed me to perform a detailed characterisation of the system, as well as a direct mass measurement of the brown dwarf companion. I show that the donor in SDSS J1433+1011 successfully transitioned from the stellar to sub-stellar regime, as predicted by evolutionary models. Further light-curve modelling allowed me to show that a low albedo as well as a low heat circulation efficiency is present in the atmosphere of the sub-stellar donor. In Chapter 3, I analyse data from large synoptic surveys, such as SDSS and PTF, to search for the predicted population of dead cataclysmic variables. Following the non-detection of dead CVs, I was able to estimate the space density (?0 < 2?10????5 pc????3) of this hidden population via a Monte Carlo simulation of the Galactic CV population. In Chapter 4, I present Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038, during its latest accretion state. In combination with optical and near-infrared data, I show that a standard accretion disc does not reach the magnetosphere of the neutron star. Instead, the overall spectrum is consistent with a truncated disc

  14. Featured Image: A Slow-Spinning X-Ray Pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2017-05-01

    This image (click for a closer look!) reveals the sky location of a new discovery: the slowest spinning X-ray pulsar a spinning, highly magnetized neutron star ever found in an extragalactic globular cluster. The pulsar, XB091D (circled in the bottom left inset), lies in the globular cluster B091D in the Andromeda galaxy. In a recent study led by Ivan Zolotukhin (University of Toulouse, Moscow State University, and Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences), a team of scientists details the importance of this discovery. This pulsar is gradually spinning faster and faster a process thats known as recycling, thought to occur as a pulsar accretes material from a donor star in a binary system. Zolotukhin and collaborators think that this particular pairing formed relatively recently, when the pulsar captured a passing star into a binary system. Were now seeing it in a unique stage of evolution where the pulsar is just starting to get recycled. For more information, check out the paper below!CitationIvan Yu. Zolotukhin et al 2017 ApJ 839 125. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa689d

  15. Effect of non-stationary accretion on spectral state transitions: An example of a persistent neutron star LMXB 4U1636–536

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hui; Yu, Wen-Fei

    2018-03-01

    Observations of black hole and neutron star X-ray binaries show that the luminosity of the hard-to-soft state transition is usually higher than that of the soft-to-hard state transition, indicating additional parameters other than mass accretion rate are required to interpret spectral state transitions. It has been found in some individual black hole or neutron star soft X-ray transients that the luminosity corresponding to the hard-to-soft state transition is positively correlated with the peak luminosity of the following soft state. In this work, we report the discovery of the same correlation in the single persistent neutron star low mass X-ray binary (LMXB) 4U 1636–536 based on data from the All Sky Monitor (ASM) on board RXTE, the Gas Slit Camera (GSC) on board MAXI and the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on board Swift. We also found such a positive correlation holds in this persistent neutron star LMXB in a luminosity range spanning about a factor of four. Our results indicate that non-stationary accretion also plays an important role in driving X-ray spectral state transitions in persistent accreting systems with small accretion flares, which is much less dramatic compared with the bright outbursts seen in many Galactic LMXB transients.

  16. Are pulsars spun up or down by SASI spiral modes?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kazeroni, Rémi; Guilet, Jérôme; Foglizzo, Thierry

    2017-10-01

    Pulsars may either be spun up or down by hydrodynamic instabilities during the supernova explosion of massive stars. Besides rapidly rotating cases related to bipolar explosions, stellar rotation may affect the explosion of massive stars in the more common situations where the centrifugal force is minor. Using 2D simulations of a simplified set-up in cylindrical geometry, we examine the impact of rotation on the standing accretion shock instability (SASI) and the corotation instability, also known as low-T/|W|. The influence of rotation on the saturation amplitude of these instabilities depends on the specific angular momentum in the accretion flow and the ratio of the shock to the neutron star radii. The spiral mode of SASI becomes more vigorous with faster rotation only if this ratio is large enough. A corotation instability develops at large rotation rates and impacts the dynamics more dramatically, leading to a strong one-armed spiral wave. Non-axisymmetric instabilities are able to redistribute angular momentum radially and affect the pulsar spin at birth. A systematic study of the relationship between the core rotation period of the progenitor and the initial pulsar spin is performed. Stellar rotation rates for which pulsars are spun up or down by SASI are estimated. Rapidly spinning progenitors are modestly spun down by spiral modes, less than ˜30 per cent, when a corotation instability develops. Given the observational constraints on pulsar spin periods at birth, this suggests that rapid rotation might not play a significant hydrodynamic role in most core-collapse supernovae.

  17. Does mass accretion lead to field decay in neutron stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shibazaki, N.; Murakami, T.; Shaham, Jacob; Nomoto, K.

    1989-01-01

    The recent discovery of cyclotron lines from gamma-ray bursts indicates that the strong magnetic fields of isolated neutron stars might not decay. The possible inverse correlation between the strength of the magnetic field and the mass accreted by the neutron star suggests that mass accretion itself may lead to the decay of the magnetic field. The spin and magnetic field evolution of the neutron star was calculated under the hypothesis of the accretion-induced field decay. It is shown that the calculated results are consistent with the observations of binary and millisecond radio pulsars.

  18. A PROPELLER MODEL FOR THE SUB-LUMINOUS STATE OF THE TRANSITIONAL MILLISECOND PULSAR PSR J1023+0038

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Papitto, A.; Torres, D. F.

    The discovery of millisecond pulsars switching between states powered either by the rotation of their magnetic field or by the accretion of matter has recently proved the tight link shared by millisecond radio pulsars and neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries. Transitional millisecond pulsars also show an enigmatic intermediate state in which the neutron star is surrounded by an accretion disk and emits coherent X-ray pulsations, but is sub-luminous in X-rays with respect to accreting neutron stars, and is brighter in gamma-rays than millisecond pulsars in the rotation-powered state. Here, we model the X-ray and gamma-ray emission observed from PSR J1023+0038more » in such a state based on the assumptions that most of the disk in-flow is propelled away by the rapidly rotating neutron star magnetosphere, and that electrons can be accelerated to energies of a few GeV at the turbulent disk–magnetosphere boundary. We show that the synchrotron and self-synchrotron Compton emission coming from such a region, together with the hard disk emission typical of low states of accreting compact objects, is able to explain the radiation observed in the X-ray and gamma-ray bands. The average emission observed from PSR J1023+0038 is modeled by a disk in-flow with a rate of 1–3 × 10{sup −11} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}, truncated at a radius ranging between 30 and 45 km, compatible with the hypothesis of a propelling magnetosphere. We compare the results we obtained with models that assume that a rotation-powered pulsar is turned on, showing how the spin-down power released in similar scenarios is hardly able to account for the magnitude of the observed emission.« less

  19. Period distribution of pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds: Propeller line versus Equilibrium period

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tanashkin, A. S.; Ikhsanov, N. R.

    2017-12-01

    A majority of accretion-powered X-ray pulsars in wind-fed High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) located in the Magellanic Clouds are observed to be transient X-ray sources. They are characterized by short luminous outbursts, while spending most of the time in quiescence. The quiescent states of the pulsars in the diagram “Pulsar Period vs. X-ray Luminosity” fall on a line with the slope -0.43. The same slope is expected for the propeller line which separates stars in the accretor state from stars in the propeller state. We show, however, that a line with the same slope would also be expected if rotation of the pulsars is close to equilibrium.

  20. Bondi Accretion and the Problem of the Missing Isolated Neutron Stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perna, Rosalba; Narayan, Ramesh; Rybicki, George; Stella, Luigi; Treves, Aldo

    2003-01-01

    A large number of neutron stars (NSs), approximately 10(exp 9), populate the Galaxy, but only a tiny fraction of them is observable during the short radio pulsar lifetime. The majority of these isolated NSs, too cold to be detectable by their own thermal emission, should be visible in X-rays as a result of accretion from the interstellar medium. The ROSAT All-Sky Survey has, however, shown that such accreting isolated NSs are very elusive: only a few tentative candidates have been identified, contrary to theoretical predictions that up to several thousand should be seen. We suggest that the fundamental reason for this discrepancy lies in the use of the standard Bondi formula to estimate the accretion rates. We compute the expected source counts using updated estimates of the pulsar velocity distribution, realistic hydrogen atmosphere spectra, and a modified expression for the Bondi accretion rate, as suggested by recent MHD simulations and supported by direct observations in the case of accretion around supermassive black holes in nearby galaxies and in our own. We find that, whereas the inclusion of atmospheric spectra partly compensates for the reduction in the counts due to the higher mean velocities of the new distribution, the modified Bondi formula dramatically suppresses the source counts. The new predictions are consistent with a null detection at the ROSAT sensitivity.

  1. The enigma of the magnetic pulsar SXP1062: a new look with XMM-Newton

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oskinova, Lidia

    2012-10-01

    SXP 1062 is an exceptional case of a young neutron star with known age in a wind-fed HMXB. A unique combination of measured spin period, its derivative, luminosity and young age makes this source a key probe for the physics of accretion and neutron star evolution. All current accretion scenarios encounter major difficulties explaining the spin-down rate of this accretion-powered pulsar. This study will allow us to construct a spin period-luminosity relation as a powerful tool for distinguishing between different accretion and evolution scenarios. The XMM-Newton observations of SXP 1062 will thus shed new light on the physics of accreting neutron stars.

  2. A 110-ms pulsar, with negative period derivative, in the globular cluster M15

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wolszczan, A.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Middleditch, J.; Backer, D. C.; Fruchter, A. S.; Dewey, R. J.

    1989-01-01

    The discovery of a 110-ms pulsar, PSR2127+11, in the globular cluster M15, is reported. The results of nine months of timing measurements place the new pulsar about 2 arcsec from the center of the cluster, and indicate that it is not a member of a close binary system. The measured negative value of the period derivative is probably the result of the pulsar being bodily accelerated in our direction by the gravitational field of the collapsed core of M15. This apparently overwhelms a positive contribution to the period derivative due to magnetic braking. Although the pulsar has an unexpectedly long period, it is argued that it belongs to the class of 'recycled' pulsars, which have been spun up by accretion in a binary system. The subsequent loss of the pulsar's companion is probably due to disruption of the system by close encounters with other stars.

  3. Numerical studies of asymmetric adiabatic accretion flow - The effect of velocity gradients

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Taam, Ronald E.; Fryxell, B. A.

    1989-01-01

    A numerical study of the time variation of the angular momentum and mass capture rates for a central object accreting from a uniform medium with a velocity gradient transverse to the direction of the mean flow is presented, covering a range of velocity asymmetries and Mach numbers in the incident flow. It is found that the mass accretion rate in a given evolutionary sequence varies in an irregular manner, with the matter accreting onto the central object from either a continuously moving accretion wake or from an accretion disk. The implications of the results from the study of short-term fluctuations observed in the pulse period and luminosity of X-ray pulsars are discussed.

  4. Mapping accretion and its variability in the young open cluster NGC 2264: a study based on u-band photometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venuti, L.; Bouvier, J.; Flaccomio, E.; Alencar, S. H. P.; Irwin, J.; Stauffer, J. R.; Cody, A. M.; Teixeira, P. S.; Sousa, A. P.; Micela, G.; Cuillandre, J.-C.; Peres, G.

    2014-10-01

    Context. The accretion process has a central role in the formation of stars and planets. Aims: We aim at characterizing the accretion properties of several hundred members of the star-forming cluster NGC 2264 (3 Myr). Methods: We performed a deep ugri mapping as well as a simultaneous u-band+r-band monitoring of the star-forming region with CFHT/MegaCam in order to directly probe the accretion process onto the star from UV excess measurements. Photometric properties and stellar parameters are determined homogeneously for about 750 monitored young objects, spanning the mass range ~0.1-2 M⊙. About 40% of the sample are classical (accreting) T Tauri stars, based on various diagnostics (Hα, UV and IR excesses). The remaining non-accreting members define the (photospheric + chromospheric) reference UV emission level over which flux excess is detected and measured. Results: We revise the membership status of cluster members based on UV accretion signatures, and report a new population of 50 classical T Tauri star (CTTS) candidates. A large range of UV excess is measured for the CTTS population, varying from a few times 0.1 to ~3 mag. We convert these values to accretion luminosities and accretion rates, via a phenomenological description of the accretion shock emission. We thus obtain mass accretion rates ranging from a few 10-10 to ~10-7 M⊙/yr. Taking into account a mass-dependent detection threshold for weakly accreting objects, we find a >6σ correlation between mass accretion rate and stellar mass. A power-law fit, properly accounting for censored data (upper limits), yields Ṁacc ∝ M*1.4±0.3. At any given stellar mass, we find a large spread of accretion rates, extending over about 2 orders of magnitude. The monitoring of the UV excess on a timescale of a couple of weeks indicates that its variability typically amounts to 0.5 dex, i.e., much smaller than the observed spread in accretion rates. We suggest that a non-negligible age spread across the star

  5. Evidence for Pulsar-like Emission Components in the Broadband ULX Sample

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walton, D. J.; Fürst, F.; Heida, M.; Harrison, F. A.; Barret, D.; Stern, D.; Bachetti, M.; Brightman, M.; Fabian, A. C.; Middleton, M. J.

    2018-04-01

    We present broadband X-ray analyses of a sample of bright ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX) with the goal of investigating the spectral similarity of this population to the known ULX pulsars, M82 X-2, NGC 7793 P13, and NGC 5907 ULX. We perform a phase-resolved analysis of the broadband XMM-Newton+NuSTAR data set of NGC 5907 ULX, finding that the pulsed emission from the accretion column in this source exhibits a similar spectral shape to that seen in both M82 X-2 and NGC 7793 P13, and that this is responsible for the excess emission observed at the highest energies when the spectra are fit with accretion disk models. We then demonstrate that similar “hard” excesses are seen in all ULXs in the broadband sample. Finally, for ULXs where the nature of the accretor is currently unknown, we test whether the hard excesses are all consistent with being produced by an accretion column similar to those present in M82 X-2, NGC 7793 P13, and NGC 5907 ULX. Based on the average shape of the pulsed emission, we find that in all cases a similar accretion column can successfully reproduce the observed data, consistent with the hypothesis that this ULX sample may be dominated by neutron star accretors. Compared to the known pulsar ULXs, our spectral fits for the remaining ULXs suggest that the non-pulsed emission from the accretion flow beyond the magnetosphere makes a stronger relative contribution than the component associated with the accretion column. If these sources do also contain neutron star accretors, this may help to explain the lack of detected pulsations.

  6. Discovery of the Orbit of the X-ray pulsar OAO 1657-415

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chakrabarty, Deepto; Grunsfeld, John M.; Prince, Thomas A.; Bildsten, Lars; Finger, Mark H.; Wilson, Robert B.; Fishman, Gerald J.; Meegan, Charles A.; Paciesas, William S.

    1993-01-01

    Timing observations of the 38 s accreting X-ray pulsar OAO 1657-415 made with the BATSE large-area detectors on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory have revealed a binary orbit with an X-ray eclipse by the stellar companion. From the pulsar mass function fx(M) = 11.7 +/- 0.2 solar masses and the measured eclipse half-angle theta(e) = 29.7 +/- 1.3 deg, we infer that the stellar companion is a supergiant of spectral class B0-B6. If the companion can be identified and its orbital velocity measured, the neutron star mass can be constrained. Both intrinsic spin-up and spin-down of the pulsar were measured during our observation.

  7. On the timing behaviour of PSR B1259-63 under the propeller torque from a transient accretion disc

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yi, Shu-Xu; Cheng, K. S.

    2018-05-01

    The γ-ray pulsar binary system PSR B1259-63 flares in GeV after each periastron. The origin of these flares is still under debate. Recently, in 2017, we proposed a mechanism that might explain the GeV flares. In that model, a transient accretion disc is expected to be formed from the matter that was gravity-captured by the neutron star from the main-sequence companion's circumstellar disc. The transient accretion disc exerts a spin-down torque on the neutron star (i.e. the propeller effect), which might be traceable via pulsar timing observations of PSR B1259-63. In this paper, we consider the propeller effect phenomenologically using a parameter χ, which describes the coupling between the disc matter and the neutron star. Comparing the expected timing residuals with recent observations by Shannon et al., we conclude that the angular momentum transfer is very weak (with the coupling parameter χ ≤ 10-4).

  8. Anti-correlation between X-ray luminosity and pulsed fraction in the Small Magellanic Cloud pulsar SXP 1323

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jun; Zezas, Andreas; Coe, Malcolm J.; Drake, Jeremy J.; Hong, JaeSub; Laycock, Silas G. T.; Wik, Daniel R.

    2018-05-01

    We report the evidence for the anti-correlation between pulsed fraction (PF) and luminosity of the X-ray pulsar SXP 1323, found for the first time in a luminosity range 1035-1037 erg s-1 from observations spanning 15 years. The phenomenon of a decrease in X-ray PF when the source flux increases has been observed in our pipeline analysis of other X-ray pulsars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). It is expected that the luminosity under a certain value decreases as the PF decreases due to the propeller effect. Above the propeller region, an anti-correlation between the PF and flux might occur either as a result of an increase in the un-pulsed component of the total emission or a decrease of the pulsed component. Additional modes of accretion may also be possible, such as spherical accretion and a change in emission geometry. At higher mass accretion rates, the accretion disk could also extend closer to the neutron star (NS) surface, where a reduced inner radius leads to hotter inner disk emission. These modes of plasma accretion may affect the change in the beam configuration to fan-beam dominant emission.

  9. ASM observations of X-ray flares from 4U 0115+63 and ASM 1354-64.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsunemi, H.; Kitamoto, S.

    The authors report two X-ray flares detected with the All Sky Monitor (ASM) on board the GINGA satellite. One is from the recurrent X-ray pulsar 4U 0115+63 and the other is from the probable recurrent X-ray nova named ASM 1354-64. The maximum intensity for 4U 0115+63 was 180 mCrab and its duration was at least 22 days. Its spectrum was hard and resembled those of X-ray pulsars. The maximum intensity of ASM 1354-64 was 300 mCrab. It faded down below the detection limit at the end of August 1987. Its spectrum was soft and was similar to those of black hole candidates.

  10. EXTraS discovery of a 1.2-s X-ray pulsar in M31

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Esposito, P.; Israel, G.; Belfiore, A.; Novara, G.; Sidoli, L.; Rodriguez Castillo, G.; De Luca, A.; Tiengo, A.; Haberl, F.; Salvaterra, R.

    2017-10-01

    A systematic search for periodic signals in the XMM-Newton's EPIC archive carried out within the EXTraS project resulted in the discovery of a 1.2-s flux modulation in 3XMM J004301.4+413017. It is the first accreting neutron star in M31 for which the spin period has been detected. Besides this distinction, 3XMM J0043 proved to be an interesting system. Doppler shifts of the spin modulation revealed an orbital motion with period of 1.27 d and the analysis of optical data shows that, while the source is likely associated to a globular cluster, a counterpart with V ˜ 22 outside the cluster cannot be excluded. The emission of the pulsar appears rather hard (most data are described by a power law with photon index <1) and, assuming the distance to M31, the 0.3-10 keV luminosity was variable, from ˜3×10^{37} to 2×10^{38} erg/s. Based on this, we discuss two main possible scenarios for 3X J0043: a peculiar low-mass X-ray binary, perhaps similar to 4U 1822-37 or 4U 1626-67, or an intermediate-mass X-ray binary akin Her X-1.

  11. Wind accretion in the massive X-ray binary 4U 2206+54: abnormally slow wind and a moderately eccentric orbit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribó, M.; Negueruela, I.; Blay, P.; Torrejón, J. M.; Reig, P.

    2006-04-01

    Massive X-ray binaries are usually classified by the properties of the donor star in classical, supergiant and Be X-ray binaries, the main difference being the mass transfer mechanism between the two components. The massive X-ray binary 4U 2206+54 does not fit in any of these groups, and deserves a detailed study to understand how the transfer of matter and the accretion on to the compact object take place. To this end we study an IUE spectrum of the donor and obtain a wind terminal velocity (v_∞) of ~350 km s-1, which is abnormally slow for its spectral type. We also analyse here more than 9 years of available RXTE/ASM data. We study the long-term X-ray variability of the source and find it to be similar to that observed in the wind-fed supergiant system Vela X-1, reinforcing the idea that 4U 2206+54 is also a wind-fed system. We find a quasi-period decreasing from ~270 to ~130 d, noticed in previous works but never studied in detail. We discuss possible scenarios for its origin and conclude that long-term quasi-periodic variations in the mass-loss rate of the primary are probably driving such variability in the measured X-ray flux. We obtain an improved orbital period of P_orb=9.5591±0.0007 d with maximum X-ray flux at MJD 51856.6±0.1. Our study of the orbital X-ray variability in the context of wind accretion suggests a moderate eccentricity around 0.15 for this binary system. Moreover, the low value of v_∞ solves the long-standing problem of the relatively high X-ray luminosity for the unevolved nature of the donor, BD +53°2790, which is probably an O9.5 V star. We note that changes in v_∞ and/or the mass-loss rate of the primary alone cannot explain the different patterns displayed by the orbital X-ray variability. We finally emphasize that 4U 2206+54, together with LS 5039, could be part of a new population of wind-fed HMXBs with main sequence donors, the natural progenitors of supergiant X-ray binaries.

  12. Pulsar J1411+2551: A Low-mass Double Neutron Star System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez, J. G.; Stovall, K.; Freire, P. C. C.; Deneva, J. S.; Tauris, T. M.; Ridolfi, A.; Wex, N.; Jenet, F. A.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Bagchi, M.

    2017-12-01

    In this work, we report the discovery and characterization of PSR J1411+2551, a new binary pulsar discovered in the Arecibo 327 MHz Drift Pulsar Survey. Our timing observations of the radio pulsar in the system span a period of about 2.5 years. This timing campaign allowed a precise measurement of its spin period (62.4 ms) and its derivative (9.6 ± 0.7) × 10‑20 s s‑1 from these, we derive a characteristic age of >9.1 Gyr and a surface magnetic field strength of <2.6 × 109 G. These numbers indicate that this pulsar was mildly recycled by accretion of matter from the progenitor of the companion star. The system has an eccentric (e = 0.17) 2.61 day orbit. This eccentricity allows a highly significant measurement of the rate of advance of periastron, \\dot{ω } =0.07686+/- 0.00046^\\circ {{yr}}-1. Assuming general relativity accurately describes the orbital motion, this implies a total system mass M = 2.538 ± 0.022 M ⊙. The minimum companion mass is 0.92 M ⊙ and the maximum pulsar mass is 1.62 M ⊙. The large companion mass and the orbital eccentricity suggest that PSR J1411+2551 is a double neutron star system; the lightest known to date including the DNS merger GW170817. Furthermore, the relatively low orbital eccentricity and small proper motion limits suggest that the second supernova had a relatively small associated kick; this and the low system mass suggest that it was an ultra-stripped supernova.

  13. Holocene reef accretion: southwest Molokai, Hawaii, U.S.A.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Engels, Mary S.; Fletcher, Charles H.; Field, Michael E.; Storlazzi, Curt D.; Grossman, Eric E.; Rooney, John J.B.; Conger, Christopher L.; Glenn, Craig

    2004-01-01

    Two reef systems off south Molokai, Hale O Lono and Hikauhi (separated by only 10 km), show strong and fundamental differences in modern ecosystem structure and Holocene accretion history that reflect the influence of wave-induced near-bed shear stresses on reef development in Hawaii. Both sites are exposed to similar impacts from south, Kona, and trade-wind swell. However, the Hale O Lono site is exposed to north swell and the Hikuahi site is not. As a result, the reef at Hale O Lono records no late Holocene net accretion while the reef at Hikauhi records consistent and robust accretion over late Holocene time. Analysis and dating of 24 cores from Hale O Lono and Hikauhi reveal the presence of five major lithofacies that reflect paleo-environmental conditions. In order of decreasing depositional energy they are: (1) coral-algal bindstone; (2) mixed skeletal rudstone; (3) massive coral framestone; (4) unconsolidated floatstone; and (5) branching coral framestone-bafflestone. At Hale O Lono, 10 cores document a backstepping reef ranging from ∼ 8,100 cal yr BP (offshore) to ∼ 4,800 cal yr BP (nearshore). A depauperate community of modern coral diminishes shoreward and seaward of ∼ 15 m depth due to wave energy, disrupted recruitment activities, and physical abrasion. Evidence suggests a change from conditions conducive to accretion during the early Holocene to conditions detrimental to accretion in the late Holocene. Reef structure at Hikauhi, reconstructed from 14 cores, reveals a thick, rapidly accreting and young reef (maximum age ∼ 900 cal yr BP). Living coral cover on this reef increases seaward with distance from the reef crest but terminates at a depth of ∼ 20 m where the reef ends in a large sand field. The primary limitation on vertical reef growth is accommodation space under wave base, not recruitment activities or energy conditions. Interpretations of cored lithofacies suggest that modern reef growth on the southwest corner of Molokai, and by

  14. High-Time-Resolution Photometry of the White Dwarf Pulsar AR Scorpii

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stiller, Robert A.; Littlefield, Colin; Garnavich, Peter

    2018-01-01

    The cataclysmic variable AR Sco was recently discovered to be the first-ever white dwarf pulsar by Marsh et al. (2016) and Buckley et al. (2017). AR Sco has a 3.56-hour orbital period, a beat period of 1.97 minutes, and a spin period of 1.95 minutes. The flux varies by up to a factor of four during the beat period. It is believed that there is little to no accretion because of the weak X-ray emissions from the system. The white dwarf pulsar is believed to be spin-powered and is in an ejector state (Beskrovnaya et. al 2017) which is further evidence of little to no accretion. 24 hours of high-time-resolution photometry was taken using the 0.8 meter Sarah L. Krizmanich Telescope at the University of Notre Dame. We used our own observations and previous observations to calculate a new spin down timescale. In our data, AR Sco is brightest at an orbital phase of approximately 0.4 which suggests that if the orbital modulation is a reflection effect, the inner hemisphere in not uniformly irradiated. We establish that the amplitude and waveform of the beat pulse changes as function of orbital phase and that this can be attributed to the beat and spin pulses constructively and destructively interfering with one another.

  15. Ultraluminous X-ray sources as neutrino pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mushtukov, Alexander A.; Tsygankov, Sergey S.; Suleimanov, Valery F.; Poutanen, Juri

    2018-05-01

    The classical limit on the accretion luminosity of a neutron star is given by the Eddington luminosity. The advanced models of accretion on to magnetized neutron stars account for the appearance of magnetically confined accretion columns and allow the accretion luminosity to be higher than the Eddington value by a factor of tens. However, the recent discovery of pulsations from ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in NGC 5907 demonstrates that the accretion luminosity can exceed the Eddington value up to by a factor of 500. We propose a model explaining observational properties of ULX-1 in NGC 5907 without any ad hoc assumptions. We show that the accretion column at extreme luminosity becomes advective. Enormous energy release within a small geometrical volume and advection result in very high temperatures at the bottom of accretion column, which demand to account for the energy losses due to neutrino emission which can be even more effective than the radiation energy losses. We show that the total luminosity at the mass accretion rates above 1021 g s-1 is dominated by the neutrino emission similarly to the case of core-collapse supernovae. We argue that the accretion rate measurements based on detected photon luminosity in case of bright ULXs powered by neutron stars can be largely underestimated due to intense neutrino emission. The recently discovered pulsating ULX-1 in galaxy NGC 5907 with photon luminosity of {˜ } 10^{41} {erg s^{-1}} is expected to be even brighter in neutrinos and is thus the first known Neutrino Pulsar.

  16. The pulsar planet production process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phinney, E. S.; Hansen, B. M. S.

    1993-01-01

    Most plausible scenarios for the formation of planets around pulsars end with a disk of gas around the pulsar. The supplicant author then points to the solar system to bolster faith in the miraculous transfiguration of gas into planets. We here investigate this process of transfiguration. We derive analytic sequences of quasi-static disks which give good approximations to exact solutions of the disk diffusion equation with realistic opacity tables. These allow quick and efficient surveys of parameter space. We discuss the outward transfer of mass in accretion disks and the resulting timescale constraints, the effects of illumination by the central source on the disk and dust within it, and the effects of the widely different elemental compositions of the disks in the various scenarios, and their extensions to globular clusters. We point out where significant uncertainties exist in the appropriate grain opacities, and in the effect of illumination and winds from the neutron star.

  17. Searching for debris disks around seven radio pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Zhongxiang; Wang, Xuebing; Ng, C.-Y.

    2014-10-01

    We report on our searches for debris disks around seven relatively nearby radio pulsars, which are isolated sources that were carefully selected as targets on the basis of our deep K{sub s} -band imaging survey. The K{sub s} images obtained with the 6.5 m Baade Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory are analyzed together with the Spitzer/IRAC images at 4.5 and 8.0 μm and the WISE images at 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 μm. No infrared counterparts of these pulsars are found, with flux upper limits of ∼μJy at near-infrared (λ < 10 μm) and ∼10-1000 μJy at mid-infrared wavelengthsmore » (λ > 10 μm). The results of this search are discussed in terms of the efficiency of converting the pulsar spin-down energy to thermal energy and X-ray heating of debris disks, with a comparison made of the two magnetars 4U 0142+61 and 1E 2259+586, which are suggested to harbor a debris disk.« less

  18. Radio Pulse Search and X-Ray Monitoring of SAX J1808.4−3658: What Causes Its Orbital Evolution?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Patruno, Alessandro; King, Andrew R.; Jaodand, Amruta

    The accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4−3658 shows a peculiar orbital evolution that proceeds at a very fast pace. It is important to identify the underlying mechanism responsible for this behavior because it can help to understand how this system evolves and which physical processes (such as mass loss or spin–orbit coupling) are occurring in the binary. It has also been suggested that, when in quiescence, SAX J1808.4−3658 turns on as a radio pulsar, a circumstance that might provide a link between accreting millisecond pulsars and black-widow (BW) radio pulsars. In this work, we report the results of a deepmore » radio pulsation search at 2 GHz using the Green Bank Telescope in 2014 August and an X-ray study of the 2015 outburst with Chandra , Swift XRT, and INTEGRAL . In quiescence, we detect no radio pulsations and place the strongest limit to date on the pulsed radio flux density of any accreting millisecond pulsar. We also find that the orbit of SAX J1808.4−3658 continues evolving at a fast pace. We compare the orbital evolution of SAX J1808.4−3658 to that of several other accreting and nonaccreting binaries, including BWs, redbacks, cataclysmic variables, black holes, and neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries. We discuss two possible scenarios: either the neutron star has a large moment of inertia and is ablating the donor, generating mass loss with an efficiency of 40%, or the donor star has a strong magnetic field of at least 1 kG and is undergoing quasi-cyclic variations due to spin–orbit coupling.« less

  19. Impact of accretion on the statistics of neutron star masses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Z.; Taani, A.; Zhao, Y. H.

    2013-02-01

    We have collected the parameter of 38 neutron stars (NSs) in binary systems with spin periods and measured masses. By adopting the Boot-strap method, we reproduced the procedure of mass calculated for each system separately, to determine the truly mass distribution of the NS that obtained from observation. We also applied the Monte-Carlo simulation and introduce the characteristic spin period 20 ms, in order to distinguish between millisecond pulsars (MSPs) and less recycled pulsars. The mass distributions of MSPs and the less recycled pulsars could be fitted by a Gaussian function as 1.45+/-0.42 M⊙ and 1.31+/-0.17 M⊙ (with 1σ) respectively. As such, the MSP masses are heavier than those in less recycled systems by factor of ~ 0.13M⊙, since the accretion effect during the recycling process.

  20. Studies of Binary Pulsar Evolution Through Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of White Dwarf Companions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lundgren, S. C.; Foster, R. S.; Camilo, F.

    1995-12-01

    In observations of six binary millisecond pulsars with the Hubble Space Telescope, we have discovered white dwarf companions to PSRs J0034-0534, J1022+1001, and J1713+0747 and improved photometry on PSRs J1640+2224 and J2145-0750. The companion to PSR J2019+2425 was not detected down to m_I=25.4. For the five companions detected, effective temperatures were estimated for the colors measured. Two of the white dwarfs, J0034-0534 and J1713+0747, are among the coolest and oldest known. Using distance estimates to the pulsars, the absolute luminosities were determined. Constrains on the masses and cooling times were obtained from the luminosities and temperatures. The results for each pulsar were related to expectations based on models for white dwarf cooling, Roche lobe overflow in the preceding low-mass X-ray binary phase, and mass accretion rate/neutron star spin period relations. Precision pulsar astrophysics at the Naval Research Laboratory is supported by the Office of Naval Research. SL is supported by a post-doctoral fellowship through the National Research Council. FC acknowledges support from NSF grant AST 91-15103 and a fellowship under the auspices of the European Commission.

  1. Constraining Accreting Binary Populations in Normal Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lehmer, Bret; Hornschemeier, A.; Basu-Zych, A.; Fragos, T.; Jenkins, L.; Kalogera, V.; Ptak, A.; Tzanavaris, P.; Zezas, A.

    2011-01-01

    X-ray emission from accreting binary systems (X-ray binaries) uniquely probe the binary phase of stellar evolution and the formation of compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes. A detailed understanding of X-ray binary systems is needed to provide physical insight into the formation and evolution of the stars involved, as well as the demographics of interesting binary remnants, such as millisecond pulsars and gravitational wave sources. Our program makes wide use of Chandra observations and complementary multiwavelength data sets (through, e.g., the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey [SINGS] and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey [GOODS]), as well as super-computing facilities, to provide: (1) improved calibrations for correlations between X-ray binary emission and physical properties (e.g., star-formation rate and stellar mass) for galaxies in the local Universe; (2) new physical constraints on accreting binary processes (e.g., common-envelope phase and mass transfer) through the fitting of X-ray binary synthesis models to observed local galaxy X-ray binary luminosity functions; (3) observational and model constraints on the X-ray evolution of normal galaxies over the last 90% of cosmic history (since z 4) from the Chandra Deep Field surveys and accreting binary synthesis models; and (4) predictions for deeper observations from forthcoming generations of X-ray telesopes (e.g., IXO, WFXT, and Gen-X) to provide a science driver for these missions. In this talk, we highlight the details of our program and discuss recent results.

  2. Understanding the spectral and timing behaviour of a newly discovered transient X-ray pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaisawal, Gaurava K.; Naik, Sachindra; Chenevez, Jérôme

    2018-03-01

    We present the results obtained from timing and spectral studies of the newly discovered accreting X-ray binary pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124 using Nuclear Spectroscopy Telescope Array observation in 2017 October at a flux level of ˜280 mCrab. Pulsations at 9.854 23(5) s were detected in the X-ray light curves of the pulsar. Pulse profiles of the pulsar were found to be strongly energy dependent. A broad profile at lower energies was found to evolve into a double-peaked profile in ≥ 30 keV. The 3-79 keV continuum spectrum of the pulsar was well described with a negative and positive exponential cutoff or high-energy cutoff power-law models modified with a hot blackbody at ˜3 keV. An iron emission line was also detected at 6.4 keV in the source spectrum. We did not find any signature of cyclotron absorption line in our study. Results obtained from phase-resolved and time-resolved spectroscopy are discussed in the paper.

  3. Correlation between the luminosity and spin-period changes during outbursts of 12 Be binary pulsars observed by the MAXI/GSC and the Fermi/GBM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugizaki, Mutsumi; Mihara, Tatehiro; Nakajima, Motoki; Makishima, Kazuo

    2017-12-01

    To study observationally the spin-period changes of accreting pulsars caused by the accretion torque, the present work analyzes X-ray light curves of 12 Be binary pulsars obtained by the MAXI Gas-Slit Camera all-sky survey and their pulse periods measured by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor pulsar project, both covering more than six years, from 2009 August to 2016 March. The 12 objects were selected because they are accompanied by clear optical identification and accurate measurements of surface magnetic fields. The luminosity L and the spin-frequency derivatives \\dot{ν}, measured during large outbursts with L ≳ 1 × 1037 erg s-1, were found to follow approximately the theoretical relations in the accretion torque models, represented by \\dot{ν} ∝ L^{α} (α ≃ 1), and the coefficient of proportionality between \\dot{ν} and Lα agrees, within a factor of ˜3, with that proposed by Ghosh and Lamb (1979b, ApJ, 234, 296). In the course of the present study, the orbital elements of several sources were refined.

  4. A 4.2 Day Period in the X-ray Pulsar IGR J16393-4643 from Swift/BAT and RXTE/PCA Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corbet, R. H. D.; Krimm, H. A.; Barthelmy, S. D.; Baumgartner, W. H.; Markwardt, C. B.; Skinner, G. K.; Tueller, J.

    2010-04-01

    The 910s X-ray pulsar IGR J16393-4643 was reported by Thompson et al. (2006, ApJ 649, 373) to have a 3.6875 ±0.0006 day orbital period from a pulse timing analysis, although other solutions with orbital periods of 50.2 and 8.1 days could not be excluded. Thompson et al. proposed, on the basis of their orbital parameters, that IGR J16393-4643 is a supergiant wind-accretion powered HMXB. Nespoli et al.

  5. FRB as products of accretion disc funnels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katz, J. I.

    2017-10-01

    The repeating FRB 121102, the only fast radio burst (FRB) with an accurately determined position, is associated with a variable persistent radio source. I suggest that an FRB originates in the accretion disc funnels of black holes. Narrowly collimated radiation is emitted along the wandering instantaneous angular momentum axis of accreted matter. This emission is observed as a fast radio burst when it sweeps across the direction to the observer. In this model, in contrast to neutron star (pulsar, RRAT or SGR) models, repeating FRBs do not have underlying periodicity and are co-located with persistent radio sources resulting from their off-axis emission. The model is analogous, on smaller spatial, lower mass and accretion rate and shorter temporal scales, to an active galactic nucleus (AGN), with FRB corresponding to blazars in which the jets point towards us. The small inferred black hole masses imply that FRBs are not associated with galactic nuclei.

  6. Timing and Spectral Study of 4U 1538-52

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clark, George W.

    2000-01-01

    Improved orbital parameters of the high-mass binary X-ray pulsar 4U 1538-52 have been derived from high count rate data obtained from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. Pulse-timing analysis yields an eccentricity of 0.174 +/- 0.015, a periastron at 64 deg +/- 9 deg, and evidence of orbital decay with prime-P(sub orb)/P(sub orb) = (-2.9 +/- 2.1) x 10(exp -6)/yr.

  7. A new look at the origin of the 6.67 hr period X-ray pulsar 1E 161348-5055

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ikhsanov, N. R.; Kim, V. Y.; Beskrovnaya, N. G.; Pustil'nik, L. A.

    2013-07-01

    The point X-ray source 1E 161348-5055 is observed to display pulsations with the period 6.67 hr and |dot{P}| ≤1.6 ×10^{-9} s s^{-1}. It is associated with the supernova remnant RCW 103 and is widely believed to be a ˜2000 yr old neutron star. Observations give no evidence for the star to be a member of a binary system. Nevertheless, it resembles an accretion-powered pulsar with the magnetospheric radius ˜3000 km and the mass-accretion rate ˜ 10^{14} g s^{-1}. This situation could be described in terms of accretion from a (residual) fossil disk established from the material falling back towards the star after its birth. However, current fall-back accretion scenarios encounter major difficulties explaining an extremely long spin period of the young neutron star. We show that the problems can be avoided if the accreting material is magnetized. The star in this case is surrounded by a fossil magnetic slab in which the material is confined by the magnetic field of the accretion flow itself. We find that the surface magnetic field of the neutron star within this scenario is ˜1012 G and that a presence of ≳10^{-7} M_{⊙} magnetic slab would be sufficient to explain the origin and current state of the pulsar.

  8. Pulsar wind nebulae created by fast-moving pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kargaltsev, O.; Pavlov, G. G.; Klingler, N.; Rangelov, B.

    2017-10-01

    We review multiwavelength properties of pulsar wind nebulae created by supersonically moving pulsars and the effects of pulsar motion on the pulsar wind nebulae morphologies and the ambient medium. Supersonic pulsar wind nebulae are characterized by bow-shaped shocks around the pulsar and/or cometary tails filled with the shocked pulsar wind. In the past several years significant advances in supersonic pulsar wind nebula studies have been made in deep observations with the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope. In particular, these observations have revealed very diverse supersonic pulsar wind nebula morphologies in the pulsar vicinity, different spectral behaviours of long pulsar tails, the presence of puzzling outflows misaligned with the pulsar velocity and far-UV bow shocks. Here we review the current observational status focusing on recent developments and their implications.

  9. AN ULTRA-LOW-MASS AND SMALL-RADIUS COMPACT OBJECT IN 4U 1746-37?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Zhaosheng; Qu, Zhijie; Guo, Yanjun

    Photospheric radius expansion (PRE) bursts have already been used to constrain the masses and radii of neutron stars. RXTE observed three PRE bursts in 4U 1746-37, all with low touchdown fluxes. We discuss here the possibility of a low-mass neutron star in 4U 1746-37 because the Eddington luminosity depends on stellar mass. With typical values of hydrogen mass fraction and color correction factor, a Monte Carlo simulation was applied to constrain the mass and radius of a neutron star in 4U 1746-37. 4U 1746-37 has a high inclination angle. Two geometric effects, the reflection of the far-side accretion disk andmore » the obscuration of the near-side accretion disk, have also been included in the mass and radius constraints of 4U 1746-37. If the reflection of the far-side accretion disk is accounted for, a low-mass compact object (mass of 0.41 ± 0.14 M {sub ☉} and radius of 8.73 ± 1.54 km at 68% confidence) exists in 4U 1746-37. If another effect operated, 4U 1746-37 may contain an ultra-low-mass and small-radius object (M = 0.21 ± 0.06 M {sub ☉}, R = 6.26 ± 0.99 km at 68% confidence). Combining all possibilities, the mass of 4U 1746-37 is 0.41{sub −0.30}{sup +0.70} M{sub ⊙} at 99.7% confidence. For such low-mass neutron stars, it could be reproduced by a self-bound compact star, i.e., a quark star or quark-cluster star.« less

  10. Kepler K2 observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kennedy, M. R.; Clark, C. J.; Voisin, G.; Breton, R. P.

    2018-06-01

    For 80 d in 2017, the Kepler Space Telescope continuously observed the transitional millisecond pulsar system PSR J1023+0038 in its accreting state. We present analyses of the 59-s cadence data, focusing on investigations of the orbital light curve of the irradiated companion star and of flaring activity in the neutron star's accretion disc. The underlying orbital modulation from the companion star retains a similar amplitude and asymmetric heating profile as seen in previous photometric observations of the system in its radio pulsar state, suggesting that the heating mechanism has not been affected by the state change. We also find tentative evidence that this asymmetry may vary with time. The light curve also exhibits `flickering' activity, evident as short time-scale flux correlations throughout the observations, and periods of rapid mode-switching activity on time-scales shorter than the observation cadence. Finally, the system spent ˜ 20 per cent of the observations in a flaring state, with the length of these flares varying from <2 min up to several hours. The flaring behaviour is consistent with a self-organized criticality mechanism, most likely related to the build-up and release of mass at the inner edge of the accretion disc.

  11. Could SXP 1062 be an Accreting Magnetar?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fu, Lei; Li, Xiang-Dong

    2012-10-01

    In this work we explore the possible evolutionary track of the neutron star in the newly discovered Be/X-ray binary SXP 1062, which is believed to be the first X-ray pulsar associated with a supernova remnant. Although no cyclotron feature has been detected to indicate the strength of the neutron star's magnetic field, we show that it may be >~ 1014 G. If so, SXP 1062 may belong to the accreting magnetars in binary systems. We attempt to reconcile the short age and long spin period of the pulsar taking account of different initial parameters and spin-down mechanisms of the neutron star. Our calculated results show that to spin down to a period ~1000 s within 10-40 kyr requires efficient propeller mechanisms. In particular, the model for angular momentum loss under energy conservation seems to be ruled out.

  12. Simultaneous Spectral and Timing Observations of Accreting Neuron Stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaaret, P.; West, Donald K. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The goal of this proposal was to perform simultaneous x-ray spectral and millisecond timing observations of accreting neutron stars to further our understanding of their accretion dynamics and in the hope of using these systems as probes of the physics of strong gravitational fields. Observations of the neutron star binaries 4U0614+091, 4U1728-34, 4U1820-30, and Cyg X-2 were carried out with RXTE and BeppoSAX, ASCA, and Chandra (not all simultaneously). In addition, archival data were analyzed for 4U0614+091 and 4U1820-30. This investigation led to publication of three papers in peer-reviewed journals. These are listed below. In addition, the results were presented at several meetings including the two poster presentations listed below. Dr. Santina Piraino visited SAO for 4 months during 2000 to collaborate on analysis of the data from NAG5-8408 and NAG5-9104.

  13. Simultaneous Chandra and VLA Observations of the Transitional Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1023+0038: Anti-correlated X-Ray and Radio Variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bogdanov, Slavko; Deller, Adam T.; Miller-Jones, James C. A.; Archibald, Anne M.; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Jaodand, Amruta; Patruno, Alessandro; Bassa, Cees; D’Angelo, Caroline

    2018-03-01

    We present coordinated Chandra X-ray Observatory and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 in its low-luminosity accreting state. The unprecedented five hours of strictly simultaneous X-ray and radio continuum coverage for the first time unambiguously show a highly reproducible, anti-correlated variability pattern. The characteristic switches from the X-ray high mode into a low mode are always accompanied by a radio brightening with a duration that closely matches the X-ray low mode interval. This behavior cannot be explained by a canonical inflow/outflow accretion model where the radiated emission and the jet luminosity are powered by, and positively correlated with, the available accretion energy. We interpret this phenomenology as alternating episodes of low-level accretion onto the neutron star during the X-ray high mode that are interrupted by rapid ejections of plasma by the active rotation-powered pulsar, possibly initiated by a reconfiguration of the pulsar magnetosphere, that cause a transition to a less X-ray luminous mode. The observed anti-correlation between radio and X-ray luminosity has an additional consequence: transitional MSPs can make excursions into a region of the radio/X-ray luminosity plane previously thought to be occupied solely by black hole X-ray binary sources. This complicates the use of this luminosity relation for identifying candidate black holes, suggesting the need for additional discriminants when attempting to establish the true nature of the accretor.

  14. MAXI J1957+032: An Accreting Neutron Star Possibly in a Triple System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ravi, V.

    2017-12-01

    I present an optical characterization of the Galactic X-ray transient source MAXI J1957+032. This system flares by a factor of ≳104 every few hundred days, with each flare lasting ∼5 days. I identify its quiescent counterpart to be a late-K/early-M dwarf star at a distance of 5 ± 2 kpc. This implies that the peak 0.5{--}10 {keV} luminosity of the system is {10}36.4+/- 0.4 erg s‑1. As found by Mata Sanchez et al. the outburst properties of MAXI J1957+032 are most consistent with the sample of accreting millisecond pulsars. However, the low inferred accretion rate, and the lack of evidence for a hydrogen-rich accretion flow, are difficult to reconcile with the late-K/early-M dwarf counterpart being the mass donor. Instead, the observations are best described by a low-mass hydrogen- and possibly helium-poor mass donor, such as a carbon–oxygen white dwarf, forming a tight interacting binary with a neutron star. The observed main-sequence counterpart would then likely be in a wide orbit around the inner binary.

  15. Polarimetry of 600 pulsars from observations at 1.4 GHz with the Parkes radio telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnston, Simon; Kerr, Matthew

    2018-03-01

    Over the past 13 yr, the Parkes radio telescope has observed a large number of pulsars using digital filter bank backends with high time and frequency resolution and the capability for Stokes recording. Here, we use archival data to present polarimetry data at an observing frequency of 1.4 GHz for 600 pulsars with spin-periods ranging from 0.036 to 8.5 s. We comment briefly on some of the statistical implications from the data and highlight the differences between pulsars with high and low spin-down energy. The data set, images and table of properties for all 600 pulsars are made available in a public data archive maintained by the CSIRO.

  16. A RADIO PULSAR SEARCH OF THE {gamma}-RAY BINARIES LS I +61 303 AND LS 5039

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Virginia McSwain, M.; Ray, Paul S.; Ransom, Scott M.

    2011-09-01

    LS I +61 303 and LS 5039 are exceptionally rare examples of high-mass X-ray binaries with MeV-TeV emission, making them two of only five known '{gamma}-ray binaries'. There has been disagreement within the literature over whether these systems are microquasars, with stellar winds accreting onto a compact object to produce high energy emission and relativistic jets, or whether their emission properties might be better explained by a relativistic pulsar wind colliding with the stellar wind. Here we present an attempt to detect radio pulsars in both systems with the Green Bank Telescope. The upper limits of flux density are betweenmore » 4.1 and 14.5 {mu}Jy, and we discuss the null results of the search. Our spherically symmetric model of the wind of LS 5039 demonstrates that any pulsar emission will be strongly absorbed by the dense wind unless there is an evacuated region formed by a relativistic colliding wind shock. LS I +61 303 contains a rapidly rotating Be star whose wind is concentrated near the stellar equator. As long as the pulsar is not eclipsed by the circumstellar disk or viewed through the densest wind regions, detecting pulsed emission may be possible during part of the orbit.« less

  17. Suzaku Observations of the Ultracompact Binary System 4U1626-67

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Camero-Arranz, A.; Pottschmidt, K.; Finger, M. H.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.; Marcu, D. M.

    2011-01-01

    The accretion-powered pulsar 4U1626-67 experienced a new torque reversal at the beginning of 2008, after about 18 years of steadily spinning down. We present a spectral analysis of this source using two pointed observations performed by Suzaku in 2006 March and in 2010 September. We confirm with Suzaku the presence of a strong emission-line complex centered on 1 keV, with the strongest line being the hydrogen-like Ne Ly- alpha at 1.025(1.5) keV. We were able to resolve this complex with up to eight emission lines. A dramatic increase of the equivalent width of the Ne Ly-alpha 1.021 keV after the 2008 torque reversal occurred, reaching almost the same value measured by ASCA in 1993. In addition, we confirm the general decrease trend of the equivalent widths during the spin-down period. We also report on the detection of a cyclotron line feature centered at approx 37 keV. In spite of the fact that a dramatic increase of the X-ray luminosity (0.5-100 keV) of a factor of approx 3.5 occurred between these two observations, no significant change in the energy of the cyclotron line feature was observed. However, the intensity of the approx 1 keV line complex increased by an overall factor of approx 10.

  18. The Pulsar Search Collaboratory: Discovery and Timing of Five New Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosen, R.; Swiggum, J.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Lorimer, D. R.; Yun, M.; Heatherly, S. A.; Boyles, J.; Lynch, R.; Kondratiev, V. I.; Scoles, S.; Ransom, S. M.; Moniot, M. L.; Cottrill, A.; Weaver, M.; Snider, A.; Thompson, C.; Raycraft, M.; Dudenhoefer, J.; Allphin, L.; Thorley, J.; Meadows, B.; Marchiny, G.; Liska, A.; O'Dwyer, A. M.; Butler, B.; Bloxton, S.; Mabry, H.; Abate, H.; Boothe, J.; Pritt, S.; Alberth, J.; Green, A.; Crowley, R. J.; Agee, A.; Nagley, S.; Sargent, N.; Hinson, E.; Smith, K.; McNeely, R.; Quigley, H.; Pennington, A.; Chen, S.; Maynard, T.; Loope, L.; Bielski, N.; McGough, J. R.; Gural, J. C.; Colvin, S.; Tso, S.; Ewen, Z.; Zhang, M.; Ciccarella, N.; Bukowski, B.; Novotny, C. B.; Gore, J.; Sarver, K.; Johnson, S.; Cunningham, H.; Collins, D.; Gardner, D.; Monteleone, A.; Hall, J.; Schweinhagen, R.; Ayers, J.; Jay, S.; Uosseph, B.; Dunkum, D.; Pal, J.; Dydiw, S.; Sterling, M.; Phan, E.

    2013-05-01

    We present the discovery and timing solutions of five new pulsars by students involved in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, a NSF-funded joint program between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and West Virginia University designed to excite and engage high-school students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and related fields. We encourage students to pursue STEM fields by apprenticing them within a professional scientific community doing cutting edge research, specifically by teaching them to search for pulsars. The students are analyzing 300 hr of drift-scan survey data taken with the Green Bank Telescope at 350 MHz. These data cover 2876 deg2 of the sky. Over the course of five years, more than 700 students have inspected diagnostic plots through a web-based graphical interface designed for this project. The five pulsars discovered in the data have spin periods ranging from 3.1 ms to 4.8 s. Among the new discoveries are PSR J1926-1314, a long period, nulling pulsar; PSR J1821+0155, an isolated, partially recycled 33 ms pulsar; and PSR J1400-1438, a millisecond pulsar in a 9.5 day orbit whose companion is likely a white dwarf star.

  19. A Radio Frequency Study of the Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsar, IGR J16597–3704, in the Globular Cluster NGC 6256

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tetarenko, A. J.; Bahramian, A.; Wijnands, R.; Heinke, C. O.; Maccarone, T. J.; Miller-Jones, J. C. A.; Strader, J.; Chomiuk, L.; Degenaar, N.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Altamirano, D.; Deller, A. T.; Kennea, J. A.; Li, K. L.; Plotkin, R. M.; Russell, T. D.; Shaw, A. W.

    2018-02-01

    We present Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array radio frequency observations of the new accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar (AMXP), IGR J16597‑3704, located in the globular cluster NGC 6256. With these data, we detect a radio counterpart to IGR J16597‑3704, and determine an improved source position. Pairing our radio observations with quasi-simultaneous Swift/XRT X-ray observations, we place IGR J16597‑3704 on the radio–X-ray luminosity plane, where we find that IGR J16597‑3704 is one of the more radio-quiet neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries known to date. We discuss the mechanisms that may govern radio luminosity (and in turn jet production and evolution) in AMXPs. Furthermore, we use our derived radio position to search for a counterpart in archival Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory data, and estimate an upper limit on the X-ray luminosity of IGR J16597‑3704 during quiescence.

  20. Accretion physics: It's not U, it's B

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Jon

    2017-03-01

    Black holes grow by accreting mass, but the process is messy and redistributes gas and energy into their environments. New evidence shows that magnetic processes mediate both the accretion and ejection of matter.

  1. AN ASTEROID BELT INTERPRETATION FOR THE TIMING VARIATIONS OF THE MILLISECOND PULSAR B1937+21

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shannon, R. M.; Cordes, J. M.; Metcalfe, T. S.

    Pulsar timing observations have revealed companions to neutron stars that include other neutron stars, white dwarfs, main-sequence stars, and planets. We demonstrate that the correlated and apparently stochastic residual times of arrival from the millisecond pulsar B1937+21 are consistent with the signature of an asteroid belt having a total mass {approx}< 0.05 M{sub Circled-Plus }. Unlike the solar system's asteroid belt, the best fit pulsar asteroid belt extends over a wide range of radii, consistent with the absence of any shepherding companions. We suggest that any pulsar that has undergone accretion-driven spin-up and subsequently evaporated its companion may harbor orbitingmore » asteroid mass objects. The resulting timing variations may fundamentally limit the timing precision of some of the other millisecond pulsars. Observational tests of the asteroid belt model include identifying periodicities from individual asteroids, which are difficult; testing for statistical stationarity, which becomes possible when observations are conducted over a longer observing span; and searching for reflected radio emission.« less

  2. Early NICER Observations of Magnetars and Young Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nynka, Melania

    2018-01-01

    Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) is an X-ray telescope attached to the International Space Station (ISS). Launched in June 2017, it is designed to precisely measure the masses and radii of neutron stars (NS) and probe NS equations of state. But its precision timing capabilities and large effective area uniquely position NICER for the study of magnetars. The NICER Magnetar & Magnetosphere (M&M) science working group focuses on studying highly-magnetized neutron stars, a diverse program that includes magnetars, high-B pulsars, rotation powered pulsars, and isolated neutron stars. Our ongoing campaign has already observed targets such as 4U 0142+61, a magnetar in outburst with coincident NuSTAR and Swift observations, the radio rotation powered Vela pulsar PSR B0833-45, and a transient magnetar XTE J1810-197. I will discuss the goals of the M&M program, spectral and temporal results from the observed targets, and an overview of upcoming observations.

  3. OPTICAL IDENTIFICATION OF He WHITE DWARFS ORBITING FOUR MILLISECOND PULSARS IN THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER 47 TUCANAE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cadelano, M.; Pallanca, C.; Ferraro, F. R.

    2015-10-10

    We used ultra-deep UV observations obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope to search for optical companions to binary millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae. We identified four new counterparts (to MSPs 47TucQ, 47TucS, 47TucT, and 47TucY) and confirmed those already known (to MSPs 47TucU and 47TucW). In the color–magnitude diagram, the detected companions are located in a region between the main sequence and the CO white dwarf (WD) cooling sequences, consistent with the cooling tracks of He WDs with masses between 0.15 M{sub ⊙} and 0.20 M{sub ⊙}. For each identified companion, mass, cooling age, temperature, andmore » pulsar mass (as a function of the inclination angle) have been derived and discussed. For 47TucU we also found that the past accretion history likely proceeded at a sub-Eddington rate. The companion to the redback 47TucW is confirmed to be a non-degenerate star, with properties particularly similar to those observed for black widow systems. Two stars have been identified within the 2σ astrometric uncertainty from the radio positions of 47TucH and 47TucI, but the available data prevent us from firmly assessing whether they are the true companions of these two MSPs.« less

  4. Ensemble Pulsar Time Scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Dong-shan; Gao, Yu-ping; Zhao, Shu-hong

    2017-07-01

    Millisecond pulsars can generate another type of time scale that is totally independent of the atomic time scale, because the physical mechanisms of the pulsar time scale and the atomic time scale are quite different from each other. Usually the pulsar timing observations are not evenly sampled, and the internals between two data points range from several hours to more than half a month. Further more, these data sets are sparse. All this makes it difficult to generate an ensemble pulsar time scale. Hence, a new algorithm to calculate the ensemble pulsar time scale is proposed. Firstly, a cubic spline interpolation is used to densify the data set, and make the intervals between data points uniform. Then, the Vondrak filter is employed to smooth the data set, and get rid of the high-frequency noises, and finally the weighted average method is adopted to generate the ensemble pulsar time scale. The newly released NANOGRAV (North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves) 9-year data set is used to generate the ensemble pulsar time scale. This data set includes the 9-year observational data of 37 millisecond pulsars observed by the 100-meter Green Bank telescope and the 305-meter Arecibo telescope. It is found that the algorithm used in this paper can reduce effectively the influence caused by the noises in pulsar timing residuals, and improve the long-term stability of the ensemble pulsar time scale. Results indicate that the long-term (> 1 yr) stability of the ensemble pulsar time scale is better than 3.4 × 10-15.

  5. Misaligned Accretion and Jet Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, Andrew; Nixon, Chris

    2018-04-01

    Disk accretion onto a black hole is often misaligned from its spin axis. If the disk maintains a significant magnetic field normal to its local plane, we show that dipole radiation from Lense–Thirring precessing disk annuli can extract a significant fraction of the accretion energy, sharply peaked toward small disk radii R (as R ‑17/2 for fields with constant equipartition ratio). This low-frequency emission is immediately absorbed by surrounding matter or refracted toward the regions of lowest density. The resultant mechanical pressure, dipole angular pattern, and much lower matter density toward the rotational poles create a strong tendency to drive jets along the black hole spin axis, similar to the spin-axis jets of radio pulsars, also strong dipole emitters. The coherent primary emission may explain the high brightness temperatures seen in jets. The intrinsic disk emission is modulated at Lense–Thirring frequencies near the inner edge, providing a physical mechanism for low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). Dipole emission requires nonzero hole spin, but uses only disk accretion energy. No spin energy is extracted, unlike the Blandford–Znajek process. Magnetohydrodynamic/general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD/GRMHD) formulations do not directly give radiation fields, but can be checked post-process for dipole emission and therefore self-consistency, given sufficient resolution. Jets driven by dipole radiation should be more common in active galactic nuclei (AGN) than in X-ray binaries, and in low accretion-rate states than high, agreeing with observation. In non-black hole accretion, misaligned disk annuli precess because of the accretor’s mass quadrupole moment, similarly producing jets and QPOs.

  6. Perspectives on Ultraluminous X-ray sources after the discovery of Ultraluminous Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zampieri, L.; Ambrosi, E.; Fiore, A.; Pintore, F.; Turolla, R.; Israel, GL.; Stella, L.; Casella, P.; Papitto, A.; Rodriguez Castillo, G. A.; De Luca, A.; Tiengo, A.; Belfiore, A.; Esposito, P.; Marelli, M.; Novara, G.; Salvaterra, R.; Salvetti, D.; Mereghetti, S.; Wolter, A.

    2017-10-01

    Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are observationally defined as non-nuclear extragalactic X-ray point sources with inferred (isotropic) luminosity exceeding the Eddington limit for a ˜ 10 M_{⊙} compact object. While in the past few years a certain evidence (and a general consensus) has been gathered in favour of the existence of black hole (BH) remnants in ULXs, the recent discovery of three Ultraluminous X-ray Pulsars has unexpectedly revealed what is likely to be a significant population of neutron star (NS) ULXs. These findings challenge more than ever our present understanding of these sources, their accretion mechanism/history, and their formation pathways. After reviewing some of these intriguing observational facts, we will summarize some perspective studies that we are carrying out to model the multiwavelength variability and broadband spectra of ULXs, including the contribution of an accretion column for NS systems. We derive the luminosity emitted by the latter assuming that a multipolar component dominates the magnetic field close to the NS. The focus is on comparing the simulated multiwavelength emission properties of stellar-mass/massive BHs to those of NS systems, and on confronting the model predictions with the available observations of Pulsar ULXs.

  7. MHD Simulations of Magnetized Stars in the Propeller Regime of Accretion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lii, Patrick; Romanova, Marina; Lovelace, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Accreting magnetized stars may be in the propeller regime of disc accretion in which the angular velocity of the stellar magnetosphere exceeds that of the inner disc. In these systems, the stellar magnetosphere acts as a centrifugal barrier and inhibits matter accretion onto the rapidly rotating star. Instead, the matter accreting through the disc accumulates at the disc-magnetosphere interface where it picks up angular momentum and is ejected from the system as a wide-angled outflow which gradually collimates at larger distances from the star. If the ejection rate is lower than the accretion rate, the matter will accumulate at the boundary faster than it can be ejected; in this case, accretion onto the star proceeds through an episodic accretion instability in which the episodes of matter accumulation are followed by a brief episode of simultaneous ejection and accretion of matter onto the star. In addition to the matter dominated wind component, the propeller outflow also exhibits a well-collimated, magnetically-dominated Poynting jet which transports energy and angular momentum away from the star. The propeller mechanism may explain some of the weakly-collimated jets and winds observed around some T Tauri stars as well as the episodic variability present in their light curves. It may also explain some of the quasi-periodic variability observed in cataclysmic variables, millisecond pulsars and other magnetized stars.

  8. Evidence for a Variable Ultrafast Outflow in the Newly Discovered Ultraluminous Pulsar NGC 300 ULX-1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosec, P.; Pinto, C.; Walton, D. J.; Fabian, A. C.; Bachetti, M.; Brightman, M.; Fürst, F.; Grefenstette, B. W.

    2018-06-01

    Ultraluminous pulsars are a definite proof that persistent super-Eddington accretion occurs in nature. They support the scenario according to which most Ultraluminous X-ray Sources (ULXs) are super-Eddington accretors of stellar mass rather than sub-Eddington intermediate mass black holes. An important prediction of theories of supercritical accretion is the existence of powerful outflows of moderately ionized gas at mildly relativistic speeds. In practice, the spectral resolution of X-ray gratings such as RGS onboard XMM-Newton is required to resolve their observational signatures in ULXs. Using RGS, outflows have been discovered in the spectra of 3 ULXs (none of which are currently known to be pulsars). Most recently, the fourth ultraluminous pulsar was discovered in NGC 300. Here we report detection of an ultrafast outflow (UFO) in the X-ray spectrum of the object, with a significance of more than 3σ, during one of the two simultaneous observations of the source by XMM-Newton and NuSTAR in December 2016. The outflow has a projected velocity of 65000 km/s (0.22c) and a high ionisation factor with a log value of 3.9. This is the first direct evidence for a UFO in a neutron star ULX and also the first time that this its evidence in a ULX spectrum is seen in both soft and hard X-ray data simultaneously. We find no evidence of the UFO during the other observation of the object, which could be explained by either clumpy nature of the absorber or a slight change in our viewing angle of the accretion flow.

  9. Staring at 4U 1909+07 with Suzaku (Research Note)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fuerst, F.; Pottschmidt, K.; Kreykenbohm, I.; Mueller, S.; Kuehnel, M.; Wilms, J.; Rothschild, R. E.

    2012-01-01

    We present an analysis of the neutron star High Mass X-ray Binary (HMXB) 4U 1909+07 mainly based on Suzaku data. We extend the pulse period evolution, which behaves in a random-walk like manner, indicative of direct wind accretion. Studying the spectral properties of 4U 1909+07 between 0.5 to 90keV we find that a power-law with an exponential cutoff can describe the data well, when additionally allowing for a blackbody or a partially covering absorber at low energies. We find no evidence for a cyclotron resonant scattering feature (CRSF), a feature seen in many other neutron star HMXBs sources. By performing pulse phase resolved spectroscopy we investigate the origin of the strong energy dependence of the pulse profile, which evolves from a broad two-peak profile at low energies to a profile with a single, narrow peak at energies above 20keV. Our data show that it is very likely that a higher folding energy in the high energy peak is responsible for this behavior. This in turn leads to the assumption that we observe the two magnetic poles and their respective accretion columns at different phases, and that these accretions column have slightly different physical conditions.

  10. Neutron Star Population Dynamics. II. Three-dimensional Space Velocities of Young Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cordes, J. M.; Chernoff, David F.

    1998-09-01

    We use astrometric, distance, and spindown data on pulsars to (1) estimate three-dimensional velocity components, birth distances from the Galactic plane, and ages of individual objects; (2) determine the distribution of space velocities and the scale height of pulsar progenitors; (3) test spindown laws for pulsars; (4) test for correlations between space velocities and other pulsar parameters; and (5) place empirical requirements on mechanisms than can produce high-velocity neutron stars. Our approach incorporates measurement errors, uncertainties in distances, deceleration in the Galactic potential, and differential Galactic rotation. We focus on a sample of proper motion measurements of young (<10 Myr) pulsars whose trajectories may be accurately and simply modeled. This sample of 49 pulsars excludes millisecond pulsars and other objects that may have undergone accretion-driven spinup. We estimate velocity components and birth z distance on a case-by-case basis assuming that the actual age equals the conventional spindown age for a braking index n = 3, no torque decay, and birth periods much shorter than present-day periods. Every sample member could have originated within 0.3 kpc of the Galactic plane while still having reasonable present-day peculiar radial velocities. For the 49 object sample, the scale height of the progenitors is ~0.13 kpc, and the three-dimensional velocities are distributed in two components with characteristic speeds of 175+19-24 km s-1 and 700+300-132 km s-1, representing ~86% and ~14% of the population, respectively. The sample velocities are inconsistent with a single-component Gaussian model and are well described by a two-component Gaussian model but do not require models of additional complexity. From the best-fit distribution, we estimate that about 20% of the known pulsars will escape the Galaxy, assuming an escape speed of 500 km s-1. The best-fit, dual-component model, if augmented by an additional, low-velocity (<50 km s-1

  11. Constraining Gamma-Ray Pulsar Gap Models with a Simulated Pulsar Population

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pierbattista, Marco; Grenier, I. A.; Harding, A. K.; Gonthier, P. L.

    2012-01-01

    With the large sample of young gamma-ray pulsars discovered by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), population synthesis has become a powerful tool for comparing their collective properties with model predictions. We synthesised a pulsar population based on a radio emission model and four gamma-ray gap models (Polar Cap, Slot Gap, Outer Gap, and One Pole Caustic). Applying gamma-ray and radio visibility criteria, we normalise the simulation to the number of detected radio pulsars by a select group of ten radio surveys. The luminosity and the wide beams from the outer gaps can easily account for the number of Fermi detections in 2 years of observations. The wide slot-gap beam requires an increase by a factor of 10 of the predicted luminosity to produce a reasonable number of gamma-ray pulsars. Such large increases in the luminosity may be accommodated by implementing offset polar caps. The narrow polar-cap beams contribute at most only a handful of LAT pulsars. Using standard distributions in birth location and pulsar spin-down power (E), we skew the initial magnetic field and period distributions in a an attempt to account for the high E Fermi pulsars. While we compromise the agreement between simulated and detected distributions of radio pulsars, the simulations fail to reproduce the LAT findings: all models under-predict the number of LAT pulsars with high E , and they cannot explain the high probability of detecting both the radio and gamma-ray beams at high E. The beaming factor remains close to 1.0 over 4 decades in E evolution for the slot gap whereas it significantly decreases with increasing age for the outer gaps. The evolution of the enhanced slot-gap luminosity with E is compatible with the large dispersion of gamma-ray luminosity seen in the LAT data. The stronger evolution predicted for the outer gap, which is linked to the polar cap heating by the return current, is apparently not supported by the LAT data. The LAT sample of gamma-ray pulsars

  12. Frequent bursts from the 11 Hz transient pulsar IGR J17480-2446

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chakraborty, Manoneeta; Mukherjee, Arunava; Bhattacharyya, S.

    Accreted matter falling on the surface of the neutron star in a Low Mass X-ray Binary (LMXB) system gives rise to intense X-ray bursts originating from unstable thermonuclear conflagration and these bursts can be used as a tool to constrain the equation of state. A series of such X-ray bursts along with millihertz (mHz) quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) at the highest source luminosities were observed during the 2010 outburst of the transient LMXB pulsar IGR J17480--2446. The quite diverse burst properties compared to typical type-I bursts suggested them to be the type-II bursts originating from accretion disc instability. We show that the bursts are indeed of thermonuclear origin and thus confirm the quasi-stable burning model for mHz QPOs. Various properties of the bursts such as, peak flux, fluence, periodicity and duration, were highly dependent on the source spectral states and their variation over a large accretion rate range revealed the evolution of the burning process at different accretion rate regimes.

  13. Gigahertz-peaked spectra pulsars in Pulsar Wind Nebulae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basu, R.; RoŻko, K.; Kijak, J.; Lewandowski, W.

    2018-04-01

    We have carried out a detailed study of the spectral nature of six pulsars surrounded by pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). The pulsar flux density was estimated using the interferometric imaging technique of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope at three frequencies 325, 610, and 1280 MHz. The spectra showed a turnover around gigahertz frequency in four out of six pulsars. It has been suggested that the gigahertz-peaked spectrum (GPS) in pulsars arises due to thermal absorption of the pulsar emission in surrounding medium like PWNe, H II regions, supernova remnants, etc. The relatively high incidence of GPS behaviour in pulsars surrounded by PWNe imparts further credence to this view. The pulsar J1747-2958 associated with the well-known Mouse nebula was also observed in our sample and exhibited GPS behaviour. The pulsar was detected as a point source in the high-resolution images. However, the pulsed emission was not seen in the phased-array mode. It is possible that the pulsed emission was affected by extreme scattering causing considerable smearing of the emission at low radio frequencies. The GPS spectra were modelled using the thermal free-free absorption and the estimated absorber properties were largely consistent with PWNe. The spatial resolution of the images made it unlikely that the point source associated with J1747-2958 was the compact head of the PWNe, but the synchrotron self-absorption seen in such sources was a better fit to the estimated spectral shape.

  14. Constraints on the inner accretion flow of 4U/MXB 1636-53 (V 801 Arae) from a comparison of X-ray burst and persistent emission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Damen, E.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Van Paradijs, J.; Penninx, W.; Oosterbroek, T.

    1990-01-01

    A detailed analysis is presented of the importance of Comptonization in burst and persistent spectra of the low-mass X-ray binary 4U/MXB 1636-53, and from this analysis it is inferred that the inner accretion flow is geometrically thin. It is found that burst spectra of 1636-53 are very nearly Planckian in shape; from an upper limit to a high-energy excess in these spectra it is inferred that the Thomson scattering optical depth of a possible intervening hot cloud must be less than 1 during bursts, and that the Compton y parameter of that cloud must be less than 0.5. During persistent emission, Thomson optical depth of 4-8, an electron temperature of 2-5 keV, and a value of 0.8-1.1 for y are inferred.

  15. INFRARED OBSERVATIONS OF THE MILLISECOND PULSAR BINARY J1023+0038: EVIDENCE FOR THE SHORT-TERM NATURE OF ITS INTERACTING PHASE IN 2000-2001

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Xuebing; Wang, Zhongxiang; Morrell, Nidia

    2013-02-20

    We report our multi-band infrared (IR) imaging of the transitional millisecond pulsar system J1023+0038, a rare pulsar binary known to have an accretion disk in 2000-2001. The observations were carried out with ground-based and space telescopes from near-IR to far-IR wavelengths. We detected the source in near-IR JH bands and Spitzer 3.6 and 4.5 {mu}m mid-IR channels. Combined with the previously reported optical spectrum of the source, the IR emission is found to arise from the companion star, with no excess emission detected in the wavelength range. Because our near-IR fluxes are nearly equal to those obtained by the 2MASSmore » all-sky survey in 2000 February, the result indicates that the binary did not contain the accretion disk at the time, whose existence would have raised the near-IR fluxes to twice larger values. Our observations have thus established the short-term nature of the interacting phase seen in 2000-2001: the accretion disk existed for at most 2.5 yr. The binary was not detected by the WISE all-sky survey carried out in 2010 at its 12 and 22 {mu}m bands and our Herschel far-IR imaging at 70 and 160 {mu}m. Depending on the assumed properties of the dust, the resulting flux upper limits provide a constraint of <3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 22}-3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 25} g on the mass of the dust grains that possibly exist as the remnants of the previously seen accretion disk.« less

  16. Integral luminosities of radio pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malov, I.; Malov, O.

    The integral radio luminosities L for 311 normal pulsars and for 27 ones with the rotation period P<0.1 s (fast pulsars) are calculated using new data on their compilated spectra. The values of L lie in the range 10^27-10^30 erg/s for 88% of the normal pulsars and in the range 10^28-10^31 erg/s for 88% of the fast objects. The high correlation between L and estimates l=S x d^2 from the known catalogues is detected. It is shown that the coefficient K of a transformation of the neutron star rotation energy into radio emission increases when P grows for normal pulsars and falls for fast ones. The mean values of K are -3.73 and -4.85 for normal and fast pulsars, respectively. There are no changes of L with the kinematic age T = z/V, where z is the pulsar height over the Galactic plane and V = 300 km/s is its mean velocity. The correlation between L and the rate of the rotation energy losses E is detected for both pulsar groups under consideration. It is shown that L= A E^(1/3) for the whole sample. The total number of pulsars in the Galaxy and their birth rate are in agreement with data on the rate of supernova explosions.

  17. A LOFAR census of non-recycled pulsars: average profiles, dispersion measures, flux densities, and spectra

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilous, A. V.; Kondratiev, V. I.; Kramer, M.; Keane, E. F.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Stappers, B. W.; Malofeev, V. M.; Sobey, C.; Breton, R. P.; Cooper, S.; Falcke, H.; Karastergiou, A.; Michilli, D.; Osłowski, S.; Sanidas, S.; ter Veen, S.; van Leeuwen, J.; Verbiest, J. P. W.; Weltevrede, P.; Zarka, P.; Grießmeier, J.-M.; Serylak, M.; Bell, M. E.; Broderick, J. W.; Eislöffel, J.; Markoff, S.; Rowlinson, A.

    2016-06-01

    We present first results from a LOFAR census of non-recycled pulsars. The census includes almost all such pulsars known (194 sources) at declinations Dec > 8° and Galactic latitudes |Gb| > 3°, regardless of their expected flux densities and scattering times. Each pulsar was observed for ≥20 min in the contiguous frequency range of 110-188 MHz. Full-Stokes data were recorded. We present the dispersion measures, flux densities, and calibrated total intensity profiles for the 158 pulsars detected in the sample. The median uncertainty in census dispersion measures (1.5 × 10-3 pc cm-3) is ten times smaller, on average, than in the ATNF pulsar catalogue. We combined census flux densities with those in the literature and fitted the resulting broadband spectra with single or broken power-law functions. For 48 census pulsars such fits are being published for the first time. Typically, thechoice between single and broken power-laws, as well as the location of the spectral break, were highly influenced by the spectral coverage of the available flux density measurements. In particular, the inclusion of measurements below 100 MHz appears essential for investigating the low-frequency turnover in the spectra for most of the census pulsars. For several pulsars, we compared the spectral indices from different works and found the typical spread of values to be within 0.5-1.5, suggesting a prevailing underestimation of spectral index errors in the literature. The census observations yielded some unexpected individual source results, as we describe in the paper. Lastly, we will provide this unique sample of wide-band, low-frequency pulse profiles via the European Pulsar Network Database. Tables B.1-B.4 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/591/A134

  18. Arecibo Pulsar Survey Using ALFA. IV. Mock Spectrometer Data Analysis, Survey Sensitivity, and the Discovery of 40 Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lazarus, P.; Brazier, A.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Karako-Argaman, C.; Kaspi, V. M.; Lynch, R.; Madsen, E.; Patel, C.; Ransom, S. M.; Scholz, P.; Swiggum, J.; Zhu, W. W.; Allen, B.; Bogdanov, S.; Camilo, F.; Cardoso, F.; Chatterjee, S.; Cordes, J. M.; Crawford, F.; Deneva, J. S.; Ferdman, R.; Freire, P. C. C.; Jenet, F. A.; Knispel, B.; Lee, K. J.; van Leeuwen, J.; Lorimer, D. R.; Lyne, A. G.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Siemens, X.; Spitler, L. G.; Stairs, I. H.; Stovall, K.; Venkataraman, A.

    2015-10-01

    The on-going Arecibo Pulsar-ALFA (PALFA) survey began in 2004 and is searching for radio pulsars in the Galactic plane at 1.4 GHz. Here we present a comprehensive description of one of its main data reduction pipelines that is based on the PRESTO software and includes new interference-excision algorithms and candidate selection heuristics. This pipeline has been used to discover 40 pulsars, bringing the survey’s discovery total to 144 pulsars. Of the new discoveries, eight are millisecond pulsars (MSPs; P\\lt 10 ms) and one is a Fast Radio Burst (FRB). This pipeline has also re-detected 188 previously known pulsars, 60 of them previously discovered by the other PALFA pipelines. We present a novel method for determining the survey sensitivity that accurately takes into account the effects of interference and red noise: we inject synthetic pulsar signals with various parameters into real survey observations and then attempt to recover them with our pipeline. We find that the PALFA survey achieves the sensitivity to MSPs predicted by theoretical models but suffers a degradation for P≳ 100 ms that gradually becomes up to ˜10 times worse for P\\gt 4 {{s}} at {DM}\\lt 150 pc cm-3. We estimate 33 ± 3% of the slower pulsars are missed, largely due to red noise. A population synthesis analysis using the sensitivity limits we measured suggests the PALFA survey should have found 224 ± 16 un-recycled pulsars in the data set analyzed, in agreement with the 241 actually detected. The reduced sensitivity could have implications on estimates of the number of long-period pulsars in the Galaxy.

  19. Evolution of Spin, Orbital, and Superorbital Modulations of 4U 0114+650

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Chin-Ping; Chou, Yi; Ng, C.-Y.; Lin, Lupin Chun-Che; Yen, David Chien-Chang

    2017-07-01

    We report a systematic analysis of the spin, orbital, and superorbital modulations of 4U 0114+650, a high-mass X-ray binary that consists of one of the slowest spinning neutron stars. Using the dynamic power spectrum, we found that the spin period varied dramatically and is anticorrelated with the long-term X-ray flux variation that can be observed using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ASM, Swift BAT, and the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image. The spin-up rate over the entire data set is consistent with previously reported values; however, the local spin-up rate is considerably higher. The corresponding local spin-up timescale is comparable to the local spin-up rate of OAO 1657-415, indicating that 4U 0114+650 could also have a transient disk. Moreover, the spin period evolution shows two ˜1000-day spin-down/random-walk epochs that appeared together with depressions of the superorbital modulation amplitude. This implies that the superorbital modulation was closely related to the presence of the accretion disk, which is not favored in the spin-down/random-walk epochs because the accretion is dominated by the direct wind accretion. The orbital period is stable during the entire time span; however, the orbital profile significantly changes with time. We found that the depth of the dip near the inferior conjunction of the companion is highly variable, which disfavors the eclipsing scenario. Moreover, the dip was less obvious during the spin-down/random-walk epochs, indicating its correlation with the accretion disk. Further monitoring in both X-ray and optical bands could reveal the establishment of the accretion disk in this system.

  20. Searching for gravitational waves from pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gill, Colin D.

    The work presented here looks at several aspects of searching for continuous gravitational waves from pulsars, often referred to simply as continuous waves or CWs. This begins with an examination of noise in the current generation of laser interferometer gravitational wave detectors in the region below ~100 Hz. This frequency region is of particular interest with regards to CW detection as two prime sources for a first CW detection, the Crab and Vela pulsars, are expected to emit CWs in this frequency range. The Crab pulsar's frequency lies very close to a strong noise line due to the 60 Hz mains electricity in the LIGO detectors. The types of noise generally present in this region are discussed. Also presented are investigations into the noise features present in the LIGO S6 data and the Virgo VSR2 data using a program called Fscan. A particular noise feature present during VSR2 was discovered with the use of Fscan, which I report on and show how it degrades the sensitivity of searches for CWs from the Vela pulsar using this data. I next present search results for CWs from the Vela pulsar using VSR2 and VSR4 data. Whilst these searches did not find any evidence for gravitational waves being present in the data, they were able to place upper limits on the strength of gravitational wave emission from Vela lower than the upper limit set by the pulsars spin-down, making it only the second pulsar for which this milestone has been achieved. The lowest upper limit derived from these searches confines the spin-down energy lost from Vela due to gravitational waves as just 9% of Vela's total spin-down energy. The data from VSR2 and VSR4 are also examined, analysis of hardware injections in these datasets verify the calibration of the data and the search method. Similar results are also presented for a search for CWs from the Crab pulsar, where data from VSR2, VSR3, VSR4, S5 and S6 are combined to produce an upper limit on the gravitational wave (GW) amplitude lower than has

  1. Erratum: "Discovery of a Second Millisecond Accreting Pulsar: XTE J1751-305"

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markwardt, Craig; Swank, J. H.; Strohmayer, T. E.; in 'tZand, J. J. M.; Marshall, F. E.

    2007-01-01

    The original Table 1 ("Timing Parameters of XTE J1751-305") contains one error. The epoch of pulsar mean longitude 90deg is incorrect due to a numerical conversion error in the preparation of the original table text. A corrected version of Table 1 is shown. For reference, the epoch of the ascending node is also included. The correct value was used in all of the analysis leading up to the paper. As T(sub 90) is a purely fiducial reference time, the scientific conclusions of the paper are unchanged.

  2. Timing Behavior of the Magnetically Active Rotation-Powered Pulsar in the Supernova Remnant Kesteven 75

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Livingstone, Margaret A.; Gavriil, Fotis P.; Kaspi, Victoria M.

    2009-01-01

    We report a large spin-up glitch in PSR J1846-0258 which coincided with the onset of magnetar-like behavior on 2006 May 31. We show that the pulsar experienced an unusually large glitch recovery, with a recovery fraction of Q = 5.9+/-0.3, resulting in a net decrease of the pulse frequency. Such a glitch recovery has never before been observed in a rotation-powered pulsar, however, similar but smaller glitch over-recovery has been recently reported in the magnetar AXP 4U 0142+61 and may have occurred in the SGR 1900+14. We discuss the implications of the unusual timing behavior in PSR J1846-0258 on its status as the first identified magnetically active rotation-powered pulsar.

  3. Simultaneous Spectral and Timing Observations of Accreting Neuron Stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaaret, P.; Oliversen, Ronald J. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The goal of this proposal is to perform simultaneous x-ray spectral and millisecond timing observations of accreting neutron stars to further our understanding of their accretion dynamics and in the hope of using these systems as probes of the physics of strong gravitational fields. NAG5-9104 is the successor grant to NAG5-8408. Observations using the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and BeppoSAX were performed of 4U1702-429, 4U1735-44, and Cyg X-2. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of the approved observing time was obtained for the first two targets and the data are of limited scientific value. Data analysis has been completed on the observations of Cyg X-2. We discovered a correlation between the frequency of the horizontal branch oscillations (HBO) and a soft, thermal component of the x-ray spectrum likely associated with emission from the accretion disk. This correlation may place constraints on models of the oscillations. A paper based on these results appeared in the Astrophysical Journal.

  4. Influence of accretion on lead in the Earth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galer, Stephen J. G.; Goldstein, Steven L.

    The Pb abundance and isotope composition of the Earth is fundamentally altered from bulk solar system values by the processes occurring during accretion. The most important of the possible processes are volatile element loss and core formation, or some form of inhomogeneous accretion/condensation. The final result is an Earth highly impoverished in 204Pb and other Pb isotopes in primordial abundance. Depending on the exact timing, some radiogenic Pb is also lost either to space or to the core; the degree of loss occurs in the same order as the parent decay constants, namely 207Pb > 206Pb > 208Pb. In this contribution, we explore the likely effects accretion had on the Pb isotope composition of the present day bulk silicate Earth and its secular isotope evolution. This is used to address a number of questions: (1) What can be learned about accretion from the Pb isotope composition of the bulk silicate Earth? (2) Can effects of accretion reconcile the classical "Pb paradox" of a 206Pb-rich bulk silicate Earth? (3) What exactly is the meaning of the "age of the Earth" within the context of Pb isotopes? By consideration of a number of accretion scenarios it is demonstrated that Pb isotopes yield information only on the following two coupled quantities: Firstly, the accretion interval Δ T, the time between initial condensation of the solar nebula (at 4.566Ga) and when accretion-produced U/Pb fractionation (whether loss of Pb to the core or to space) in the silicate Earth ceased. Secondly, the mean 238U/204 Pb ratio μ during accretion—no details of changes in μ during the accretion interval can be resolved. The effects of accretion are thus adequately considered in terms of a simple two-stage model described by μ over ΔT followed by a postaccretion μ. The systematics of μ and ΔT are then examined for the cases of present day terrestrial reservoirs and Archean leads. These estimates of μ and ΔT for the present and past silicate Earth are not compatible with

  5. Relativistic spin precession in the double pulsar.

    PubMed

    Breton, Rene P; Kaspi, Victoria M; Kramer, Michael; McLaughlin, Maura A; Lyutikov, Maxim; Ransom, Scott M; Stairs, Ingrid H; Ferdman, Robert D; Camilo, Fernando; Possenti, Andrea

    2008-07-04

    The double pulsar PSR J0737-3039A/B consists of two neutron stars in a highly relativistic orbit that displays a roughly 30-second eclipse when pulsar A passes behind pulsar B. Describing this eclipse of pulsar A as due to absorption occurring in the magnetosphere of pulsar B, we successfully used a simple geometric model to characterize the observed changing eclipse morphology and to measure the relativistic precession of pulsar B's spin axis around the total orbital angular momentum. This provides a test of general relativity and alternative theories of gravity in the strong-field regime. Our measured relativistic spin precession rate of 4.77 degrees (-0 degrees .65)(+0 degrees .66) per year (68% confidence level) is consistent with that predicted by general relativity within an uncertainty of 13%.

  6. Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stappers, Benjamin W.

    2012-04-01

    Pulsars can be considered as the ultimate time-variable source. They show variations on time-scales ranging from nanoseconds to as long as years, and they emit over almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The dominant modulation is associated with the rotation period, which can vary from slighty more than a millisecond to upwards of ten seconds (if we include the magnetars). Variations on time-scales shorter than the pulse period are mostly associated with emission processes and are manifested as giant pulses, microstructure and sub-pulses (to name a few). On time-scales of a rotation to a few hundred rotations are other phenomena also associated with the emission, such as nulling, moding, drifting and intermittency. By probing these and slightly longer time-scales we find that pulsars exhibit ``glitches'', which are rapid variations in spin rates. They are believed to be related to the interaction between the superfluid interior of the neutron star and the outer crust. Detailed studies of glitches can reveal much about the properties of the constituents of neutron stars-the only way to probe the physics of material at such extreme densities. Time-scales of about an hour or longer reveal that some pulsars are in binary systems, in particular the most rapidly rotating systems. Discovering and studying those binary systems provides vital clues to the evolution of massive stars, while some of the systems are also the best probes of strong-field gravity theories; the elusive pulsar-black hole binary would be the ultimate system. Pulsars are tools that allow us to probe a range of phenomena and time-scales. It is possible to measure the time of arrival of pulses from some pulsars to better than a few tens of nanoseconds over years, making them some of the most accurate clocks known. Concerning their rotation, deviations from sphericity may cause pulsars to emit gravitational waves which might then be detected by next-generation gravitational-wave detectors. Pulsars

  7. Evolution of Spin, Orbital, and Superorbital Modulations of 4U 0114+650

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hu, Chin-Ping; Ng, C.-Y.; Chou, Yi

    2017-07-20

    We report a systematic analysis of the spin, orbital, and superorbital modulations of 4U 0114+650, a high-mass X-ray binary that consists of one of the slowest spinning neutron stars. Using the dynamic power spectrum, we found that the spin period varied dramatically and is anticorrelated with the long-term X-ray flux variation that can be observed using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ASM, Swift BAT, and the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image. The spin-up rate over the entire data set is consistent with previously reported values; however, the local spin-up rate is considerably higher. The corresponding local spin-up timescale is comparablemore » to the local spin-up rate of OAO 1657−415, indicating that 4U 0114+650 could also have a transient disk. Moreover, the spin period evolution shows two ∼1000-day spin-down/random-walk epochs that appeared together with depressions of the superorbital modulation amplitude. This implies that the superorbital modulation was closely related to the presence of the accretion disk, which is not favored in the spin-down/random-walk epochs because the accretion is dominated by the direct wind accretion. The orbital period is stable during the entire time span; however, the orbital profile significantly changes with time. We found that the depth of the dip near the inferior conjunction of the companion is highly variable, which disfavors the eclipsing scenario. Moreover, the dip was less obvious during the spin-down/random-walk epochs, indicating its correlation with the accretion disk. Further monitoring in both X-ray and optical bands could reveal the establishment of the accretion disk in this system.« less

  8. Regimes of Pulsar Pair Formation and Particle Energetics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, Alice K.; Muslimov, Alexander G.; Zhang, Bing; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    We investigate the conditions required for the production of electron-positron pairs above a pulsar polar cap (PC) and the influence of pair production on the energetics of the primary particle acceleration. Assuming space-charge limited flow acceleration including the inertial frame-dragging effect, we allow both one-photon and two-photon pair production by either curvature radiation (CR) photons or photons resulting from inverse-Compton scattering of thermal photons from the PC by primary electrons. We find that,, while only the younger pulsars can produce pairs through CR, nearly all known radio pulsars are capable of producing pairs through non-resonant inverse-Compton scatterings. The effect of the neutron star equations of state on the pair death lines is explored. We show that pair production is facilitated in more compact stars and more a massive stars. Therefore accretion of mass by pulsars in binary systems may allow pair production in most of the millisecond purser population. We also find that two-photon pair production may be important in millisecond pursers if their surface temperatures are above approx. or equal to three million degrees K. Pursers that produce pairs through CRT wilt have their primary acceleration limited by the effect of screening of the electric field. In this regime, the high-energy luminosity should follow a L(sub HE) proportional to dot-E(sup 1/2, sub rot) dependence. The acceleration voltage drop in pursers that produce pairs only through inverse-Compton emission will not be limited by electric field screening. In this regime, the high-energy luminosity should follow a L(sub HE) proportional to dot-E(sub rot) dependence. Thus, older pursers will have significantly lower gamma-ray luminosity.

  9. The X-ray properties of Be/X-ray pulsars in quiescence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsygankov, Sergey S.; Wijnands, Rudy; Lutovinov, Alexander A.; Degenaar, Nathalie; Poutanen, Juri

    2017-09-01

    Observations of accreting neutron stars (NSs) with strong magnetic fields can be used not only for studying the accretion flow interaction with the NS magnetospheres, but also for understanding the physical processes inside NSs and for estimating their fundamental parameters. Of particular interest are (I) the interaction of a rotating NS (magnetosphere) with the infalling matter at different accretion rates, and (II) the theory of deep crustal heating and the influence of a strong magnetic field on this process. Here, we present results of the first systematic investigation of 16 X-ray pulsars with Be optical companions during their quiescent states, based on data from the Chandra, XMM-Newton and Swift observatories. The whole sample of sources can be roughly divided into two distinct groups: (I) relatively bright objects with a luminosity around ˜1034 erg s-1 and (hard) power-law spectra, and (II) fainter ones showing thermal spectra. X-ray pulsations were detected from five objects in group (I) with quite a large pulse fraction of 50-70 per cent. The obtained results are discussed within the framework of the models describing the interaction of the infalling matter with the NS magnetic field and those describing heating and cooling in accreting NSs.

  10. Pulsar wind model for the spin-down behavior of intermittent pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, L.; Tong, H.; Yan, W. M.

    Intermittent pulsars are part-time radio pulsars. They have higher slow down rates in the on state (radio-loud) than in the off state (radio-quiet). This gives evidence that particle wind may play an important role in pulsar spindown. The effect of particle acceleration is included in modeling the rotational energy loss rate of the neutron star. Applying the pulsar wind model to the three intermittent pulsars (PSR B1931+24, PSR J1841–0500, and PSR J1832+0029) allows their magnetic fields and inclination angles to be calculated simultaneously. The theoretical braking indices of intermittent pulsars are also given. In the pulsar wind model, the densitymore » of the particle wind can always be the Goldreich-Julian density. This may ensure that different on states of intermittent pulsars are stable. The duty cycle of particle wind can be determined from timing observations. It is consistent with the duty cycle of the on state. Inclination angle and braking index observations of intermittent pulsars may help to test different models of particle acceleration. At present, the inverse Compton scattering induced space charge limited flow with field saturation model can be ruled out.« less

  11. Pulsar Wind Model for the Spin-down Behavior of Intermittent Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, L.; Tong, H.; Yan, W. M.; Yuan, J. P.; Xu, R. X.; Wang, N.

    2014-06-01

    Intermittent pulsars are part-time radio pulsars. They have higher slow down rates in the on state (radio-loud) than in the off state (radio-quiet). This gives evidence that particle wind may play an important role in pulsar spindown. The effect of particle acceleration is included in modeling the rotational energy loss rate of the neutron star. Applying the pulsar wind model to the three intermittent pulsars (PSR B1931+24, PSR J1841-0500, and PSR J1832+0029) allows their magnetic fields and inclination angles to be calculated simultaneously. The theoretical braking indices of intermittent pulsars are also given. In the pulsar wind model, the density of the particle wind can always be the Goldreich-Julian density. This may ensure that different on states of intermittent pulsars are stable. The duty cycle of particle wind can be determined from timing observations. It is consistent with the duty cycle of the on state. Inclination angle and braking index observations of intermittent pulsars may help to test different models of particle acceleration. At present, the inverse Compton scattering induced space charge limited flow with field saturation model can be ruled out.

  12. Boundary between stable and unstable regimes of accretion. Ordered and chaotic unstable regimes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blinova, A. A.; Romanova, M. M.; Lovelace, R. V. E.

    2016-07-01

    We present a new study of the Rayleigh-Taylor unstable regime of accretion on to rotating magnetized stars in a set of high grid resolution three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations performed in low-viscosity discs. We find that the boundary between the stable and unstable regimes is determined almost entirely by the fastness parameter ωs = Ω⋆/ΩK(rm), where Ω⋆ is the angular velocity of the star and ΩK(rm) is the angular velocity of the Keplerian disc at the disc-magnetosphere boundary r = rm. We found that accretion is unstable if ωs ≲ 0.6. Accretion through instabilities is present in stars with different magnetospheric sizes. However, only in stars with relatively small magnetospheres, rm/R⋆ ≲ 7, do the unstable tongues produce chaotic hotspots on the stellar surface and irregular light curves. At even smaller values of the fastness parameter, ωs ≲ 0.45, multiple irregular tongues merge, forming one or two ordered unstable tongues that rotate with the angular frequency of the inner disc. This transition occurs in stars with even smaller magnetospheres, rm/R⋆ ≲ 4.2. Most of our simulations were performed at a small tilt of the dipole magnetosphere, Θ = 5°, and a small viscosity parameter α = 0.02. Test simulations at higher α values show that many more cases become unstable, and the light curves become even more irregular. Test simulations at larger tilts of the dipole Θ show that instability is present, however, accretion in two funnel streams dominates if Θ ≳ 15°. The results of these simulations can be applied to accreting magnetized stars with relatively small magnetospheres: Classical T Tauri stars, accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars, and cataclysmic variables.

  13. Radio pulsar death lines to SGRs/AXPs and white dwarfs pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lobato, Ronaldo V.; Malheiro, M.; Coelho, J. G.

    Recently, an alternative model based on white dwarfs pulsars has been proposed to explain a class of pulsars known as Soft Gamma Repeaters (SGR) and Anomalus X-Ray Pulsars (AXP) [1], usually named as magnetars. In this model, the magnetized white dwarfs can have surface magnetic field B ∼ 10{sup 7} − 10{sup 10} G and rotate very fast with angular frequencies Ω ∼ 1 rad/s, allowing them to produce large electromagnetic (EM) potentials and generate electron-positron pairs. These EM potentials are comparable with the ones of neutron star pulsars with strong magnetic fields and even larger. In this study wemore » consider two possible processes associated with the particle acceleration, both of them are common used to explain radio emission in neutron star pulsars: in the first process the pair production happens near to the star polar caps, i.e. inside of the light cylinder where magnetic field lines are closed; in the second one the creation of pair happens in the outer magnetosphere, i.e. far away of the star surface where magnetic field lines are open [2]. The analysis of the possibility of radio emission were done for 23 SGRs/AXPs of the McGill Online Magnetar Catalog [3] that contains the current information available on these sources. The results of this work show that the model where the particles production occur in the outer magnetosphere emission “o2” is the process compatible with the astronomical observations of absence of radio emission for almost all SGRs/AXPs when these sources are understood as white dwarf pulsars. Our work is a first attempted to find an explanation for the puzzle why for almost all the SGRs/AXPs was expected radio emission, but it was observed in only four of them. These four sources, as it was suggested recently [4], seem to belong to an high magnetic field neutron star pulsar category, different from all the others SGRs/AXPs that our work indicate to belong to a new class of white dwarf pulsars, very fast and magnetized.« less

  14. The Bursting Pulsar GRO J1744-28: the Slowest Transitional Pulsar?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Court, J. M. C.; Altamirano, D.; Sanna, A.

    2018-04-01

    GRO J1744-28 (the Bursting Pulsar) is a neutron star LMXB which shows highly structured X-ray variability near the end of its X-ray outbursts. In this letter we show that this variability is analogous to that seen in Transitional Millisecond Pulsars such as PSR J1023+0038: `missing link' systems consisting of a pulsar nearing the end of its recycling phase. As such, we show that the Bursting Pulsar may also be associated with this class of objects. We discuss the implications of this scenario; in particular, we discuss the fact that the Bursting Pulsar has a significantly higher spin period and magnetic field than any other known Transitional Pulsar. If the Bursting Pulsar is indeed transitional, then this source opens a new window of oppurtunity to test our understanding of these systems in an entirely unexplored physical regime.

  15. Evolving ONe WD+He star systems to intermediate-mass binary pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, D.; Wang, B.; Chen, W.; Zuo, Z.; Han, Z.

    2018-06-01

    It has been suggested that accretion-induced collapse (AIC) is a non-negligible path for the formation of the observed neutron stars (NSs). An ONe white dwarf (WD) that accretes material from a He star may experience AIC process and eventually produce intermediate-mass binary pulsars (IMBPs), named as the ONe WD+He star scenario. Note that previous studies can only account for part of the observed IMBPs with short orbital periods. In this work, we investigate the evolution of about 900 ONe WD+He star binaries to explore the distribution of IMBPs. We found that the ONe WD+He star scenario could form IMBPs including pulsars with 5-340 ms spin periods and 0.75-1.38 M_{⊙} WD companions, in which the orbital periods range from 0.04 to 900 d. Compared with the 20 observed IMBPs, this scenario can cover the parameters of 13 sources in the final orbital period-WD mass plane and the Corbet diagram, most of which have short orbital periods. We found that the ONe WD+He star scenario can explain almost all the observed IMBPs with short orbital periods. This work can well match the observed parameters of PSR J1802-2124 (one of the two precisely observed IMBPs), providing a possible evolutional path for its formation. We also speculate that the compact companion of HD 49798 (a hydrogen depleted sdO6 star) may be not a NS based on this work.

  16. Anti-correlated X-ray and Radio Variability in the Transitional Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1023+0038

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bogdanov, Slavko; Deller, Adam; Miller-Jones, James; Archibald, Anne; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Jaodand, Amruta; Patruno, Alessandro; Bassa, Cees; D'Angelo, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    The PSR J1023+0038 binary system hosts a 1.69-ms neutron star and a low-mass, main-sequence-like star. The system underwent a transformation from a rotation-powered to a low-luminosity accreting state in 2013 June, in which it has remained since. We present an unprecedented set of strictly simultaneous Chandra X-ray Observatory and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations, which for the first time reveal a highly reproducible, anti-correlated variability pattern. Rapid declines in X-ray flux are always accompanied by a radio brightening with duration that closely matches the low X-ray flux mode intervals. We discuss these findings in the context of accretion and jet outflow physics and their implications for using the radio/X-ray luminosity plane to distinguish low-luminosity candidate black hole binary systems from accreting transitional millisecond pulsars.

  17. The Bursting Pulsar GRO J1744-28: the slowest transitional pulsar?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Court, J. M. C.; Altamirano, D.; Sanna, A.

    2018-06-01

    GRO J1744-28 (the Bursting Pulsar) is a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary which shows highly structured X-ray variability near the end of its X-ray outbursts. In this letter we show that this variability is analogous to that seen in Transitional Millisecond Pulsars such as PSR J1023+0038: `missing link' systems consisting of a pulsar nearing the end of its recycling phase. As such, we show that the Bursting Pulsar may also be associated with this class of objects. We discuss the implications of this scenario; in particular, we discuss the fact that the Bursting Pulsar has a significantly higher spin period and magnetic field than any other known transitional pulsar. If the Bursting Pulsar is indeed transitional, then this source opens a new window of opportunity to test our understanding of these systems in an entirely unexplored physical regime.

  18. Experimental Constraints on γ-Ray Pulsar Gap Models and the Pulsar GeV to Pulsar Wind Nebula TeV Connection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abeysekara, A. U.; Linnemann, J. T.

    2015-05-01

    The pulsar emission mechanism in the gamma ray energy band is poorly understood. Currently, there are several models under discussion in the pulsar community. These models can be constrained by studying the collective properties of a sample of pulsars, which became possible with the large sample of gamma ray pulsars discovered by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. In this paper we develop a new experimental multi-wavelength technique to determine the beaming factor ≤ft( {{f}{Ω }} \\right) dependance on spin-down luminosity of a set of GeV pulsars. This technique requires three input parameters: pulsar spin-down luminosity, pulsar phase-averaged GeV flux, and TeV or X-ray flux from the associated pulsar wind nebula (PWN). The analysis presented in this paper uses the PWN TeV flux measurements to study the correlation between {{f}{Ω }} and \\dot{E}. The measured correlation has some features that favor the Outer Gap model over the Polar Cap, Slot Gap, and One Pole Caustic models for pulsar emission in the energy range of 0.1-100 GeV, but one must keep in mind that these simulated models failed to explain many of the most important pulsar population characteristics. A tight correlation between the pulsar GeV emission and PWN TeV emission was also observed, which suggests the possibility of a linear relationship between the two emission mechanisms. In this paper we also discuss a possible mechanism to explain this correlation.

  19. A SEARCH FOR RAPIDLY SPINNING PULSARS AND FAST TRANSIENTS IN UNIDENTIFIED RADIO SOURCES WITH THE NRAO 43 METER TELESCOPE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schmidt, Deborah; Crawford, Fronefield; Gilpin, Claire

    2013-04-15

    We have searched 75 unidentified radio sources selected from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey catalog for the presence of rapidly spinning pulsars and short, dispersed radio bursts. The sources are radio bright, have no identifications or optical source coincidences, are more than 5% linearly polarized, and are spatially unresolved in the catalog. If these sources are fast-spinning pulsars (e.g., sub-millisecond pulsars), previous large-scale pulsar surveys may have missed detection due to instrumental and computational limitations, eclipsing effects, or diffractive scintillation. The discovery of a sub-millisecond pulsar would significantly constrain the neutron star equation of state and would have implications formore » models predicting a rapid slowdown of highly recycled X-ray pulsars to millisecond periods from, e.g., accretion disk decoupling. These same sources were previously searched unsuccessfully for pulsations at 610 MHz with the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank. This new search was conducted at a different epoch with a new 800 MHz backend on the NRAO 43 m Telescope at a center frequency of 1200 MHz. Our search was sensitive to sub-millisecond pulsars in highly accelerated binary systems and to short transient pulses. No periodic or transient signals were detected from any of the target sources. We conclude that diffractive scintillation, dispersive smearing, and binary acceleration are unlikely to have prevented detection of the large majority of the sources if they are pulsars, though we cannot rule out eclipsing, nulling or intermittent emission, or radio interference as possible factors for some non-detections. Other (speculative) possibilities for what these sources might include radio-emitting magnetic cataclysmic variables or older pulsars with aligned magnetic and spin axes.« less

  20. Constraining Alternative Theories of Gravity Using Pulsar Timing Arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cornish, Neil J.; O'Beirne, Logan; Taylor, Stephen R.; Yunes, Nicolás

    2018-05-01

    The opening of the gravitational wave window by ground-based laser interferometers has made possible many new tests of gravity, including the first constraints on polarization. It is hoped that, within the next decade, pulsar timing will extend the window by making the first detections in the nanohertz frequency regime. Pulsar timing offers several advantages over ground-based interferometers for constraining the polarization of gravitational waves due to the many projections of the polarization pattern provided by the different lines of sight to the pulsars, and the enhanced response to longitudinal polarizations. Here, we show that existing results from pulsar timing arrays can be used to place stringent limits on the energy density of longitudinal stochastic gravitational waves. However, unambiguously distinguishing these modes from noise will be very difficult due to the large variances in the pulsar-pulsar correlation patterns. Existing upper limits on the power spectrum of pulsar timing residuals imply that the amplitude of vector longitudinal (VL) and scalar longitudinal (SL) modes at frequencies of 1/year are constrained, AVL<4 ×10-16 and ASL<4 ×10-17, while the bounds on the energy density for a scale invariant cosmological background are ΩVLh2<4 ×10-11 and ΩSLh2<3 ×10-13.

  1. Analysis of the Precision of Pulsar Time Clock Modeltwo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Cheng-shi; Tong, Ming-lei; Gao, Yu-ping; Yang, Ting-gao

    2018-04-01

    Millisecond pulsars have a very high rotation stability, which can be applied to many research fields, such as the establishment of the pulsar time standard, the detection of gravitational wave, the spacecraft navigation by using X-ray pulsars and so on. In this paper, we employ two millisecond pulsars PSR J0437-4715 and J1713+0743, which are observed by the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA), to analyze the precision of pulsar clock parameter and the prediction accuracy of pulse time of arrival (TOA). It is found that the uncertainty of spin frequency is 10-15 Hz, the uncertainty of the first derivative of spin frequency is 10-23 s-2, and the precision of measured rotational parameters increases by one order of magnitude with the accumulated observational data every 4∼5 years. In addition, the errors of TOAs within 4.8 yr which are predicted by the clock model established by the 10 yr data of J0437-4715 are less than 1 μs. Therefore, one can use the pulsar time standard to calibrate the atomic clock, and make the atomic time deviate from the TT (Terrestrial Time) less than 1 μs within 4.8 yr.

  2. Constraining Alternative Theories of Gravity Using Pulsar Timing Arrays.

    PubMed

    Cornish, Neil J; O'Beirne, Logan; Taylor, Stephen R; Yunes, Nicolás

    2018-05-04

    The opening of the gravitational wave window by ground-based laser interferometers has made possible many new tests of gravity, including the first constraints on polarization. It is hoped that, within the next decade, pulsar timing will extend the window by making the first detections in the nanohertz frequency regime. Pulsar timing offers several advantages over ground-based interferometers for constraining the polarization of gravitational waves due to the many projections of the polarization pattern provided by the different lines of sight to the pulsars, and the enhanced response to longitudinal polarizations. Here, we show that existing results from pulsar timing arrays can be used to place stringent limits on the energy density of longitudinal stochastic gravitational waves. However, unambiguously distinguishing these modes from noise will be very difficult due to the large variances in the pulsar-pulsar correlation patterns. Existing upper limits on the power spectrum of pulsar timing residuals imply that the amplitude of vector longitudinal (VL) and scalar longitudinal (SL) modes at frequencies of 1/year are constrained, A_{VL}<4×10^{-16} and A_{SL}<4×10^{-17}, while the bounds on the energy density for a scale invariant cosmological background are Ω_{VL}h^{2}<4×10^{-11} and Ω_{SL}h^{2}<3×10^{-13}.

  3. Turn-over in pulsar spectra: From young pulsars to millisecond ones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kijak, J.; Lewandowski, W.; Serylak, M.

    2008-02-01

    The evidence for turn-over in young pulsar radio spectra at high frequencies is presented. The frequency at which a spectrum shows the maximum flux density is called the peak frequency. This peak frequency appears to depend on pulsar age and dispersion measure. A possible relation with pulsar age is interesting. Millisecond pulsars, which are very old objects, may show no evidence for spectral turn-over down to 100 MHz. Some studied pulsars with turn-over at high frequencies have been shown to have very interesting interstellar environments. This could suggest that the turn-over phenomenon is associated with the enviromental conditions around the neutron stars, rahter than being related intrinsically with the radio emission mechanism. Although there are no earlier reports of such a connection, a more detailed study on larger sample of pulsars is needed to address this idea more quantitatively. In this context, future observations below 200 MHz using LOFAR will allow us to investigate turn-over in radio pulsar spectra.

  4. Fine-Tuning the Accretion Disk Clock in Hercules X-1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Still, M.; Boyd, P.

    2004-01-01

    RXTE ASM count rates from the X-ray pulsar Her X-1 began falling consistently during the late months of 2003. The source is undergoing another state transition similar to the anomalous low state of 1999. This new event has triggered observations from both space and ground-based observatories. In order to aid data interpretation and telescope scheduling, and to facilitate the phase-connection of cycles before and after the state transition, we have re-calculated the precession ephemeris using cycles over the last 3.5 years. We report that the source has displayed a different precession period since the last anomalous event. Additional archival data from CGRO suggests that each low state is accompanied by a change in precession period and that the subsequent period is correlated with accretion flux. Consequently our analysis reveals long-term accretion disk behaviour which is predicted by theoretical models of radiation-driven warping.

  5. Discovery and Orbital Determination of the Transient X-Ray Pulsar GRO J1750-27

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scott, D. M.; Finger, M. H.; Wilson, R. B.; Koh, D. T.; Prince, T. A.; Vaughan, B. A.; Chakrabarty, D.

    1997-01-01

    We report on the discovery and hard X-ray (20 - 70 keV) observations of the 4.45 s period transient X-ray pulsar GRO J1750-27 with the BATSE all-sky monitor on board CGRO. A relatively faint out- burst (less than 30 mcrab peak) lasting at least 60 days was observed during which the spin-up rate peaked at 38 pHz/s and was correlated with the pulsed intensity. An orbit with a period of 29.8 days was found. The large spin-up rate, spin period, and orbital period together suggest that accretion is occurring from a disk and that the outburst is a "giant" outburst typical of a Be/X-ray transient system. No optical counterpart has yet been reported.

  6. Discovery and Orbital Determination of the Transient X-Ray Pulsar GRO J1750-27

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scott, D. M.; Finger, M. H.; Wilson, R. B.; Koh, D. T.; Prince, T. A.; Vaughan, B. A.; Chakrabarty, D.

    1997-01-01

    We report on the discovery and hard X-ray (20-70 keV) observations of the 4.45 second period transient X-ray pulsar GRO J1750-27 with the BATSE all-sky monitor on board CCRO. A relatively faint outburst (< 30 mCrab peak) lasting at least 60 days was observed during which the spin-up rate peaked at 38 pHz/sec and was correlated with the pulsed intensity. An orbit with a period of 29.8 days was found. The large spin-up rate, spin period and orbital period together suggest that accretion is occurring from a disk and that the outburst is a 'giant' outburst typical of a Be/X-ray transient system. No optical counterpart has been reported yet.

  7. A new standard pulsar magnetosphere

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Contopoulos, Ioannis; Kalapotharakos, Constantinos; Kazanas, Demosthenes, E-mail: icontop@academyofathens.gr

    2014-01-20

    In view of recent efforts to probe the physical conditions in the pulsar current sheet, we revisit the standard solution that describes the main elements of the ideal force-free pulsar magnetosphere. The simple physical requirement that the electric current contained in the current layer consists of the local electric charge moving outward at close to the speed of light yields a new solution for the pulsar magnetosphere everywhere that is ideal force-free except in the current layer. The main elements of the new solution are as follows: (1) the pulsar spindown rate of the aligned rotator is 23% larger thanmore » that of the orthogonal vacuum rotator; (2) only 60% of the magnetic flux that crosses the light cylinder opens up to infinity; (3) the electric current closes along the other 40%, which gradually converges to the equator; (4) this transfers 40% of the total pulsar spindown energy flux in the equatorial current sheet, which is then dissipated in the acceleration of particles and in high-energy electromagnetic radiation; and (5) there is no separatrix current layer. Our solution is a minimum free-parameter solution in that the equatorial current layer is electrostatically supported against collapse and thus does not require a thermal particle population. In this respect, it is one more step toward the development of a new standard solution. We discuss the implications for intermittent pulsars and long-duration gamma-ray bursts. We conclude that the physical conditions in the equatorial current layer determine the global structure of the pulsar magnetosphere.« less

  8. A New Standard Pulsar Magnetosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Contopoulos, Ioannis; Kalapotharakos, Constantinos; Kazanas, Demosthenes

    2014-01-01

    In view of recent efforts to probe the physical conditions in the pulsar current sheet, we revisit the standard solution that describes the main elements of the ideal force-free pulsar magnetosphere. The simple physical requirement that the electric current contained in the current layer consists of the local electric charge moving outward at close to the speed of light yields a new solution for the pulsar magnetosphere everywhere that is ideal force-free except in the current layer. The main elements of the new solution are as follows: (1) the pulsar spindown rate of the aligned rotator is 23% larger than that of the orthogonal vacuum rotator; (2) only 60% of the magnetic flux that crosses the light cylinder opens up to infinity; (3) the electric current closes along the other 40%, which gradually converges to the equator; (4) this transfers 40% of the total pulsar spindown energy flux in the equatorial current sheet, which is then dissipated in the acceleration of particles and in high-energy electromagnetic radiation; and (5) there is no separatrix current layer. Our solution is a minimum free-parameter solution in that the equatorial current layer is electrostatically supported against collapse and thus does not require a thermal particle population. In this respect, it is one more step toward the development of a new standard solution. We discuss the implications for intermittent pulsars and long-duration gamma-ray bursts. We conclude that the physical conditions in the equatorial current layer determine the global structure of the pulsar magnetosphere.

  9. Pulsars as Calibration Tools and X-Ray Observations of Spider Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gentile, Peter Anthony

    We present the polarization pulse profiles for 29 pulsars observed with the Arecibo Observatory by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) timing project at 2.1 GHz, 1.4 GHz, and 430 MHz. These profiles represent the most sensitive polarimetric millisecond pulsar profiles to date, revealing the existence of microcomponents (that is, pulse components with peak intensities much lower than the total pulse peak intensity). Although microcomponents have been detected in some pulsars previously, we are able to detect new microcomponents for PSRs B1937+21, J1713+0747, and J2234+0944. We also present rotation measures for 28 of these pulsars, determined independently at different observation frequencies and epochs, and find the Galactic magnetic fields derived from these rotation measures to be consistent with current models. These polarization profiles were made using measurement equation template matching, which allows us to generate the polarimetric response of the Arecibo Observatory on an epoch-by-epoch basis. We use this method to describe its time variability, and find that the polarimetric responses of the Arecibo Observatory's 1.4 and 2.1 GHz receivers varies significantly with time. We then describe the first X-ray observations of five short orbital period (PB < 1 day), gamma-ray emitting, binary millisecond pulsars. Four of these--PSRs J0023+0923, J1124-3653, J1810+1744, and J2256-1024--are "black-widow" pulsars, with degenerate companions of mass 0.1 solar mass, three of which exhibit radio eclipses. The fifth source, PSR J2215+5135, is an eclipsing "redback" with a near Roche-lobe filling 0.2 solar mass non-degenerate companion. Data were taken using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and covered a full binary orbit for each pulsar. Two pulsars, PSRs J2215+5135 and J2256-1024, show significant orbital variability while PSR J1124-3653 shows marginal orbital variability. The lightcurves for these three pulsars have X-ray flux

  10. Binary and Millisecond Pulsars.

    PubMed

    Lorimer, Duncan R

    2008-01-01

    We review the main properties, demographics and applications of binary and millisecond radio pulsars. Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly increased in recent years, mainly due to successful surveys which have brought the known pulsar population to over 1800. There are now 83 binary and millisecond pulsars associated with the disk of our Galaxy, and a further 140 pulsars in 26 of the Galactic globular clusters. Recent highlights include the discovery of the young relativistic binary system PSR J1906+0746, a rejuvination in globular cluster pulsar research including growing numbers of pulsars with masses in excess of 1.5 M ⊙ , a precise measurement of relativistic spin precession in the double pulsar system and a Galactic millisecond pulsar in an eccentric ( e = 0.44) orbit around an unevolved companion. Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.12942/lrr-2008-8.

  11. Evolution of Spin and Superorbital Modulation in 4U 0114+650

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Chin-Ping; Ng, Chi-Yung; Chou, Yi

    2016-09-01

    We report on a systematic analysis of the spin and superorbital modulations of the high-mass X-ray binary 4U 0114+650, which consists of the slowest spinning neutron star known. Utilizing dynamic power spectra, we found that the spin period varied dramatically during the RXTE ASM and Swift BAT observations. This variation consists of a long-term spin-up trend, and two ~1,000 day and one ~600 day random walk epochs previously, MJD 51,000, ~MJD 51,400-52,000, and ~MJD 55,100-56,100. We further found that the events appear together with depressions of superorbital modulation amplitude. This provides evidence of the existence of an accretion disk, although the physical mechanism of superorbital modulation remains unclear. Furthermore, the decrease of the superorbital modulation amplitude may be associated with the decrease of mass accretion rate from the disk, and may distribute the accretion torque of the neutron star randomly in time.

  12. Probing disk wind and other properties of 4U 1630-47

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharyya, Sudip

    2015-09-01

    The accreting Galactic black hole transient 4U 1630-47, which is currently in outburst, is an ideal source to probe two types of accreted matter ejection: (1) via disk wind and (2) via jet, both using the observed narrow spectral lines (Diaz Trigo et al., 2013, Nature, 504, 206; Neilsen et al. 2014; Diaz Trigo et al. 2014). Chandra gratings are ideal to study such lines. The source also showed indications of high-frequency (HF) quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in a rather high (150-450 Hz) frequency range, which can be extremely useful to probe the strong gravity regime. The AstroSat satellite, because of its large area and high timing resolution in a broad energy band, can potentially detect and measure HF QPOs and probe the source broadband spectrum and state. Hence, our proposed 30 ks Chandra exposure, nearly contemporaneous with complementary AstroSat observations, will provide an excellent way to probe the accretion and ejection mechanism in the strong gravity regime.

  13. On the evolution of high-B radio pulsars with measured braking indices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benli, O.; Ertan, Ü.

    2017-11-01

    We have investigated the long-term evolutions of the high-magnetic field radio pulsars (HBRPs) with measured braking indices in the same model that was applied earlier to individual anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs), soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) and dim isolated neutron stars (XDINs). We have shown that the rotational properties (period, period derivative and braking index) and the X-ray luminosity of individual HBRPs can be acquired simultaneously by the neutron stars evolving with fallback discs. The model sources reach the observed properties of HBRPs in the propeller phases, when pulsed radio emission is allowed, at ages consistent with the estimated ages of the supernova remnants of the sources. Our results indicate that the strength of magnetic dipole fields of HBRPs are comparable to and even greater than those of AXP/SGRs and XDINs, but still one or two orders of magnitude smaller than the values inferred from the magnetic dipole torque formula. The possible evolutionary paths of the sources imply that they will lose their seemingly HBRP property after about a few 104 yr, because either their rapidly decreasing period derivatives will lead them into the normal radio pulsar population or they will evolve into the accretion phase switching off the radio pulses.

  14. On the radiation beaming of bright X-ray pulsars and constraints on neutron star mass-radius relation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mushtukov, Alexander A.; Verhagen, Patrick A.; Tsygankov, Sergey S.; van der Klis, Michiel; Lutovinov, Alexander A.; Larchenkova, Tatiana I.

    2018-03-01

    The luminosity of accreting magnetized neutron stars can largely exceed the Eddington value due to appearance of accretion columns. The height of the columns can be comparable to the neutron star radius. The columns produce the X-rays detected by the observer directly and illuminate the stellar surface, which reprocesses the X-rays and causes additional component of the observed flux. The geometry of the column and the illuminated part of the surface determine the radiation beaming. Curved space-time affects the angular flux distribution. We construct a simple model of the beam patterns formed by direct and reflected flux from the column. We take into account the possibility of appearance of accretion columns, whose height is comparable to the neutron star radius. We argue that depending on the compactness of the star, the flux from the column can be either strongly amplified due to gravitational lensing, or significantly reduced due to column eclipse by the star. The eclipses of high accretion columns result in specific features in pulse profiles. Their detection can put constraints on the neutron star radius. We speculate that column eclipses are observed in X-ray pulsar V 0332+53, leading us to the conclusion of large neutron star radius in this system (˜15 km if M ˜ 1.4 M⊙). We point out that the beam pattern can be strongly affected by scattering in the accretion channel at high luminosity, which has to be taken into account in the models reproducing the pulse profiles.

  15. The effect of accretion environment at large radius on hot accretion flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Xiao-Hong; Bu, De-Fu

    2018-05-01

    We study the effects of accretion environment (gas density, temperature, and angular momentum) at large radii (˜10 pc) on luminosity of hot accretion flows. The radiative feedback effects from the accretion flow on the accretion environment are also self-consistently taken into account. We find that the slowly rotating flows at large radii can significantly deviate from Bondi accretion when radiation heating and cooling are considered. We further find that when the temperature of environment gas is low (e.g. T = 2 × 107 K), the luminosity of hot accretion flows is high. When the temperature of gas is high (e.g. T ≥ 4 × 107 K), the luminosity of hot accretion flow significantly deceases. The environment gas density can also significantly influence the luminosity of accretion flows. When density is higher than ˜4 × 10-22 g cm-3 and temperature is lower than 2 × 107 K, hot accretion flow with luminosity lower than 2 per cent LEdd is not present. Therefore, the parsec-scale environment density and temperature are two important parameters to determine the luminosity. The results are also useful for the subgrid models adopted by the cosmological simulations.

  16. An accreting pulsar with extreme properties drives an ultraluminous x-ray source in NGC 5907.

    PubMed

    Israel, Gian Luca; Belfiore, Andrea; Stella, Luigi; Esposito, Paolo; Casella, Piergiorgio; De Luca, Andrea; Marelli, Martino; Papitto, Alessandro; Perri, Matteo; Puccetti, Simonetta; Castillo, Guillermo A Rodríguez; Salvetti, David; Tiengo, Andrea; Zampieri, Luca; D'Agostino, Daniele; Greiner, Jochen; Haberl, Frank; Novara, Giovanni; Salvaterra, Ruben; Turolla, Roberto; Watson, Mike; Wilms, Joern; Wolter, Anna

    2017-02-24

    Ultraluminous x-ray sources (ULXs) in nearby galaxies shine brighter than any x-ray source in our Galaxy. ULXs are usually modeled as stellar-mass black holes (BHs) accreting at very high rates or intermediate-mass BHs. We present observations showing that NGC 5907 ULX is instead an x-ray accreting neutron star (NS) with a spin period evolving from 1.43 seconds in 2003 to 1.13 seconds in 2014. It has an isotropic peak luminosity of [Formula: see text]1000 times the Eddington limit for a NS at 17.1 megaparsec. Standard accretion models fail to explain its luminosity, even assuming beamed emission, but a strong multipolar magnetic field can describe its properties. These findings suggest that other extreme ULXs (x-ray luminosity [Formula: see text] 10 41 erg second[Formula: see text]) might harbor NSs. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  17. The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. III. 45 New Pulsar Timing Solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lynch, Ryan S.; Swiggum, Joseph K.; Kondratiev, Vlad I.; Kaplan, David L.; Stovall, Kevin; Fonseca, Emmanuel; Roberts, Mallory S. E.; Levin, Lina; DeCesar, Megan E.; Cui, Bingyi; Cenko, S. Bradley; Gatkine, Pradip; Archibald, Anne M.; Banaszak, Shawn; Biwer, Christopher M.; Boyles, Jason; Chawla, Pragya; Dartez, Louis P.; Day, David; Ford, Anthony J.; Flanigan, Joseph; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Hinojosa, Jesus; Jenet, Fredrick A.; Karako-Argaman, Chen; Kaspi, Victoria M.; Leake, Sean; Lunsford, Grady; Martinez, José G.; Mata, Alberto; McLaughlin, Maura A.; Noori, Hind Al; Ransom, Scott M.; Rohr, Matthew D.; Siemens, Xavier; Spiewak, Renée; Stairs, Ingrid H.; van Leeuwen, Joeri; Walker, Arielle N.; Wells, Bradley L.

    2018-06-01

    We provide timing solutions for 45 radio pulsars discovered by the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. These pulsars were found in the Green Bank North Celestial Cap pulsar survey, an all-GBT-sky survey being carried out at a frequency of 350 {MHz}. We include pulsar timing data from the Green Bank Telescope and Low Frequency Array. Our sample includes five fully recycled millisecond pulsars (MSPs, three of which are in a binary system), a new relativistic double neutron star system, an intermediate-mass binary pulsar, a mode-changing pulsar, a 138 ms pulsar with a very low magnetic field, and several nulling pulsars. We have measured two post-Keplerian parameters and thus the masses of both objects in the double neutron star system. We also report a tentative companion mass measurement via Shapiro delay in a binary MSP. Two of the MSPs can be timed with high precision and have been included in pulsar timing arrays being used to search for low-frequency gravitational waves, while a third MSP is a member of the black widow class of binaries. Proper motion is measurable in five pulsars, and we provide an estimate of their space velocity. We report on an optical counterpart to a new black widow system and provide constraints on the optical counterparts to other binary MSPs. We also present a preliminary analysis of nulling pulsars in our sample. These results demonstrate the scientific return of long timing campaigns on pulsars of all types.

  18. Pulsar population synthesis using palfa detections and pulsar search collaboratory discoveries including a wide DNS system and a nearby MSP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swiggum, Joseph Karl

    students in the pulsar discovery process -- hands-on, cutting-edge research -- to foster their interest in pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related career paths. The PSC began in 2008; since then, over 100 teachers and 2,500 students from 18 states have participated and discovered seven pulsars. Of these seven, J1400--1431, a bright, nearby MSP shows promising characteristics for inclusion in pulsar timing arrays, which aim to detect gravitational waves by precisely timing an array of MSPs. Two others -- J1821+0155, a disrupted recycled pulsar and J1930--1852 show interesting properties due to interactions with binary companions. PSR J1930--1852 is a partially-recycled, first-to-evolve pulsar in a double neutron star (DNS) system with a high-eccentricity 45 day orbit. Its spin period and orbital period are factors of 2 and 3 higher, respectively, than any previously-known, primary DNS pulsars. We measure the relativistic advance of periastron o=0.00078(4), implying a total system mass of Mtot =2.59(4), which is consistent with other DNS systems. PSR J1930--1852's spin and orbital parameters, however, challenge current DNS evolution models, making it an important system for further investigation.

  19. Population Synthesis of Radio and Y-ray Millisecond Pulsars Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonthier, Peter L.; Billman, C.; Harding, A. K.

    2013-04-01

    We present preliminary results of a new population synthesis of millisecond pulsars (MSP) from the Galactic disk using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques to better understand the model parameter space. We include empirical radio and γ-ray luminosity models that are dependent on the pulsar period and period derivative with freely varying exponents. The magnitudes of the model luminosities are adjusted to reproduce the number of MSPs detected by a group of ten radio surveys and by Fermi, predicting the MSP birth rate in the Galaxy. We follow a similar set of assumptions that we have used in previous, more constrained Monte Carlo simulations. The parameters associated with the birth distributions such as those for the accretion rate, magnetic field and period distributions are also free to vary. With the large set of free parameters, we employ Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations to explore the large and small worlds of the parameter space. We present preliminary comparisons of the simulated and detected distributions of radio and γ-ray pulsar characteristics. We express our gratitude for the generous support of the National Science Foundation (REU and RUI), Fermi Guest Investigator Program and the NASA Astrophysics Theory and Fundamental Program.

  20. Pulsars Probe the Low-Frequency Gravitational Sky: Pulsar Timing Arrays Basics and Recent Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tiburzi, Caterina

    2018-03-01

    Pulsar Timing Array experiments exploit the clock-like behaviour of an array of millisecond pulsars, with the goal of detecting low-frequency gravitational waves. Pulsar Timing Array experiments have been in operation over the last decade, led by groups in Europe, Australia, and North America. These experiments use the most sensitive radio telescopes in the world, extremely precise pulsar timing models and sophisticated detection algorithms to increase the sensitivity of Pulsar Timing Arrays. No detection of gravitational waves has been made to date with this technique, but Pulsar Timing Array upper limits already contributed to rule out some models of galaxy formation. Moreover, a new generation of radio telescopes, such as the Five hundred metre Aperture Spherical Telescope and, in particular, the Square Kilometre Array, will offer a significant improvement to the Pulsar Timing Array sensitivity. In this article, we review the basic concepts of Pulsar Timing Array experiments, and discuss the latest results from the established Pulsar Timing Array collaborations.

  1. Pulsar Wind Nebulae, Space Velocities and Supernova Remnant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    The original proposal for this LTSA grant was for X-ray studies of pulsars, and especially pulsar wind nebulae and what they could tell us about pulsar properties, especially their space velocities. By any metric, this program has been very successful. No fewer than 14 papers on directly related topics (and several dozen more on related topics) have been published in refereed journals with the PI as lead or co-author, all observational results that have had significant impact on the field. These include the first X-ray detection of the "Duck" pulsar, a clear demonstration that estimated pulsar ages can be off by over an order of magnitude (via observations of the young supernova remnant G11.2-0.3) and the detection of the first pulsar wind nebula around a millisecond pulsar. These publications have also resulted in 4 press releases. Moreover, they also represent the thesis work of two PhD students at MIT (Froney Crawford and Mike Pivovaroff) and one postdoctoral fellow, Bryan Gaensler, now Assistant Professor at Harvard.

  2. Einstein@Home Discovery of 24 Pulsars in the Parkes Multi-beam Pulsar Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knispel, B.; Eatough, R. P.; Kim, H.; Keane, E. F.; Allen, B.; Anderson, D.; Aulbert, C.; Bock, O.; Crawford, F.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Fehrmann, H.; Hammer, D.; Kramer, M.; Lyne, A. G.; Machenschalk, B.; Miller, R. B.; Papa, M. A.; Rastawicki, D.; Sarkissian, J.; Siemens, X.; Stappers, B. W.

    2013-09-01

    We have conducted a new search for radio pulsars in compact binary systems in the Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey (PMPS) data, employing novel methods to remove the Doppler modulation from binary motion. This has yielded unparalleled sensitivity to pulsars in compact binaries. The required computation time of ≈17, 000 CPU core years was provided by the distributed volunteer computing project Einstein@Home, which has a sustained computing power of about 1 PFlop s-1. We discovered 24 new pulsars in our search, 18 of which were isolated pulsars, and 6 were members of binary systems. Despite the wide filterbank channels and relatively slow sampling time of the PMPS data, we found pulsars with very large ratios of dispersion measure (DM) to spin period. Among those is PSR J1748-3009, the millisecond pulsar with the highest known DM (≈420 pc cm-3). We also discovered PSR J1840-0643, which is in a binary system with an orbital period of 937 days, the fourth largest known. The new pulsar J1750-2536 likely belongs to the rare class of intermediate-mass binary pulsars. Three of the isolated pulsars show long-term nulling or intermittency in their emission, further increasing this growing family. Our discoveries demonstrate the value of distributed volunteer computing for data-driven astronomy and the importance of applying new analysis methods to extensively searched data.

  3. Accretion Flows in Magnetic White Dwarf Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Imamura, James N.

    2005-01-01

    We received Type A and B funding under the NASA Astrophysics Data Program for the analysis and interpretation of hard x-ray data obtained by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and other NASA sponsored missions for Intermediate Polars (IPS) and Polars. For some targets, optical data was available. We reduced and analyzed the X-ray spectra and the X-ray and optical (obtained at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory) timing data using detailed shock models (which we constructed) to place constraints on the properties of the accreting white dwarfs, the high energy emission mechanisms of white dwarfs, and the large-scale accretion flows of Polars and IPS. IPS and Polars are white dwarf mass-transfer binaries, members of the larger class of cata,clysmic variables. They differ from the bulk of the cataclysmic variables in that they contain strongly magnetic white dwarfs; the white dwarfs in Polars have B, = 7 to 230 MG and those in IPS have B, less than 10 MG. The IPS and Polars are both examples of funneled accretion flows in strong magnetic field systems. The IPS are similar to x-ray pulsars in that accretion disks form in the systems which are disrupted by the strong stellar magnetic fields of the white dwarfs near the stellar surface from where the plasma is funneled to the surface of the white dwarf. The localized hot spots formed at the footpoints of the funnels coupled with the rotation of the white dwarf leads to coherent pulsed x-ray emission. The Polars offer an example of a different accretion topology; the magnetic field of the white dwarf controls the accretion flow from near the inner Lagrangian point of the system directly to the stellar surface. Accretion disks do not form. The strong magnetic coupling generally leads to synchronous orbital/rotational motion in the Polars. The physical system in this sense resembles the Io/Jupiter system. In both IPS and Polars, pulsed emission from the infrared to x-rays is produced as the funneled flows merge onto the

  4. Orbital Parameters and Spectroscopy of the Transient X-Ray Pulsar 4U 0115+63

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mueller, Sebastian; Obst,Maria; Kreykenbohm, Ingo; Fuerst, Felix; Kuehnel, Matthias; Wilms, Joern; Klochkov, Dmitry; Staubert, Ruediger; Santangelo, Andrea; Pottschmidt, Katja; hide

    2011-01-01

    We report on an outburst of the high mass X-ray binary 4U 0115+63 with a pulse period of 3.6s in spring 2008 as observed with INTEGRAL and RXTE. By analyzing the lightcurves we derive an updated orbital- and pulse period ephemeris of the neutron star. We also study the pulse profile variations as a function of time and energy as well as the variability of the spectral parameters. We find clear evidence for at least three cyclotron line features. In agreement with previous observations of 4U 0115+63, we detect an anti-correlation between the luminosity and the fundamental cyclotron line energy.

  5. The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey: New Pulsars and Future Prospects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lynch, Ryan S.; Swiggum, Joe; Stovall, Kevin; Chawla, Pragya; DeCesar, Megan E.; Fonseca, Emmanuel; Levin, Lina; Cui, Bingyi; Kondratiev, Vlad; Archibald, Anne; Boyles, Jason; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Jenet, Fredrick; Kaplan, David; Karako-Argaman, Chen; Kaspi, Victoria; Martinez, Jose; McLaughlin, Maura; Ransom, Scott M.; Roberts, Mallory; Siemens, Xavier; Spiewak, Renee; Stairs, Ingrid; van Leeuwn, Joeri; Green Bank North Celestial Cap Survey Collaboration

    2018-01-01

    The Green Bank North Celestial Cap pulsar survey is the most successful low frequency pulsar survey ever. GBNCC uses the Green Bank telescope to cover the full visible sky at 350 MHz. With the survey over 70% complete, we have discovered over 150 pulsars, including 20 MSPs and 11 RRATs. I will report on the current status of the survey and plans for its completion in the coming years. I will also report on several discoveries including: timing solutions for dozens of new pulsars; new high precision MSPs and their suitability for inclusion in pulsar timing arrays; a new relativistic double neutron star system; new pulsar mass measurements; proper motion measurements for several MSPs; a new mode changing pulsar; interesting new MSP binaries; nulling fraction analyses; and possible implications of the lack of any fast radio bursts in the survey so far.

  6. Timing Young Pulsars: Challenges to Standard Pulsar Spin-Down Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Livingstone, Margaret Anne

    Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars which are often noted for their very regular rotation rates. Young pulsars, however, frequently exhibit two types of deviations from steady spin down, "glitches" - sudden jumps in spin frequency, which provide insight into pulsar interiors, and "timing noise," a smooth stochastic wander of the pulse phase over long time periods. The youngest pulsars also offer a window into the physics that govern pulsar spin down via the measurement of the "braking index" - a parameter that relates the observable spin frequency of the pulsar with the slowing down torque acting on the neutron star. This thesis discusses long-term timing observations of two young pulsars. First, we present observations of PSR J0205+6449, acquired with the Green Bank Telescope, the Jodrell Bank Observatory and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer . We present phase-coherent timing analyses showing timing noise and two spin-up glitches. We also present an X-ray pulse profile analysis showing that the pulsar is detected up to ∼40 keV and does not vary appreciably over four years. We report the phase offset between the radio and X-ray pulse, showing that the radio pulse leads by φ = 0.10 ± 0.01 in phase. We compile measurements of phase offsets for this and other X-ray and γ-ray pulsars and show that there is no relationship between pulse period and phase offset. Next, we present 10 years of monitoring of PSR J1846-0258 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer . We report the first measurement of the braking index for this pulsar, n = 2.65 ± 0.01, only the sixth such measurement ever made, and show that the pulsar experienced a small glitch in 2001. In May 2006, PSR J1846-0258 was briefly transformed: it exhibited a series of X-ray bursts, a dramatic increase in the source flux, and significant softening of its X-ray spectrum - behaviours best explained in the context of the magnetar model. PSR J1846-0258 was thus identified as the first rotation-powered pulsar

  7. Theory of High-Energy Emission from the Pulsar/Be Star System PSR 1259-63. I. Radiation Mechanisms and Interaction Geometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tavani, Marco; Arons, Jonathan

    1997-03-01

    We study the physical processes in the system containing the 47 ms radio pulsar PSR B1259-63 orbiting around a Be star in a highly eccentric orbit. This system is the only known binary where a radio pulsar is observed to interact with gaseous material from a Be star. A rapidly rotating radio pulsar such as PSR B1259-63 is expected to produce a wind of electromagnetic emission and relativistic particles, and this binary is an ideal astrophysical laboratory to study the mass outflow/pulsar interaction in a highly time-variable environment. Motivated by the results of a recent multiwavelength campaign during the 1994 January periastron passage of PSR B1259-63, we discuss several issues regarding the mechanism of high-energy emission. Unpulsed power-law emission from the PSR B1259-63 system was detected near periastron in the energy range 1-200 keV. The observed X-ray/soft γ-ray emission is characterized by moderate luminosity, small and constant column density, lack of detectable pulsations, and peculiar spectral and intensity variability. In principle, high-energy (X-ray and gamma-ray) emission from the system can be produced by different mechanisms including (1) mass accretion onto the surface of the neutron star, (2) ``propeller''-like magnetospheric interaction at a small pulsar distance, and (3) shock-powered emission in a pulsar wind termination shock at a large distance from the pulsar. We carry out a series of calculations aimed at modeling the high-energy data of the PSR B1259-63 system throughout its orbit and especially near periastron. We find that the observed high-energy emission from the PSR B1259-63 system is not compatible with accretion or propeller-powered emission. This conclusion is supported by a model based on standard properties of Be stars and for plausible assumptions about the pulsar/outflow interaction geometry. We find that shock-powered high-energy emission produced by the pulsar/outflow interaction is consistent with all the

  8. Spectral formation in a radiative shock: application to anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma-ray repeaters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kylafis, N. D.; Trümper, J. E.; Ertan, Ü.

    2014-02-01

    Context. In the fallback disk model for the persistent emission of anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs), the hard X-ray emission arises from bulk- and thermal Comptonization of bremsstrahlung photons, which are generated in the accretion column. The relatively low X-ray luminosity of these sources implies a moderate transverse optical depth to electron scattering, with photons executing a small number of shock crossings before escaping sideways. Aims: We explore the range of spectral shapes that can be obtained with this model and characterize the most important parameter dependencies. Methods: We use a Monte Carlo code to study the crisscrossing of photons in a radiative shock in an accretion column and compute the resulting spectrum. Results: As expected, high-energy power-law X-ray spectra are produced in radiative shocks with photon-number spectral index Γ ≳ 0.5. We find that the required transverse optical depth is 1 ≲ τ⊥ ≲ 7. Such spectra are observed in low-luminosity X-ray pulsars. Conclusions: We demonstrate here with a simple model that Compton upscattering in the radiative shock in the accretion column can produce hard X-ray spectra similar to those seen in the persistent and transient emission of AXPs and SGRs. In particular, one can obtain a high-energy power-law spectrum, with photon-number spectral-index Γ ~ 1 and a cutoff at 100 - 200 keV, with a transverse Thomson optical depth of ~5, which is shown to be typical in AXPs/SGRs.

  9. Einstein@Home DISCOVERY OF A PALFA MILLISECOND PULSAR IN AN ECCENTRIC BINARY ORBIT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Knispel, B.; Allen, B.; Lyne, A. G.

    2015-06-10

    We report the discovery of the millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J1950+2414 (P = 4.3 ms) in a binary system with an eccentric (e = 0.08) 22 day orbit in Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array survey observations with the Arecibo telescope. Its companion star has a median mass of 0.3 M{sub ⊙} and is most likely a white dwarf (WD). Fully recycled MSPs like this one are thought to be old neutron stars spun-up by mass transfer from a companion star. This process should circularize the orbit, as is observed for the vast majority of binary MSPs, which predominantly have orbitalmore » eccentricities e < 0.001. However, four recently discovered binary MSPs have orbits with 0. 027 < e < 0.44; PSR J1950+2414 is the fifth such system to be discovered. The upper limits for its intrinsic spin period derivative and inferred surface magnetic field strength are comparable to those of the general MSP population. The large eccentricities are incompatible with the predictions of the standard recycling scenario: something unusual happened during their evolution. Proposed scenarios are (a) initial evolution of the pulsar in a triple system which became dynamically unstable, (b) origin in an exchange encounter in an environment with high stellar density, (c) rotationally delayed accretion-induced collapse of a super-Chandrasekhar WD, and (d) dynamical interaction of the binary with a circumbinary disk. We compare the properties of all five known eccentric MSPs with the predictions of these formation channels. Future measurements of the masses and proper motion might allow us to firmly exclude some of the proposed formation scenarios.« less

  10. Einstein@Home Discovery of a PALFA Millisecond Pulsar in an Eccentric Binary Orbit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knispel, B.; Lyne, A. G.; Stappers, B. W.; Freire, P. C. C.; Lazarus, P.; Allen, B.; Aulbert, C.; Bock, O.; Bogdanov, S.; Brazier, A.; Camilo, F.; Cardoso, F.; Chatterjee, S.; Cordes, J. M.; Crawford, F.; Deneva, J. S.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Fehrmann, H.; Ferdman, R.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Jenet, F. A.; Karako-Argaman, C.; Kaspi, V. M.; van Leeuwen, J.; Lorimer, D. R.; Lynch, R.; Machenschalk, B.; Madsen, E.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Patel, C.; Ransom, S. M.; Scholz, P.; Siemens, X.; Spitler, L. G.; Stairs, I. H.; Stovall, K.; Swiggum, J. K.; Venkataraman, A.; Wharton, R. S.; Zhu, W. W.

    2015-06-01

    We report the discovery of the millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J1950+2414 (P = 4.3 ms) in a binary system with an eccentric (e = 0.08) 22 day orbit in Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array survey observations with the Arecibo telescope. Its companion star has a median mass of 0.3 M⊙ and is most likely a white dwarf (WD). Fully recycled MSPs like this one are thought to be old neutron stars spun-up by mass transfer from a companion star. This process should circularize the orbit, as is observed for the vast majority of binary MSPs, which predominantly have orbital eccentricities e < 0.001. However, four recently discovered binary MSPs have orbits with 0. 027 < e < 0.44; PSR J1950+2414 is the fifth such system to be discovered. The upper limits for its intrinsic spin period derivative and inferred surface magnetic field strength are comparable to those of the general MSP population. The large eccentricities are incompatible with the predictions of the standard recycling scenario: something unusual happened during their evolution. Proposed scenarios are (a) initial evolution of the pulsar in a triple system which became dynamically unstable, (b) origin in an exchange encounter in an environment with high stellar density, (c) rotationally delayed accretion-induced collapse of a super-Chandrasekhar WD, and (d) dynamical interaction of the binary with a circumbinary disk. We compare the properties of all five known eccentric MSPs with the predictions of these formation channels. Future measurements of the masses and proper motion might allow us to firmly exclude some of the proposed formation scenarios.

  11. EINSTEIN-HOME DISCOVERY OF 24 PULSARS IN THE PARKES MULTI-BEAM PULSAR SURVEY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Knispel, B.; Kim, H.; Allen, B.

    2013-09-10

    We have conducted a new search for radio pulsars in compact binary systems in the Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey (PMPS) data, employing novel methods to remove the Doppler modulation from binary motion. This has yielded unparalleled sensitivity to pulsars in compact binaries. The required computation time of Almost-Equal-To 17, 000 CPU core years was provided by the distributed volunteer computing project Einstein-Home, which has a sustained computing power of about 1 PFlop s{sup -1}. We discovered 24 new pulsars in our search, 18 of which were isolated pulsars, and 6 were members of binary systems. Despite the wide filterbank channelsmore » and relatively slow sampling time of the PMPS data, we found pulsars with very large ratios of dispersion measure (DM) to spin period. Among those is PSR J1748-3009, the millisecond pulsar with the highest known DM ( Almost-Equal-To 420 pc cm{sup -3}). We also discovered PSR J1840-0643, which is in a binary system with an orbital period of 937 days, the fourth largest known. The new pulsar J1750-2536 likely belongs to the rare class of intermediate-mass binary pulsars. Three of the isolated pulsars show long-term nulling or intermittency in their emission, further increasing this growing family. Our discoveries demonstrate the value of distributed volunteer computing for data-driven astronomy and the importance of applying new analysis methods to extensively searched data.« less

  12. The Discovery of an Eccentric Millisecond Pulsar in the Galactic Plane

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Champion, David J.; Ransom, Scott M.; Lazarus, Patrick; Camilo, Fernando; Kaspi, Victoria M.; Nice, David J.; Freire, Paulo C. C.; Cordes, James M.; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Bassa, Cees; Lorimer, Duncan R.; Stairs, Ingrid H.; van Leeuwen, Joeri; Arzoumnian, Zaven; Backer, Don C.; Bhat, N. D. Ramesh; Chatterjee, Shami; Crawford, Fronefield; Deneva, Julia S.; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Gaensler, B. M.; Han, Jinlin; Jenet, Fredrick A.; Kasian, Laura; Kondratiev, Vlad I.; Kramer, Michael; Lazio, Joseph; McLaughlin, Maura A.; Stappers, Ben W.; Venkataraman, Arun; Vlemmings, Wouter

    2008-02-01

    The evolution of binary systems is governed by their orbital properties and the stellar density of the local environment. Studies of neutron stars in binary star systems offer unique insights into both these issues. In an Arecibo survey of the Galactic disk, we have found PSR J1903+0327, a radio emitting neutron star (a ``pulsar'') with a 2.15 ms rotation period, in a 95-day orbit around a massive companion. Observations in the infra-red suggests that the companion may be a main-sequence star. Theories requiring an origin in the Galactic disk cannot account for the extraordinarily high orbital eccentricity observed (0.44) or a main-sequence companion of a pulsar that has spin properties suggesting a prolonged accretion history. The most likely formation mechanism is an exchange interaction in a globular star cluster. This requires that the binary was either ejected from its parent globular cluster as a result of a three-body interaction, or that that cluster was disrupted by repeated passages through the disk of the Milky Way.

  13. Accreting X-ray pulsar atmospheres heated by Coulomb deceleration of protons

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meszaros, P.; Harding, A. K.; Kirk, J. G.; Galloway, D. J.

    1983-01-01

    Results are presented from detailed self-consistent models of accreting magnetized neutron star atmospheres, heated by the gradual deceleration of infalling protons via Coulomb encounters. The temperature and density gradients are calculated assuming momentum and energy balance, coupled with the radiative transfer for two polarizations. The cyclotron resonance effects were treated approximately. These models are characterized by power-law energy spectra, with single pulses at higher frequencies and multiple pulses at lower ones for some aspect angles, as well as a phase-dependent spectral index.

  14. Vertical accretion and shallow subsidence in a mangrove forest of southwestern Florida, U.S.A

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cahoon, D.R.; Lynch, J.C.

    1997-01-01

    Simultaneous measurements of vertical accretion from artificial soil marker horizons and soil elevation change from sedimentation-erosion table (SET) plots were used to evaluate the processes related to soil building in range, basin, and overwash mangrove forests located in a low-energy lagoon which recieves minor inputs of terregenous sediments. Vertical accretion measures reflect the contribution of surficial sedimentation (sediment deposition and surface root growth). Measures of elevation change reflect not only the contributions of vertical accretion but also those of subsurface processes such as compaction, decomposition and shrink-swell. The two measures were used to calculate amounts of shallow subsidence (accretion minus elevation change) in each mangrove forest. The three forest types represent different accretionary envrionments. The basin forest was located behind a natural berm. Hydroperiod here was controlled primarily by rainfall rather than tidal exchange, although the basin flooded during extreme tidal events. Soil accretion here occurred primarily by autochthonous organic matter inputs, and elevation was controlled by accretion and shrink-swell of the substrate apparently related to cycles of flooding-drying and/or root growth-decomposition. This hydrologically-restricted forest did not experience an accretion or elevation deficit relative to sea-level rise. The tidally dominated fringe and overwash island forests accreted through mineral sediment inputs bound in place by plant roots. Filamentous turf algae played an important role in stabilizing loose muds in the fringe forest where erosion was prevalent. Elevation in these high-energy environments was controlled not only by accretion but also by erosion and/or shallow subsidence. The rate of shallow subsidence was consistently 3-4 mm y-1 in the fringe and overwash island forests but was negligible in the basin forest. Hence, the vertical development of mangrove soils was influenced by both

  15. EGRET upper limits to the high-energy gamma-ray emission from the millisecond pulsars in nearby globular clusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Michelson, P. F.; Bertsch, D. L.; Brazier, K.; Chiang, J.; Dingus, B. L.; Fichtel, C. E.; Fierro, J.; Hartman, R. C.; Hunter, S. D.; Kanbach, G.

    1994-01-01

    We report upper limits to the high-energy gamma-ray emission from the millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in a number of globular clusters. The observations were done as part of an all-sky survey by the energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) during Phase I of the CGRO mission (1991 June to 1992 November). Several theoretical models suggest that MSPs may be sources of high-energy gamma radiation emitted either as primary radiation from the pulsar magnetosphere or as secondary radiation generated by conversion into photons of a substantial part of the relativistic e(+/-) pair wind expected to flow from the pulsar. To date, no high-energy emission has been detected from an individual MSP. However, a large number of MSPs are expected in globular cluster cores where the formation rate of accreting binary systems is high. Model predictions of the total number of pulsars range in the hundreds for some clusters. These expectations have been reinforced by recent discoveries of a substantial number of radio MSPs in several clusters; for example, 11 have been found in 47 Tucanae (Manchester et al.). The EGRET observations have been used to obtain upper limits for the efficiency eta of conversion of MSP spin-down power into hard gamma rays. The upper limits are also compared with the gamma-ray fluxes predicted from theoretical models of pulsar wind emission (Tavani). The EGRET limits put significant constraints on either the emission models or the number of pulsars in the globular clusters.

  16. THE EINSTEIN@HOME GAMMA-RAY PULSAR SURVEY. I. SEARCH METHODS, SENSITIVITY, AND DISCOVERY OF NEW YOUNG GAMMA-RAY PULSARS

    DOE PAGES

    Clark, C. J.; Wu, J.; Pletsch, H. J.; ...

    2017-01-05

    Here, we report on the results of a recent blind search survey for gamma-ray pulsars in Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data being carried out on the distributed volunteer computing system, Einstein@Home. The survey has searched for pulsations in 118 unidentified pulsar-like sources, requiring about 10,000 years of CPU core time. In total, this survey has resulted in the discovery of 17 new gamma-ray pulsars, of which 13 are newly reported in this work, and an accompanying paper. These pulsars are all young, isolated pulsars with characteristic ages between 12 kyr and 2 Myr, and spin-down powers between 10 34 and 4 × 10 36 erg s -1. Two of these are the slowest spinning gamma-ray pulsars yet known. One pulsar experienced a very large glitchmore » $${\\rm{\\Delta }}f/f\\approx 3.5\\times {10}^{-6}$$ during the Fermi mission. In this, the first of two associated papers, we describe the search scheme used in this survey, and estimate the sensitivity of our search to pulsations in unidentified Fermi-LAT sources. One such estimate results in an upper limit of 57% for the fraction of pulsed emission from the gamma-ray source associated with the Cas A supernova remnant, constraining the pulsed gamma-ray photon flux that can be produced by the neutron star at its center. Lastly, we also present the results of precise timing analyses for each of the newly detected pulsars.« less

  17. THE EINSTEIN@HOME GAMMA-RAY PULSAR SURVEY. I. SEARCH METHODS, SENSITIVITY, AND DISCOVERY OF NEW YOUNG GAMMA-RAY PULSARS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clark, C. J.; Wu, J.; Pletsch, H. J.

    Here, we report on the results of a recent blind search survey for gamma-ray pulsars in Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data being carried out on the distributed volunteer computing system, Einstein@Home. The survey has searched for pulsations in 118 unidentified pulsar-like sources, requiring about 10,000 years of CPU core time. In total, this survey has resulted in the discovery of 17 new gamma-ray pulsars, of which 13 are newly reported in this work, and an accompanying paper. These pulsars are all young, isolated pulsars with characteristic ages between 12 kyr and 2 Myr, and spin-down powers between 10 34 and 4 × 10 36 erg s -1. Two of these are the slowest spinning gamma-ray pulsars yet known. One pulsar experienced a very large glitchmore » $${\\rm{\\Delta }}f/f\\approx 3.5\\times {10}^{-6}$$ during the Fermi mission. In this, the first of two associated papers, we describe the search scheme used in this survey, and estimate the sensitivity of our search to pulsations in unidentified Fermi-LAT sources. One such estimate results in an upper limit of 57% for the fraction of pulsed emission from the gamma-ray source associated with the Cas A supernova remnant, constraining the pulsed gamma-ray photon flux that can be produced by the neutron star at its center. Lastly, we also present the results of precise timing analyses for each of the newly detected pulsars.« less

  18. The Einstein@Home Gamma-ray Pulsar Survey. I. Search Methods, Sensitivity, and Discovery of New Young Gamma-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, C. J.; Wu, J.; Pletsch, H. J.; Guillemot, L.; Allen, B.; Aulbert, C.; Beer, C.; Bock, O.; Cuéllar, A.; Eggenstein, H. B.; Fehrmann, H.; Kramer, M.; Machenschalk, B.; Nieder, L.

    2017-01-01

    We report on the results of a recent blind search survey for gamma-ray pulsars in Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data being carried out on the distributed volunteer computing system, Einstein@Home. The survey has searched for pulsations in 118 unidentified pulsar-like sources, requiring about 10,000 years of CPU core time. In total, this survey has resulted in the discovery of 17 new gamma-ray pulsars, of which 13 are newly reported in this work, and an accompanying paper. These pulsars are all young, isolated pulsars with characteristic ages between 12 kyr and 2 Myr, and spin-down powers between 1034 and 4 × 1036 erg s-1. Two of these are the slowest spinning gamma-ray pulsars yet known. One pulsar experienced a very large glitch {{Δ }}f/f≈ 3.5× {10}-6 during the Fermi mission. In this, the first of two associated papers, we describe the search scheme used in this survey, and estimate the sensitivity of our search to pulsations in unidentified Fermi-LAT sources. One such estimate results in an upper limit of 57% for the fraction of pulsed emission from the gamma-ray source associated with the Cas A supernova remnant, constraining the pulsed gamma-ray photon flux that can be produced by the neutron star at its center. We also present the results of precise timing analyses for each of the newly detected pulsars.

  19. Deep optical observations of the γ-ray pulsar J0357+3205

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirichenko, A.; Danilenko, A.; Shibanov, Yu.; Shternin, P.; Zharikov, S.; Zyuzin, D.

    2014-04-01

    Context. A middle-aged radio-quiet pulsar J0357+3205 was discovered in gamma rays with Fermi and later in X-rays with Chandra and XMM-Newton observatories. It produces an unusual thermally emitting pulsar wind nebula that is observed in X-rays. Aims: Deep optical observations were obtained to search for the pulsar optical counterpart and its nebula using the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). Methods: The direct imaging mode in the Sloan g' band was used. Archival X-ray data were reanalysed and compared with the optical data. Results: No pulsar optical counterpart was detected down to g'≥slant 28.1m. No pulsar nebula was identified in the optical either. We confirm early results that the X-ray spectrum of the pulsar consists of a nonthermal power-law component of the pulsar magnetospheric origin dominating at high energies and a soft thermal component from the neutron star surface. Using magnetised, partially ionised hydrogen atmosphere models in X-ray spectral fits, we found that the thermal component can come from the entire surface of the cooling neutron star with a temperature of 36+8-6 eV, making it one of the coldest among cooling neutron stars known. The surface temperature agrees with the standard neutron star cooling scenario. The optical upper limit does not put any additional constraints on the thermal component, however it does imply a strong spectral break for the nonthermal component between the optical and X-rays as is observed in other middle-aged pulsars. Conclusions: The thermal emission from the entire surface of the neutron star very likely dominates the nonthermal emission in the UV range. Observations of PSR J0357+3205 in this range are promising to put more stringent constraints on its thermal properties. Based on observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), instaled in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, in the island of La Palma under Programme GTC3-12BMEX

  20. Pulsed Accretion in the T Tauri Binary TWA 3A

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tofflemire, Benjamin M.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Herczeg, Gregory J.

    TWA 3A is the most recent addition to a small group of young binary systems that both actively accrete from a circumbinary disk and have spectroscopic orbital solutions. As such, it provides a unique opportunity to test binary accretion theory in a well-constrained setting. To examine TWA 3A’s time-variable accretion behavior, we have conducted a two-year, optical photometric monitoring campaign, obtaining dense orbital phase coverage (∼20 observations per orbit) for ∼15 orbital periods. From U -band measurements we derive the time-dependent binary mass accretion rate, finding bursts of accretion near each periastron passage. On average, these enhanced accretion events evolvemore » over orbital phases 0.85 to 1.05, reaching their peak at periastron. The specific accretion rate increases above the quiescent value by a factor of ∼4 on average but the peak can be as high as an order of magnitude in a given orbit. The phase dependence and amplitude of TWA 3A accretion is in good agreement with numerical simulations of binary accretion with similar orbital parameters. In these simulations, periastron accretion bursts are fueled by periodic streams of material from the circumbinary disk that are driven by the binary orbit. We find that TWA 3A’s average accretion behavior is remarkably similar to DQ Tau, another T Tauri binary with similar orbital parameters, but with significantly less variability from orbit to orbit. This is only the second clear case of orbital-phase-dependent accretion in a T Tauri binary.« less

  1. Pulsar timing for the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope

    DOE PAGES

    Smith, D. A.; Guillemot, L.; Camilo, F.; ...

    2008-10-27

    Here, we describe a comprehensive pulsar monitoring campaign for the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST). The detection and study of pulsars in gamma rays give insights into the populations of neutron stars and supernova rates in the Galaxy, into particle acceleration mechanisms in neutron star magnetospheres, and into the “engines” driving pulsar wind nebulae. LAT's unprecedented sensitivity between 20 MeV and 300 GeV together with its 2.4 sr field-of-view makes detection of many gamma-ray pulsars likely, justifying the monitoring of over two hundred pulsars with large spin-down powers. To search for gamma-ray pulsationsmore » from most of these pulsars requires a set of phase-connected timing solutions spanning a year or more to properly align the sparse photon arrival times. We describe the choice of pulsars and the instruments involved in the campaign. Attention is paid to verifications of the LAT pulsar software, using for example giant radio pulses from the Crab and from PSR B1937+21 recorded at Nançay, and using X-ray data on PSR J0218+4232 from XMM-Newton. We demonstrate accuracy of the pulsar phase calculations at the microsecond level.« less

  2. Search for Millisecond Pulsars for the Pulsar Timing Array project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milia, S.

    2012-03-01

    Pulsars are rapidly rotating highly magnetised neutron stars (i.e. ultra dense stars, where about one solar mass is concentrated in a sphere with a radius of ~ 10 km), which irradiate radio beams in a fashion similar to a lighthouse. As a consequence, whenever the beams cut our line of sight we perceive a radio pulses, one (or two) per pulsar rotation, with a frequency up to hundred of times a second. Owing to their compact nature, rapid spin and high inertia, pulsars are in general fairly stable rotators, hence the Times of Arrival (TOAs) of the pulses at a radio telescope can be used as the ticks of a clock. This holds true in particular for the sub­class of the millisecond pulsars (MSPs), having a spin period smaller than the conventional limit of 30 ms, whose very rapid rotation and relatively older age provide better rotational stability than the ordinary pulsars. Indeed, some MSPs rotate so regularly that they can rival the best atomic clocks on Earth over timespan of few months or years.This feature allows us to use MSPs as tools in a cosmic laboratory, by exploiting a procedure called timing, which consists in the repeated and regular measurement of the TOAs from a pulsar and then in the search for trends in the series of the TOAs over various timespans, from fraction of seconds to decades.For example the study of pulsars in binary systems has already provided the most stringent tests to date of General Relativity in strong gravitational fields and has unambiguously showed the occurrence of the emission of gravitational waves from a binary system comprising two massive bodies in a close orbit. In last decades a new exciting perspective has been opened, i.e. to use pulsars also for a direct detection of the so far elusive gravitational waves and thereby applying the pulsar timing for cosmological studies. In fact, the gravitational waves (GWs) going across our Galaxy pass over all the Galactic pulsars and the Earth, perturbing the space­time at the

  3. Luminosities of Radio Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bagchi, Manjari

    2013-08-01

    Luminosity is an intrinsic property of radio pulsars related to the properties of the magnetospheric plasma and the beam geometry, and inversely proportional to the observing frequency. In traditional models, luminosity has been considered as a function of the spin parameters of pulsars. On the other hand, parameter independent models like power law and lognormal have been also used to fit the observed luminosities. Some of the older studies on pulsar luminosities neglected observational biases, but all of the recent studies tried to model observational effects as accurately as possible. Luminosities of pulsars in globular clusters (GCs) and in the Galactic disk have been studied separately. Older studies concluded that these two categories of pulsars have different luminosity distributions, but the most recent study concluded that those are the same. This paper reviews all significant works on pulsar luminosities and discusses open questions.

  4. Binary and Millisecond Pulsars.

    PubMed

    Lorimer, Duncan R

    2005-01-01

    We review the main properties, demographics and applications of binary and millisecond radio pulsars. Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly increased in recent years, mainly due to successful surveys which have brought the known pulsar population to over 1700. There are now 80 binary and millisecond pulsars associated with the disk of our Galaxy, and a further 103 pulsars in 24 of the Galactic globular clusters. Recent highlights have been the discovery of the first ever double pulsar system and a recent flurry of discoveries in globular clusters, in particular Terzan 5. Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.12942/lrr-2005-7.

  5. Pulsars for the Beginner

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DiLavore, Phillip; Wayland, James R.

    1971-01-01

    Presents the history of the discovery of pulsars, observations that have been made on pulsar radiation, and theories that have been presented for its presence and origin. Illustrations using pulsar's properties are presented in mechanics, electromagnetic radiation and thermodynamics. (DS)

  6. Cosmic Ray Positrons from Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, Alice K.

    2010-01-01

    Pulsars are potential Galactic sources of positrons through pair cascades in their magnetospheres. There are, however, many uncertainties in establishing their contribution to the local primary positron flux. Among these are the local density of pulsars, the cascade pair multiplicities that determine the injection rate of positrons from the pulsar, the acceleration of the injected particles by the pulsar wind termination shock, their rate of escape from the pulsar wind nebula, and their propagation through the interstellar medium. I will discuss these issues in the context of what we are learning from the new Fermi pulsar detections and discoveries.

  7. ARECIBO PULSAR SURVEY USING ALFA: PROBING RADIO PULSAR INTERMITTENCY AND TRANSIENTS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deneva, J. S.; Cordes, J. M.; McLaughlin, M. A.

    We present radio transient search algorithms, results, and statistics from the ongoing Arecibo Pulsar ALFA (PALFA) survey of the Galactic plane. We have discovered seven objects through a search for isolated dispersed pulses. All of these objects are Galactic and have measured periods between 0.4 and 4.7 s. One of the new discoveries has a duty cycle of 0.01%, smaller than that of any other radio pulsar. We discuss the impact of selection effects on the detectability and classification of intermittent sources, and compare the efficiencies of periodicity and single-pulse (SP) searches for various pulsar classes. For some cases wemore » find that the apparent intermittency is likely to be caused by off-axis detection or a short time window that selects only a few bright pulses and favors detection with our SP algorithm. In other cases, the intermittency appears to be intrinsic to the source. No transients were found with DMs large enough to require that they originate from sources outside our Galaxy. Accounting for the on-axis gain of the ALFA system, as well as the low gain but large solid-angle coverage of far-out sidelobes, we use the results of the survey so far to place limits on the amplitudes and event rates of transients of arbitrary origin.« less

  8. Observational properties of pulsars.

    PubMed

    Manchester, R N

    2004-04-23

    Pulsars are remarkable clocklike celestial sources that are believed to be rotating neutron stars formed in supernova explosions. They are valuable tools for investigations into topics such as neutron star interiors, globular cluster dynamics, the structure of the interstellar medium, and gravitational physics. Searches at radio and x-ray wavelengths over the past 5 years have resulted in a large increase in the number of known pulsars and the discovery of new populations of pulsars, posing challenges to theories of binary and stellar evolution. Recent images at radio, optical, and x-ray wavelengths have revealed structures resulting from the interaction of pulsar winds with the surrounding interstellar medium, giving new insights into the physics of pulsars.

  9. Galactic X-ray emission from pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, A. K.

    1981-01-01

    The contribution of pulsars to the gamma-ray flux from the galactic plane is examined using data from the most recent pulsar surveys. It is assumed that pulsar gamma-rays are produced by curvature radiation from relativistic particles above the polar cap and attenuated by pair production in the strong magnetic and electric fields. Assuming that all pulsars produce gamma-rays in this way, their luminosities can be predicted as a function of period and magnetic field strength. Using the distribution of pulsars in the galaxy as determined from data on 328 pulsars detected in three surveys, the local gamma-ray production spectrum, the longitude profile, and the latitude profile of pulsar gamma-ray flux are calculated. The largest sources of uncertainty in the size of the pulsar contribution are the value of the mean interstellar electron density, the turnover in the pulsar radio luminosity function, and the average pulsar magnetic field strength. A present estimate is that pulsars contribute from 15 to 20 % of the total flux of gamma-rays from the galactic plane.

  10. Pulsar statistics and their interpretations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arnett, W. D.; Lerche, I.

    1981-01-01

    It is shown that a lack of knowledge concerning interstellar electron density, the true spatial distribution of pulsars, the radio luminosity source distribution of pulsars, the real ages and real aging rates of pulsars, the beaming factor (and other unknown factors causing the known sample of about 350 pulsars to be incomplete to an unknown degree) is sufficient to cause a minimum uncertainty of a factor of 20 in any attempt to determine pulsar birth or death rates in the Galaxy. It is suggested that this uncertainty must impact on suggestions that the pulsar rates can be used to constrain possible scenarios for neutron star formation and stellar evolution in general.

  11. ngVLA Key Science Goal 4: Using Pulsars in the Galactic Center as Fundamental Tests of Gravity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bower, Geoffrey C.; Chatterjee, Shami; Cordes, James; Demorest, Paul; Dexter, Jason; Kramer, Michael; Lazio, Joseph; Ransom, Scott; Wharton, Robert; ngVLA Science Working Group 4

    2018-01-01

    Pulsars in the Galactic Center (GC) are important probes of general relativity (GR), star formation, stellar dynamics, stellar evolution, and the interstellar medium. A pulsar in orbit around the massive black hole in the GC, Sgr A*, has the power to provide a high-precision measurement of the black hole mass and spin in a unique regime of GR. It is sufficient to find and time a normal, slowly rotating pulsar in a reasonable orbit, in order to measure the mass of Sgr A* with a precision of 1 solar mass, to test the cosmic censorship conjecture to a precision of 0.1%, and to test the no-hair theorem to a precision of 1%. The pulsar population in the GC on scales from the inner parsec to the edge of the Central Molecular Zone (250 parsecs in diameter) can provide fresh insight into the complex processes at work in this region: the characteristic age distribution of the discovered pulsars will give insight into the star formation history; millisecond pulsars can be used as acceleratormeters to probe the local gravitational potential; the observed dispersion and scattering measures (and their variability) will allow us to probe the distribution, clumpiness and other properties of the central interstellar medium, including characterization of the central magnetic field using Faraday rotation. Proper motions of young pulsars can be used to point back to regions of recent star formation and/or supernova remnants.Despite years of searching, only a handful of pulsars in the central 0.5 degrees are known. This is likely the result of strong interstellar scattering along the line of sight, which broadens individual pulses to greater width than the pulse period. Scattering effects decline as wavelength to the fourth power, implying that we require observation at higher frequencies than are typical for typical pulsar searches. The characteristic steep spectrum of pulsars, however, implies the need for greater instrumental sensitivity at higher frequencies in order to detect and

  12. Baseline Assessment of Net Calcium Carbonate Accretion Rates on U.S. Pacific Reefs.

    PubMed

    Vargas-Ángel, Bernardo; Richards, Cristi L; Vroom, Peter S; Price, Nichole N; Schils, Tom; Young, Charles W; Smith, Jennifer; Johnson, Maggie D; Brainard, Russell E

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a comprehensive quantitative baseline assessment of in situ net calcium carbonate accretion rates (g CaCO3 cm(-2) yr(-1)) of early successional recruitment communities on Calcification Accretion Unit (CAU) plates deployed on coral reefs at 78 discrete sites, across 11 islands in the central and south Pacific Oceans. Accretion rates varied substantially within and between islands, reef zones, levels of wave exposure, and island geomorphology. For forereef sites, mean accretion rates were the highest at Rose Atoll, Jarvis, and Swains Islands, and the lowest at Johnston Atoll and Tutuila. A comparison between reef zones showed higher accretion rates on forereefs compared to lagoon sites; mean accretion rates were also higher on windward than leeward sites but only for a subset of islands. High levels of spatial variability in net carbonate accretion rates reported herein draw attention to the heterogeneity of the community assemblages. Percent cover of key early successional taxa on CAU plates did not reflect that of the mature communities present on surrounding benthos, possibly due to the short deployment period (2 years) of the experimental units. Yet, net CaCO3 accretion rates were positively correlated with crustose coralline algae (CCA) percent cover on the surrounding benthos and on the CAU plates, which on average represented >70% of the accreted material. For foreeefs and lagoon sites combined CaCO3 accretion rates were statistically correlated with total alkalinity and Chlorophyll-a; a GAM analysis indicated that SiOH and Halimeda were the best predictor variables of accretion rates on lagoon sites, and total alkalinity and Chlorophyll-a for forereef sites, demonstrating the utility of CAUs as a tool to monitor changes in reef accretion rates as they relate to ocean acidification. This study underscores the pivotal role CCA play as a key benthic component and supporting actively calcifying reefs; high Mg-calcite exoskeletons makes CCA

  13. Baseline Assessment of Net Calcium Carbonate Accretion Rates on U.S. Pacific Reefs

    PubMed Central

    Vargas-Ángel, Bernardo; Richards, Cristi L.; Vroom, Peter S.; Price, Nichole N.; Schils, Tom; Young, Charles W.; Smith, Jennifer; Johnson, Maggie D.; Brainard, Russell E.

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a comprehensive quantitative baseline assessment of in situ net calcium carbonate accretion rates (g CaCO3 cm-2 yr-1) of early successional recruitment communities on Calcification Accretion Unit (CAU) plates deployed on coral reefs at 78 discrete sites, across 11 islands in the central and south Pacific Oceans. Accretion rates varied substantially within and between islands, reef zones, levels of wave exposure, and island geomorphology. For forereef sites, mean accretion rates were the highest at Rose Atoll, Jarvis, and Swains Islands, and the lowest at Johnston Atoll and Tutuila. A comparison between reef zones showed higher accretion rates on forereefs compared to lagoon sites; mean accretion rates were also higher on windward than leeward sites but only for a subset of islands. High levels of spatial variability in net carbonate accretion rates reported herein draw attention to the heterogeneity of the community assemblages. Percent cover of key early successional taxa on CAU plates did not reflect that of the mature communities present on surrounding benthos, possibly due to the short deployment period (2 years) of the experimental units. Yet, net CaCO3 accretion rates were positively correlated with crustose coralline algae (CCA) percent cover on the surrounding benthos and on the CAU plates, which on average represented >70% of the accreted material. For foreeefs and lagoon sites combined CaCO3 accretion rates were statistically correlated with total alkalinity and Chlorophyll-a; a GAM analysis indicated that SiOH and Halimeda were the best predictor variables of accretion rates on lagoon sites, and total alkalinity and Chlorophyll-a for forereef sites, demonstrating the utility of CAUs as a tool to monitor changes in reef accretion rates as they relate to ocean acidification. This study underscores the pivotal role CCA play as a key benthic component and supporting actively calcifying reefs; high Mg-calcite exoskeletons makes CCA

  14. Do the enigmatic ``Infrared-Faint Radio Sources'' include pulsars?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hobbs, George; Middelberg, Enno; Norris, Ray; Keith, Michael; Mao, Minnie; Champion, David

    2009-04-01

    The Australia Telescope Large Area Survey (ATLAS) team have surveyed seven square degrees of sky at 1.4GHz. During processing some unexpected infrared-faint radio sources (IFRS sources) were discovered. The nature of these sources is not understood, but it is possible that some of these sources may be pulsars within our own galaxy. We propose to observe the IFRS sources with steep spectral indices using standard search techniques to determine whether or not they are pulsars. A pulsar detection would 1) remove a subset of the IFRS sources from the ATLAS sample so they would not need to be observed with large optical/IR telescopes to find their hosts and 2) be intrinsically interesting as the pulsar would be a millisecond pulsar and/or have an extreme spatial velocity.

  15. Search For Debris Disks Around A Few Radio Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhongxiang; Kaplan, David; Kaspi, Victoria

    2007-05-01

    We propose to observe 7 radio pulsars with Spitzer/IRAC at 4.5 and 8.0 microns, in an effort to probe the general existence of debris disks around isolated neutron stars. Such disks, probably formed from fallback or pushback material left over from supernova explosions, has been suggested to be associated with various phenomena seen in radio pulsars. Recently, new evidence for such a disk around an isolated young neutron star was found in Spitzer observations of an X-ray pulsar. If they exist, the disks could be illuminated by energy output from central pulsars and thus be generally detectable in the infrared by IRAC. We have selected 40 relatively young, energetic pulsars from the most recent pulsar catalogue as the preliminary targets for our ground-based near-IR imaging survey. Based on the results from the survey observations, 7 pulsars are further selected because of their relatively sparse field and estimated low extinction. Combined with our near-IR images, Spitzer/IRAC observations will allow us to unambiguously identify disks if they are detected at the source positions. This Spitzer observation program we propose here probably represents the best test we can do on the general existence of disks around radio pulsars.

  16. Gamma ray pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oegelman, H.; Ayasli, S.; Hacinliyan, A.

    1976-01-01

    Recent data from the high energy gamma ray experiment have revealed the existence of four pulsars emitting photons above 35 MeV. An attempt is made to explain the gamma ray emission from these pulsars in terms of an electron-photon cascade that develops in the magnetosphere of the pulsar. Although there is very little material above the surface of the pulsar, the very intense magnetic fields correspond to many radiation lengths which cause electrons to emit photons via magnetic bremsstrahlung and these photons to pair produce. The cascade develops until the mean photon energy drops below the pair production threshold which happens to be in the gamma ray range; at this stage the photons break out from the source.

  17. PULSAR OBSERVATIONS USING THE FIRST STATION OF THE LONG WAVELENGTH ARRAY AND THE LWA PULSAR DATA ARCHIVE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stovall, K.; Dowell, J.; Eftekhari, T.

    2015-08-01

    We present initial pulsar results from the first station of the Long Wavelength Array (LWA1) obtained during the commissioning period of LWA1 and in early science results. We present detections of periodic emission from 44 previously known pulsars, including 3 millisecond pulsars. The effects of the interstellar medium (ISM) on pulsar emission are significantly enhanced at the low frequencies of the LWA1 band (10–88 MHz), making LWA1 a very sensitive instrument for characterizing changes in the dispersion measure (DM) and other effects from the ISM. Pulsars also often have significant evolution in their pulse profile at low frequency and amore » break in their spectral index. We report DM measurements for 44 pulsars, mean flux density measurements for 36 pulsars, and multi-frequency component spacing and widths for 15 pulsars with more than one profile component. For 27 pulsars, we report spectral index measurements within our frequency range. We also introduce the LWA1 Pulsar Data Archive, which stores reduced data products from LWA1 pulsar observations. Reduced data products for the observations presented here can be found in the archive. Reduced data products from future LWA1 pulsar observations will also be made available through the archive.« less

  18. Similarity of PSR J1906+0746 TO PSR J0737-3039: A Candidate of a New Double Pulsar System?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yi-Yan; Zhang, Cheng-Min; Li, Di; Wang, De-Hua; Pan, Yuan-Yue; Lingfu, Rong-Feng; Zhou, Zhu-Wen

    2017-02-01

    PSR J1906+0746 is a nonrecycled strong magnetic field neutron star (NS), sharing the properties of the secondary-formed NS PSR J0737-3039B in the double pulsar system PSR J0737-3039AB. By comparing the orbital parameters of PSR J1906+0746 with those of PSR J0737-3039AB, we conclude that both systems have a similar origin and evolution history, involving an e-capture process for forming the second-born NS, like in the case of PSR J0737-3039B. We expect the companion of PSR J1906+0746 to be a long-lived recycled pulsar with radio beams that currently cannot be observed from Earth. We suggest possible ways to detect its presence. To compare PSR J1906+0746 with PSR J0737-3039, we also present the mass distribution of eight pairs of double NSs and find that in double NSs the mass of the recycled pulsar is usually larger than that of the nonrecycled one, which may be the result of accretion.

  19. Exploring Pulsars with Polestar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cappallo, Rigel; Laycock, Silas; Christodoulou, Dimitris

    2018-06-01

    An X-ray pulsar (XRP) is a highly-magnetized neutron star (NS) that rotates while emitting beams of X-ray radiation produced primarily in the vicinity of its magnetic poles. If these beams happen to cross our line of sight and the NS’s spin and magnetic axes are not aligned, then our telescopes detect it as a periodically pulsating source. With the introduction of a new class of orbit-based observatories over the last quarter of a century the field of X-ray pulsar astronomy has seen an influx of high-resolution data. This windfall demands new models of pulsar behavior and emission geometry be created and subsequently fit to this high-quality data.We have written a model (Polestar) in Python 2.7.6 that mathematically represents a simplified XRP. The code has ten different, tunable geometric parameters that can be individually incorporated or suppressed. Any given XRP has a unique pulse profile which is often energy-dependent, and changes with different luminosity states. A change in luminosity coincides with a change in the system (e.g. a periodic Type-1 outburst is triggered following periastron passage, or the orientation of the decretion disk around the donor star has changed), and as such an increase in luminosity tends to produce an increase in complexity of the accompanying pulse profile. If a particular source in a low-luminosity state can be fit well with Polestar incorporating only a few parameters then an underlying geometry may be inferred. Further, if profiles from the same source in higher-luminosity states can be fit with the addition of only one or two additional parameters it will serve to further solidify current XRP theory (e.g. the emergence of fan-like emission patterns, or the vertical growth of the accretion column).Our initial fitting campaign was directed at the ~ 100 XRPs in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Polestar also includes an interactive slider GUI that allows the user to see in real time how changing the various profiles alter the

  20. High-Precision Timing of Several Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferdman, R. D.; Stairs, I. H.; Backer, D. C.; Ramachandran, R.; Demorest, P.; Nice, D. J.; Lyne, A. G.; Kramer, M.; Lorimer, D.; McLaughlin, M.; Manchester, D.; Camilo, F.; D'Amico, N.; Possenti, A.; Burgay, M.; Joshi, B. C.; Freire, P. C.

    2004-12-01

    The highest precision pulsar timing is achieved by reproducing as accurately as possible the pulse profile as emitted by the pulsar, in high signal-to-noise observations. The best profile reconstruction can be accomplished with several-bit voltage sampling and coherent removal of the dispersion suffered by pulsar signals as they traverse the interstellar medium. The Arecibo Signal Processor (ASP) and its counterpart the Green Bank Astronomical Signal Processor (GASP) are flexible, state-of-the-art wide-bandwidth observing systems, built primarily for high-precision long-term timing of millisecond and binary pulsars. ASP and GASP are in use at the 300-m Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico and the 100-m Green Bank Telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia, respectively, taking advantage of the enormous sensitivities of these telescopes. These instruments result in high-precision science through 4 and 8-bit sampling and perform coherent dedispersion on the incoming data stream in real or near-real time. This is done using a network of personal computers, over an observing bandwidth of 64 to 128 MHz, in each of two polarizations. We present preliminary results of timing and polarimetric observations with ASP/GASP for several pulsars, including the recently-discovered relativistic double-pulsar binary J0737-3039. These data are compared to simultaneous observations with other pulsar instruments, such as the new "spigot card" spectrometer on the GBT and the Princeton Mark IV instrument at Arecibo, the precursor timing system to ASP. We also briefly discuss several upcoming observations with ASP/GASP.

  1. NuSTAR Observation of the Symbiotic System GX 1+4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolff, Michael Thomas; Becker, Peter A.; Enoto, Teruaki; Pottschmidt, Katja; Wood, Kent

    2017-08-01

    We report on a NuSTAR observation of the symbiotic binary system GX 1+4. GX 1+4 is one of a small number of systems with a red giant mass donor and a magnetic neutron star in orbit around each other. The accreting pulsar in GX 1+4 has a spin period of ~150 seconds with epochs of both spin-up and spin-down. The orbital period that has not been determined. Magnetic accretion theory in such systems suggests that the neutron star has a magnetic field in the range 1013-1014 Gauss although this is not settled because no cyclotron absorption feature has been observed in the X-ray spectrum. The NuSTAR spectrum shows broad Fe-line emission near ~6.5 keV and also shows a broad power law shape detected up to ~60 keV. We analyze and discuss the NuSTAR X-ray data with particular attention to the question of what can the spectrum tell us about the structure of the accretion flow onto the neutron star and the magnetic field strength.

  2. Using HAWC to discover invisible pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Linden, Tim; Auchettl, Katie; Bramante, Joseph

    2017-11-01

    Observations by HAWC and Milagro have detected bright and spatially extended TeV gamma-ray sources surrounding the Geminga and Monogem pulsars. We argue that these observations, along with a substantial population of other extended TeV sources coincident with pulsar wind nebulae, constitute a new morphological class of spatially extended TeV halos. We show that HAWCs wide field-of-view unlocks an expansive parameter space of TeV halos not observable by atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Under the assumption that Geminga and Monogem are typical middle-aged pulsars, we show that ten-year HAWC observations should eventually observe 37more » $$^{+17}_{-13}$$ middle-aged TeV halos that correspond to pulsars whose radio emission is not beamed towards Earth. Depending on the extrapolation of the TeV halo efficiency to young pulsars, HAWC could detect more than 100 TeV halos from mis-aligned pulsars. These pulsars have historically been difficult to detect with existing multiwavelength observations. TeV halos will constitute a significant fraction of all HAWC sources, allowing follow-up observations to efficiently find pulsar wind nebulae and thermal pulsar emission. The observation and subsequent multi-wavelength follow-up of TeV halos will have significant implications for our understanding of pulsar beam geometries, the evolution of PWN, the diffusion of cosmic-rays near energetic pulsars, and the contribution of pulsars to the cosmic-ray positron excess.« less

  3. Millisecond pulsars: Timekeepers of the cosmos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaspi, Victoria M.

    1995-01-01

    A brief discussion on the characteristics of pulsars is given followed by a review of millisecond pulsar discoveries including the very first, PRS B1937+21, discovered in 1982. Methods of timing millisecond pulsars and the accuracy of millisecond pulsars as clocks are discussed. Possible reasons for the pulse residuals, or differences between the observed and predicted pulse arrival times for millisecond pulsars, are given.

  4. Magnetically gated accretion in an accreting 'non-magnetic' white dwarf.

    PubMed

    Scaringi, S; Maccarone, T J; D'Angelo, C; Knigge, C; Groot, P J

    2017-12-13

    White dwarfs are often found in binary systems with orbital periods ranging from tens of minutes to hours in which they can accrete gas from their companion stars. In about 15 per cent of these binaries, the magnetic field of the white dwarf is strong enough (at 10 6 gauss or more) to channel the accreted matter along field lines onto the magnetic poles. The remaining systems are referred to as 'non-magnetic', because until now there has been no evidence that they have a magnetic field that is strong enough to affect the accretion dynamics. Here we report an analysis of archival optical observations of the 'non-magnetic' accreting white dwarf in the binary system MV Lyrae, whose light curve displays quasi-periodic bursts of about 30 minutes duration roughly every 2 hours. The timescale and amplitude of these bursts indicate the presence of an unstable, magnetically regulated accretion mode, which in turn implies the existence of magnetically gated accretion, in which disk material builds up around the magnetospheric boundary (at the co-rotation radius) and then accretes onto the white dwarf, producing bursts powered by the release of gravitational potential energy. We infer a surface magnetic field strength for the white dwarf in MV Lyrae of between 2 × 10 4 gauss and 1 × 10 5 gauss, too low to be detectable by other current methods. Our discovery provides a new way of studying the strength and evolution of magnetic fields in accreting white dwarfs and extends the connections between accretion onto white dwarfs, young stellar objects and neutron stars, for which similar magnetically gated accretion cycles have been identified.

  5. Geriatric Pulsar Still Kicking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2009-02-01

    The oldest isolated pulsar ever detected in X-rays has been found with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This very old and exotic object turns out to be surprisingly active. The pulsar, PSR J0108-1431 (J0108 for short) is about 200 million years old. Among isolated pulsars -- ones that have not been spun-up in a binary system -- it is over 10 times older than the previous record holder with an X-ray detection. At a distance of 770 light years, it is one of the nearest pulsars known. Pulsars are born when stars that are much more massive than the Sun collapse in supernova explosions, leaving behind a small, incredibly weighty core, known as a neutron star. At birth, these neutron stars, which contain the densest material known in the Universe, are spinning rapidly, up to a hundred revolutions per second. As the rotating beams of their radiation are seen as pulses by distant observers, similar to a lighthouse beam, astronomers call them "pulsars". Astronomers observe a gradual slowing of the rotation of the pulsars as they radiate energy away. Radio observations of J0108 show it to be one of the oldest and faintest pulsars known, spinning only slightly faster than one revolution per second. The surprise came when a team of astronomers led by George Pavlov of Penn State University observed J0108 in X-rays with Chandra. They found that it glows much brighter in X-rays than was expected for a pulsar of such advanced years. People Who Read This Also Read... Chandra Data Reveal Rapidly Whirling Black Holes Milky Way’s Giant Black Hole Awoke from Slumber 300 Years Ago Erratic Black Hole Regulates Itself Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy Some of the energy that J0108 is losing as it spins more slowly is converted into X-ray radiation. The efficiency of this process for J0108 is found to be higher than for any other known pulsar. "This pulsar is pumping out high-energy radiation much more efficiently than its younger cousins," said Pavlov. "So, although it

  6. An ensemble pulsar time

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Petit, Gerard; Thomas, Claudine; Tavella, Patrizia

    1993-01-01

    Millisecond pulsars are galactic objects that exhibit a very stable spinning period. Several tens of these celestial clocks have now been discovered, which opens the possibility that an average time scale may be deduced through a long-term stability algorithm. Such an ensemble average makes it possible to reduce the level of the instabilities originating from the pulsars or from other sources of noise, which are unknown but independent. The basis for such an algorithm is presented and applied to real pulsar data. It is shown that pulsar time could shortly become more stable than the present atomic time, for averaging times of a few years. Pulsar time can also be used as a flywheel to maintain the accuracy of atomic time in case of temporary failure of the primary standards, or to transfer the improved accuracy of future standards back to the present.

  7. Minimum Period of Rotation of Millisecond Pulsars and Pulsar Matter Equations of State

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mikheev, Sergey; Tsvetkov, Victor

    2018-02-01

    Based on the findings of our previous studies of fast-rotating Newtonian polytropes, we found the relation between the minimum pulsar rotation period, the value of pulsar central density, and the polytropic index. From this relation we come to the conclusion that the value of minimum central density of a pulsar with a peak period is 2.5088 • 1014 g/cm3.

  8. Nature versus Nurture: The Origin of Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters and Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marsden, D.; Lingenfelter, R. E.; Rothschild, R. E.; Higdon, J. C.

    2001-03-01

    Soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) and anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) are young and radio-quiet X-ray pulsars that have been rapidly spun-down to slow spin periods clustered in the range 5-12 s. Most of these unusual pulsars also appear to be associated with supernova shell remnants (SNRs) with typical ages less than 30 kyr. By examining the sizes of these remnants versus their ages, we demonstrate that the interstellar media that surrounded the SGR and AXP progenitors and their SNRs were unusually dense compared to the environments around most young radio pulsars and SNRs. We explore the implications of this evidence on magnetar and propeller-based models for the rapid spin-down of SGRs and AXPs. We find that evidence of dense environments is not consistent with the magnetar model unless a causal link can be shown between the development of magnetars and the external interstellar medium. Propeller-driven spin-down by fossil accretion disks for SGRs and AXPs appears to be consistent with dense environments since the environment can facilitate the formation of such a disk. This may occur in two ways: (1) formation of a ``pushback'' disk from the innermost ejecta pushed back by prompt reverse shocks from supernova remnant interactions with massive progenitor wind material stalled in dense surrounding gas or (2) acquisition of disks by a high-velocity neutron stars, which may be able to capture sufficient amounts of comoving outflowing ejecta slowed by the prompt reverse shocks in dense environments.

  9. Searching for Planets Around Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2015-09-01

    Did you know that the very first exoplanets ever confirmed were found around a pulsar? The precise timing measurements of pulsar PSR 1257+12 were what made the discovery of its planetary companions possible. Yet surprisingly, though weve discovered thousands of exoplanets since then, only one other planet has ever been confirmed around a pulsar. Now, a team of CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science researchers are trying to figure out why.Formation ChallengesThe lack of detected pulsar planets may simply reflect the fact that getting a pulsar-planet system is challenging! There are three main pathways:The planet formed before the host star became a pulsar which means it somehow survived its star going supernova (yikes!).The planet formed elsewhere and was captured by the pulsar.The planet formed out of the debris of the supernova explosion.The first two options, if even possible, are likely to be rare occurrences but the third option shows some promise. In this scenario, after the supernova explosion, a small fraction of the material falls back toward the stellar remnant and is recaptured, forming what is known as a supernova fallback disk. According to this model, planets could potentially form out of this disk.Disk ImplicationsLed by Matthew Kerr, the CSIRO astronomers set out to systematically look for these potential planets that might have formed in situ around pulsars. They searched a sample of 151 young, energetic pulsars, scouring seven years of pulse time-of-arrival data for periodic variation that could signal the presence of planetary companions. Their methods to mitigate pulsar timing noise and model realistic orbits allowed them to have good sensitivity to low-mass planets.The results? They found no conclusive evidence that any of these pulsars have planets.This outcome carries with it some significant implications. The pulsar sample spans 2 Myr in age, in which planets should have had enough time to form in debris disks. The fact that none were detected

  10. Simultaneous broadband observations and high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coti Zelati, F.; Campana, S.; Braito, V.; Baglio, M. C.; D'Avanzo, P.; Rea, N.; Torres, D. F.

    2018-03-01

    We report on the first simultaneous XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and Swift observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 in the X-ray active state. Our multi-wavelength campaign allowed us to investigate with unprecedented detail possible spectral variability over a broad energy range in the X-rays, as well as correlations and lags among emissions in different bands. The soft and hard X-ray emissions are significantly correlated, with no lags between the two bands. On the other hand, the X-ray emission does not correlate with the UV emission. We refine our model for the observed mode switching in terms of rapid transitions between a weak propeller regime and a rotation-powered radio pulsar state, and report on a detailed high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy using all XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer data acquired since 2013. We discuss our results in the context of the recent discoveries on the system and of the state of the art simulations on transitional millisecond pulsars, and show how the properties of the narrow emission lines in the soft X-ray spectrum are consistent with an origin within the accretion disc.

  11. WHY ARE PULSAR PLANETS RARE?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martin, Rebecca G.; Livio, Mario; Palaniswamy, Divya

    Pulsar timing observations have revealed planets around only a few pulsars. We suggest that the rarity of these planets is due mainly to two effects. First, we show that the most likely formation mechanism requires the destruction of a companion star. Only pulsars with a suitable companion (with an extreme mass ratio) are able to form planets. Second, while a dead zone (a region of low turbulence) in the disk is generally thought to be essential for planet formation, it is most probably rare in disks around pulsars, because of the irradiation from the pulsar. The irradiation strongly heats themore » inner parts of the disk, thus pushing the inner boundary of the dead zone out. We suggest that the rarity of pulsar planets can be explained by the low probability for these two requirements to be satisfied: a very low-mass companion and a dead zone.« less

  12. Millisecond radio pulsars in globular clusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Verbunt, Frank; Lewin, Walter H. G.; Vanparadijs, Jan

    1989-01-01

    It is shown that the number of millisecond radio pulsars, in globular clusters, should be larger than 100, applying the standard scenario that all the pulsars descend from low-mass X-ray binaries. Moreover, most of the pulsars are located in a small number of clusters. The prediction that Teran 5 and Liller 1 contain at least about a dozen millisecond radio pulsars each is made. The observations of millisecond radio pulsars in globular clusters to date, in particular the discovery of two millisecond radio pulsars in 47 Tuc, are in agreement with the standard scenario, in which the neutron star is spun up during the mass transfer phase.

  13. Evidence for Neutron Star Formation from Accretion Induced Collapse of a White Dwarf

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paradijis, J. Van; VanDenHeuvel, E. P. J.; Kouveliotou, C.; Fishman, G. J.; Finger, M. H.; Lewin, W. H. G.

    1997-01-01

    The orbital parameters of the recently discovered transient burster/pulsar GRO J1744-28 indicate that this system is a low-mass X-ray binary in an advanced stage of its mass transfer, with several tenths of a solar mass already transferred from the donor to the compact star. All neutron stars known to have accreted such an amount have very weak magnetic fields, and this has led to the idea that the magnetic fields of neutron stars decay as a result of accretion. The observation of a strongly magnetized neutron star in GRO J1744-28 then suggests that this neutron star was formed recently as a result of the collapse of a white dwarf during an earlier stage of the current phase of mass transfer. It is shown that this model can consistently explain the observed characteristics of GRO J1744-28. Attractive progenitors for such an evolution are the luminous supersoft X-ray sources detected with ROSAT.

  14. Pulsar Artist Concept

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-01-06

    This artist's concept shows a pulsar, which is like a lighthouse, as its light appears in regular pulses as it rotates. Pulsars are dense remnants of exploded stars, and are part of a class of objects called neutron stars. Magnetars are different kinds of neutron stars -- they have violent, high-energy outbursts of X-ray and gamma ray light. A mysterious object called PSR J1119-6127 has been seen behaving as both a pulsar and a magnetar, suggesting that it could be a "missing link" between these objects. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21085

  15. Pulsars and Extreme Physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell-Burnell, Jocelyn

    2004-10-01

    Pulsars were discovered 35 years ago. What do we know about them now, and what have they taught us about the extremes of physics? With an average density comparable to that of the nucleus, magnetic fields around 108 T and speeds close to c these objects have stretched our understanding of the behaviour of matter. They serve as extrememly accurate clocks with which to carry out precision experiments in relativity. Created in cataclysmic explosions, pulsars are a (stellar) form of life after death. After half a billion revolutions most pulsars finally die, but amazingly some are born again to yet another, even weirder, afterlife. Pulsar research continues lively, delivering exciting, startling and almost unbelievable results!

  16. Visualization of Pulsar Search Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foster, R. S.; Wolszczan, A.

    1993-05-01

    The search for periodic signals from rotating neutron stars or pulsars has been a computationally taxing problem to astronomers for more than twenty-five years. Over this time interval, increases in computational capability have allowed ever more sensitive searches, covering a larger parameter space. The volume of input data and the general presence of radio frequency interference typically produce numerous spurious signals. Visualization of the search output and enhanced real-time processing of significant candidate events allow the pulsar searcher to optimally processes and search for new radio pulsars. The pulsar search algorithm and visualization system presented in this paper currently runs on serial RISC based workstations, a traditional vector based super computer, and a massively parallel computer. A description of the serial software algorithm and its modifications for massively parallel computing are describe. The results of four successive searches for millisecond period radio pulsars using the Arecibo telescope at 430 MHz have resulted in the successful detection of new long-period and millisecond period radio pulsars.

  17. Fermi-LAT Search for Pulsar Wind Nebulae around gamma-ray Pulsars

    DOE PAGES

    Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Baldini, L.; ...

    2010-12-13

    The high sensitivity of the Fermi-LAT (Large Area Telescope) offers the first opportunity to study faint and extended GeV sources such as pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). After one year of observation the LAT detected and identified three PWNe: the Crab Nebula, Vela-X, and the PWN inside MSH 15-52. In the meantime, the list of LAT detected pulsars increased steadily. These pulsars are characterized by high energy loss rates (more » $$\\dot{E}$$) from ~3 × 10 33 erg s –1 to 5 × 10 38 erg s –1 and are therefore likely to power a PWN. This paper summarizes the search for PWNe in the off-pulse windows of 54 LAT-detected pulsars using 16 months of survey observations. Ten sources show significant emission, seven of these likely being of magnetospheric origin. The detection of significant emission in the off-pulse interval offers new constraints on the γ-ray emitting regions in pulsar magnetospheres. The three other sources with significant emission are the Crab Nebula, Vela-X, and a new PWN candidate associated with the LAT pulsar PSR J1023–5746, coincident with the TeV source HESS J1023–575. Here, we further explore the association between the HESS and the Fermi source by modeling its spectral energy distribution. Lastly, flux upper limits derived for the 44 remaining sources are used to provide new constraints on famous PWNe that have been detected at keV and/or TeV energies.« less

  18. Disentangling X-Ray Emission Processes in Vela-Like Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gaensler, Bryan; Mushotzky, Richard (Technical Monitor)

    2003-01-01

    We present a deep observation with the X-Ray Multimirror Mission of PSR B1823-13, a young pulsar with similar properties to the Vela pulsar. We detect two components to the X-ray emission associated with PSR B1823-13: an elongated core of extent 30 min immediately surrounding the pulsar embedded in a fainter, diffuse component of emission 5 sec in extent, seen only on the southern side of the pulsar. The pulsar itself is not detected, either as a point source or through its pulsations. Both components of the X-ray emission are well fitted by a power-law spectrum, with photon index Gamma approx. 1.6 and X-ray luminosity (0.5-10 keV) L(sub X) approx. 9 x 10(exp 32) ergs/s for the core and Gamma approx. 2.3 and L(sub X) approx. 3 x 10(exp 33) ergs/s for the diffuse emission, for a distance of 4 kpc. We interpret both components of emission as corresponding to a pulsar wind nebula, which we designate G18.0-0.7. We argue that the core region represents the wind termination shock of this nebula, while the diffuse component indicates the shocked downstream wind. We propose that the asymmetric morphology of the diffuse emission with respect to the pulsar is the result of a reverse shock from an associated supernova remnant, which has compressed and distorted the pulsar-powered nebula. Such an interaction might be typical for pulsars at this stage in their evolution. The associated supernova remnant is not detected directly, most likely being too faint to be seen in existing X-ray and radio observations.

  19. Suzaku observations of the old pulsar wind nebula candidate HESS J1356-645

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Izawa, Masaharu; Dotani, Tadayasu; Fujinaga, Takahisa; Bamba, Aya; Ozaki, Masanobu; Hiraga, Junko S.

    2015-06-01

    A largely extended X-ray emission was discovered around the pulsar PSR J1357-6429 with the Suzaku deep observations. The pulsar, whose characteristic age is 7.3 kyr, is located within the TeV γ-ray source HESS J1356-645. The extended emission is found to have a 1 σ X-ray size of ˜ 4', or ˜ 3 pc at 2.4 kpc, with a small offset from the pulsar. Its X-ray spectrum is well reproduced by a simple power-law model with a photon index of 1.70_{-0.06}^{+0.07}. No significant spatial variation was found for the X-ray photon index as a function of distance from the pulsar. We conclude that the extended emission is associated to the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) of PSR J1357-6429. This is a new sample of largely extended nebulae around middle-aged pulsars. We discuss the evolution of this PWN according to the relic PWN scenario.

  20. Evaluation of the 4-French Pulsar-18 Self-expanding Nitinol Stent in Long Femoropopliteal Lesions.

    PubMed

    Lichtenberg, Michael; Hailer, Birgit; Kaeunicke, Matthias; Stahlhoff, Wilhelm-Friedrich; Boese, Dirk; Breuckmann, Frank

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the patency and the freedom of target lesion revascularization of the 4-French Pulsar-18 self-expandable (SE) nitinol stent for the treatment of long femoropopliteal occlusive disease in a two-center, prospective, all-comers registry with a follow-up period of 12 months. This registry enrolled 36 patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal long lesions for recanalization and implantation of the 4-French Pulsar-18 SE nitinol stent. Routine follow-up examination including duplex ultrasound was performed after 6 and 12 months. Primary patency was defined as no binary restenosis on duplex ultrasound (Peak systolic velocitiy ration (PSVR) <2.5) and no target lesion revascularization was performed within 12 months' follow-up. No drug-eluting devices were allowed in this registry. Average lesion length of the femoropopliteal segment was 182.3 ± 51.8 mm. Mean stent implantation length was 181.5 ± 35.4 mm. Total occlusion was present in 46 of the 48 (95.8%) treated lesions. Involvement of popliteal segment I-III was present in 3 (6.3%) lesions. The primary patency after 6 and 12 months was 87.5% and 85.4%, respectively. The clinically driven overall freedom from target lesion revascularization (fTLR) was 89.6% after 6 months and 87.5% after 12 months. ABI, pain-free walking distance and Rutherford category, all improved significantly (P < 0.001) after 6 and 12 months. The primary patency rate in patients with diabetes (P = 0.18) and renal insufficiency (P = 0.3) was not significantly lower as compared to the overall primary patency. In this two-center, all-comers registry, the use of the Pulsar-18 SE nitinol stent for endovascular intervention of femoropopliteal disease with a mean lesion length of 182.3 ± 51.8 mm showed promising primary patency and fTLR rates after 6 and 12 months. Diabetes and renal insufficiency had no negative impact on the patency rate.

  1. Pulsar timing and general relativity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Backer, D. C.; Hellings, R. W.

    1986-01-01

    Techniques are described for accounting for relativistic effects in the analysis of pulsar signals. Design features of instrumentation used to achieve millisecond accuracy in the signal measurements are discussed. The accuracy of the data permits modeling the pulsar physical characteristics from the natural glitches in the emissions. Relativistic corrections are defined for adjusting for differences between the pulsar motion in its spacetime coordinate system relative to the terrestrial coordinate system, the earth's motion, and the gravitational potentials of solar system bodies. Modifications of the model to allow for a binary pulsar system are outlined, including treatment of the system as a point mass. Finally, a quadrupole model is presented for gravitational radiation and techniques are defined for using pulsars in the search for gravitational waves.

  2. Sensitivity of Pulsar Timing Arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siemens, Xavier

    2015-08-01

    For the better part of the last decade, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) has been using the Green Bank and Arecibo radio telescopes to monitor millisecond pulsars. NANOGrav, along with similar international collaborations, the European Pulsar Timing Array and the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array in Australia, form a consortium of consortia: the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA). The goal of the IPTA is to directly detect low-frequency gravitational waves which cause small changes to the times of arrival of radio pulses from millisecond pulsars. In this talk I will discuss the work of NANOGrav and the IPTA as well as our sensitivity to gravitational waves from astrophysical sources. I will show that a detection is possible by the end of the decade.

  3. An ultraluminous X-ray source powered by an accreting neutron star.

    PubMed

    Bachetti, M; Harrison, F A; Walton, D J; Grefenstette, B W; Chakrabarty, D; Fürst, F; Barret, D; Beloborodov, A; Boggs, S E; Christensen, F E; Craig, W W; Fabian, A C; Hailey, C J; Hornschemeier, A; Kaspi, V; Kulkarni, S R; Maccarone, T; Miller, J M; Rana, V; Stern, D; Tendulkar, S P; Tomsick, J; Webb, N A; Zhang, W W

    2014-10-09

    The majority of ultraluminous X-ray sources are point sources that are spatially offset from the nuclei of nearby galaxies and whose X-ray luminosities exceed the theoretical maximum for spherical infall (the Eddington limit) onto stellar-mass black holes. Their X-ray luminosities in the 0.5-10 kiloelectronvolt energy band range from 10(39) to 10(41) ergs per second. Because higher masses imply less extreme ratios of the luminosity to the isotropic Eddington limit, theoretical models have focused on black hole rather than neutron star systems. The most challenging sources to explain are those at the luminous end of the range (more than 10(40) ergs per second), which require black hole masses of 50-100 times the solar value or significant departures from the standard thin disk accretion that powers bright Galactic X-ray binaries, or both. Here we report broadband X-ray observations of the nuclear region of the galaxy M82 that reveal pulsations with an average period of 1.37 seconds and a 2.5-day sinusoidal modulation. The pulsations result from the rotation of a magnetized neutron star, and the modulation arises from its binary orbit. The pulsed flux alone corresponds to an X-ray luminosity in the 3-30 kiloelectronvolt range of 4.9 × 10(39) ergs per second. The pulsating source is spatially coincident with a variable source that can reach an X-ray luminosity in the 0.3-10 kiloelectronvolt range of 1.8 × 10(40) ergs per second. This association implies a luminosity of about 100 times the Eddington limit for a 1.4-solar-mass object, or more than ten times brighter than any known accreting pulsar. This implies that neutron stars may not be rare in the ultraluminous X-ray population, and it challenges physical models for the accretion of matter onto magnetized compact objects.

  4. A Gaussian Mixture Model for Nulling Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaplan, D. L.; Swiggum, J. K.; Fichtenbauer, T. D. J.; Vallisneri, M.

    2018-03-01

    The phenomenon of pulsar nulling—where pulsars occasionally turn off for one or more pulses—provides insight into pulsar-emission mechanisms and the processes by which pulsars turn off when they cross the “death line.” However, while ever more pulsars are found that exhibit nulling behavior, the statistical techniques used to measure nulling are biased, with limited utility and precision. In this paper, we introduce an improved algorithm, based on Gaussian mixture models, for measuring pulsar nulling behavior. We demonstrate this algorithm on a number of pulsars observed as part of a larger sample of nulling pulsars, and show that it performs considerably better than existing techniques, yielding better precision and no bias. We further validate our algorithm on simulated data. Our algorithm is widely applicable to a large number of pulsars even if they do not show obvious nulls. Moreover, it can be used to derive nulling probabilities of nulling for individual pulses, which can be used for in-depth studies.

  5. A Remarkable Three Hour Thermonuclear Burst from 4U 1820-30

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strohmayer, Tod E.; Brown, Edward F.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    We present a detailed observational and theoretical study of an approximately three hour long X-ray burst (the "super burst") observed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) from the low mass X-ray binary (LMXB) 4U 1820-30. This is the longest X-ray burst ever observed from this source, and perhaps one of the longest ever observed in great detail from any source. We show that the super burst is thermonuclear in origin. Its peak luminosity of approximately 3.4 x 10(exp 38) ergs s(exp -1) is consistent with the helium Eddington limit for a neutron star at approximately 7 kpc, as well as the peak luminosity of other, shorter, thermonuclear bursts from the same source. The super burst begins in the decaying tail of a more typical (approximately equal to 20 s duration) thermonuclear burst. These shorter, more frequent bursts are well known helium flashes from this source. The level of the accretion driven flux as well as the observed energy release of upwards of 1.5 x 10(exp 42) ergs indicate that helium could not be the energy source for the super burst. We outline the physics relevant to carbon production and burning on helium accreting neutron stars and present calculations of the thermal evolution and stability of a carbon layer and show that this process is the most likely explanation for the super burst. Ignition at the temperatures in the deep carbon "ocean" requires greater than 30 times the mass of carbon inferred from the observed burst energetics unless the He flash is able to trigger a deflagration from a much smaller mass of carbon. We show, however, that for large columns of accreted carbon fuel, a substantial fraction of the energy released in the carbon burning layer is radiated away as neutrinos, and the heat that is conducted from the burning layer in large part flows inward, only to be released on timescales longer than the observed burst. Thus the energy released during the event possibly exceeds that observed in X-rays by more than a factor of

  6. Population synthesis of radio and gamma-ray millisecond pulsars using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonthier, Peter L.; Koh, Yew-Meng; Kust Harding, Alice

    2016-04-01

    We present preliminary results of a new population synthesis of millisecond pulsars (MSP) from the Galactic disk using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques to better understand the model parameter space. We include empirical radio and gamma-ray luminosity models that are dependent on the pulsar period and period derivative with freely varying exponents. The magnitudes of the model luminosities are adjusted to reproduce the number of MSPs detected by a group of thirteen radio surveys as well as the MSP birth rate in the Galaxy and the number of MSPs detected by Fermi. We explore various high-energy emission geometries like the slot gap, outer gap, two pole caustic and pair starved polar cap models. The parameters associated with the birth distributions for the mass accretion rate, magnetic field, and period distributions are well constrained. With the set of four free parameters, we employ Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations to explore the model parameter space. We present preliminary comparisons of the simulated and detected distributions of radio and gamma-ray pulsar characteristics. We estimate the contribution of MSPs to the diffuse gamma-ray background with a special focus on the Galactic Center.We express our gratitude for the generous support of the National Science Foundation (RUI: AST-1009731), Fermi Guest Investigator Program and the NASA Astrophysics Theory and Fundamental Program (NNX09AQ71G).

  7. Discovery of a 105 ms X-Ray Pulsar in Kesteven 79: On the Nature of Compact Central Objects in Supernova Remnants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gotthelf, E. V.; Halpern, J. P.; Seward, F. D.

    2005-07-01

    We report the discovery of 105 ms X-ray pulsations from the compact central object (CCO) in the supernova remnant Kes 79 using data acquired with the Newton X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton). Two observations of the pulsar taken 6 days apart yield an upper limit on its spin-down rate of P˙<7×10-14 s s-1 and no evidence for binary orbital motion. The implied energy loss rate is E˙<2×1036 ergs s-1, the surface magnetic field strength is Bp<3×1012 G, and the spin-down age is τ>24 kyr. The latter exceeds the remnant's estimated age, suggesting that the pulsar was born spinning near its current period. The X-ray spectrum of PSR J1852+0040 is best characterized by a blackbody model of temperature kTBB=0.44+/-0.03 keV, radius RBB~0.9 km, and Lbol=3.7×1033 ergs s-1 at d=7.1 kpc. The sinusoidal light curve is modulated with a pulsed fraction of >45%, suggestive of a small hot spot on the surface of the rotating neutron star. The lack of a discernible pulsar wind nebula is consistent with an interpretation of PSR J1852+0040 as a rotation-powered pulsar whose spin-down luminosity falls below the empirical threshold for generating bright wind nebulae, E˙c~4×1036 ergs s-1. The age discrepancy implies that its E˙ has always been below E˙c, perhaps a distinguishing property of the CCOs. Alternatively, the X-ray spectrum of PSR J1852+0040 suggests a low-luminosity anomalous X-ray pulsar (AXP), but the weak inferred Bp field is incompatible with a magnetar theory of its X-ray luminosity. We cannot exclude accretion from a fallback disk. The ordinary spin parameters discovered from PSR J1852+0040 highlight the difficulty that existing theories of isolated neutron stars have in explaining the high luminosities and temperatures of CCO thermal X-ray spectra.

  8. Astronomers Discover Fastest-Spinning Pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2006-01-01

    Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope have discovered the fastest-spinning neutron star ever found, a 20-mile-diameter superdense pulsar whirling faster than the blades of a kitchen blender. Their work yields important new information about the nature of one of the most exotic forms of matter known in the Universe. Pulsar Graphic Pulsars Are Spinning Neutron Stars CREDIT: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on image for larger version) "We believe that the matter in neutron stars is denser than an atomic nucleus, but it is unclear by how much. Our observations of such a rapidly rotating star set a hard upper limit on its size, and hence on how dense the star can be.," said Jason Hessels, a graduate student at McGill University in Montreal. Hessels and his colleagues presented their findings to the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Washington, DC. Pulsars are spinning neutron stars that sling "lighthouse beams" of radio waves or light around as they spin. A neutron star is what is left after a massive star explodes at the end of its "normal" life. With no nuclear fuel left to produce energy to offset the stellar remnant's weight, its material is compressed to extreme densities. The pressure squeezes together most of its protons and electrons to form neutrons; hence, the name "neutron star." "Neutron stars are incredible laboratories for learning about the physics of the fundamental particles of nature, and this pulsar has given us an important new limit," explained Scott Ransom, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and one of Hessels' collaborators on this work. The scientists discovered the pulsar, named PSR J1748-2446ad, in a globular cluster of stars called Terzan 5, located some 28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The newly-discovered pulsar is spinning 716 times per second, or at 716 Hertz (Hz), readily beating the previous record of 642 Hz from a pulsar

  9. Discovery of gamma-ray emission from the extragalactic pulsar wind nebula N 157B with H.E.S.S.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    H.E.S.S. Collaboration; Abramowski, A.; Acero, F.; Aharonian, F.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Anton, G.; Balenderan, S.; Balzer, A.; Barnacka, A.; Becherini, Y.; Becker, J.; Bernlöhr, K.; Birsin, E.; Biteau, J.; Bochow, A.; Boisson, C.; Bolmont, J.; Bordas, P.; Brucker, J.; Brun, F.; Brun, P.; Bulik, T.; Carrigan, S.; Casanova, S.; Cerruti, M.; Chadwick, P. M.; Charbonnier, A.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Cheesebrough, A.; Cologna, G.; Conrad, J.; Couturier, C.; Dalton, M.; Daniel, M. K.; Davids, I. D.; Degrange, B.; Deil, C.; Dickinson, H. J.; Djannati-Atäı, A.; Domainko, W.; Drury, L. O.'C.; Dubus, G.; Dutson, K.; Dyks, J.; Dyrda, M.; Egberts, K.; Eger, P.; Espigat, P.; Fallon, L.; Farnier, C.; Fegan, S.; Feinstein, F.; Fernandes, M. V.; Fernandez, D.; Fiasson, A.; Fontaine, G.; Förster, A.; Füßling, M.; Gajdus, M.; Gallant, Y. A.; Garrigoux, T.; Gast, H.; G´rard, L.; Giebels, B.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Glück, B.; Göring, D.; Grondin, M.-H.; Häffner, S.; Hague, J. D.; Hahn, J.; Hampf, D.; Harris, J.; Hauser, M.; Heinz, S.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hillert, A.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Hofverberg, P.; Holler, M.; Horns, D.; Jacholkowska, A.; de Jager, O. C.; Jahn, C.; Jamrozy, M.; Jung, I.; Kastendieck, M. A.; K´ski, K.; Katz, U.; Kaufmann, S.; K´lifi, B.; Klochkov, D.; K´niak, W.; Kneiske, T.; Komin, Nu.; Kosack, K.; Kossakowski, R.; Krayzel, F.; Laffon, H.; Lamanna, G.; Lenain, J.-P.; Lennarz, D.; Lohse, T.; Lopatin, A.; Lu, C.-C.; Marandon, V.; Marcowith, A.; Masbou, J.; Maurin, G.; Maxted, N.; Mayer, M.; McComb, T. J. L.; Medina, M. C.; M´hault, J.; Menzler, U.; Moderski, R.; Mohamed, M.; Moulin, E.; Naumann, C. L.; Naumann-Godo, M.; de Naurois, M.; Nedbal, D.; Nguyen, N.; Nicholas, B.; Niemiec, J.; Nolan, S. J.; Ohm, S.; de Oña Wilhelmi, E.; Opitz, B.; Ostrowski, M.; Oya, I.; Panter, M.; Paz Arribas, M.; Pekeur, N. W.; Pelletier, G.; Perez, J.; Petrucci, P.-O.; Peyaud, B.; Pita, S.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Quirrenbach, A.; Raue, M.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Renaud, M.; de los Reyes, R.; Rieger, F.; Ripken, J.; Rob, L.; Rosier-Lees, S.; Rowell, G.; Rudak, B.; Rulten, C. B.; Sahakian, V.; Sanchez, D. A.; Santangelo, A.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schulz, A.; Schwanke, U.; Schwarzburg, S.; Schwemmer, S.; Sheidaei, F.; Skilton, J. L.; Sol, H.; Spengler, G.; Stawarz, Lstrok; .; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Stinzing, F.; Stycz, K.; Sushch, I.; Szostek, A.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Terrier, R.; Tluczykont, M.; Valerius, K.; van Eldik, C.; Vasileiadis, G.; Venter, C.; Viana, A.; Vincent, P.; Völk, H. J.; Volpe, F.; Vorobiov, S.; Vorster, M.; Wagner, S. J.; Ward, M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Zacharias, M.; Zajczyk, A.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Zech, A.; Zechlin, H.-S.

    2012-09-01

    We present the significant detection of the first extragalactic pulsar wind nebula (PWN) detected in gamma rays, N 157B, located in the large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Pulsars with high spin-down luminosity are found to power energised nebulae that emit gamma rays up to energies of several tens of TeV. N 157B is associated with PSR J0537-6910, which is the pulsar with the highest known spin-down luminosity. The High Energy Stereoscopic System telescope array observed this nebula on a yearly basis from 2004 to 2009 with a dead-time corrected exposure of 46 h. The gamma-ray spectrum between 600 GeV and 12 TeV is well-described by a pure power-law with a photon index of 2.8 ± 0.2stat ± 0.3syst and a normalisation at 1 TeV of (8.2 ± 0.8stat ± 2.5syst) × 10-13 cm-2 s-1 TeV-1. A leptonic multi-wavelength model shows that an energy of about 4 × 1049 erg is stored in electrons and positrons. The apparent efficiency, which is the ratio of the TeV gamma-ray luminosity to the pulsar's spin-down luminosity, 0.08% ± 0.01%, is comparable to those of PWNe found in the Milky Way. The detection of a PWN at such a large distance is possible due to the pulsar's favourable spin-down luminosity and a bright infrared photon-field serving as an inverse-Compton-scattering target for accelerated leptons. By applying a calorimetric technique to these observations, the pulsar's birth period is estimated to be shorter than 10 ms. Data set is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/545/L2

  10. Exploring Radio Pulsars With New Technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torne, Pablo

    2017-04-01

    Pulsars are rapidly-rotating, highly-magnetized compact neutron stars. Their strong gravitational and magnetic fields, together with the stability of their rotations and the precision with which we can measure them using radio telescopes, make pulsars unique laboratories for a wide variety of physical experiments. This thesis presents an investigation of the application of new receiver technologies and observing techniques at different radio wavelengths to the search for and study of pulsars. Discovering new pulsars always expands our capabilities to do new science. In general, the most exciting pulsars are those in binary systems because of their potential in high-precision tests of General Relativity and other gravity theories, and for constraining the Equation-of-State of ultra-dense matter. I present a search for pulsars in the Galactic Centre, where the probabilities of finding pulsar binaries, including the long-sought pulsar-black hole system, are high. The data were taken with the Effelsberg 100-m radio telescope and used high radio frequencies between 4.85 and 18.95 GHz to partially overcome the strong scattering in the direction to the centre of the Galaxy. With approximately 50 per cent of the results reviewed, no new pulsars have been discovered. We carried out a study of the sensitivity limits of the survey, finding that our sensitivity to Galactic Centre pulsars is highly reduced by the contributions to the total system noise of the Galactic Centre background and the atmosphere. We conclude that the paucity of detections in this and perhaps also previous similar surveys is likely due to insufficient sensitivity, and not a lack of pulsars in the region. In March 2013, a radio magnetar, one of the rarest types of pulsars, became suddenly visible from the Galactic Centre. I led two multifrequency observing campaigns on this source, SGR J1745-2900, in order to study its radio emission properties. Four different observatories were involved (including

  11. Timing and searching millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew

    2009-10-01

    Timing the dozen pulsars discovered in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the eclipse region and the orbital secular evolution). We also request time for performing pilot observations for a new deeper than ever search for millisecond pulsars in a subset of suitable clusters. This revamped search (as well as the requested timing observations) will exploit the new back-ends (APSR and DFB4) now available at Parkes.

  12. Timing and searching millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

    2010-04-01

    Timing the dozen pulsars discovered in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6752 at 20cm (in order to measure additional parameters useful to constrain the existence of a black-hole) and NGC6397 at 10cm (for studying the eclipse region and the orbital secular evolution). We also request time for performing observations for a new deeper than ever search for millisecond pulsars in a subset of suitable clusters. This revamped search (as well as the requested timing observations) will exploit the new back-ends (APSR and DFB4) now available at Parkes.

  13. Pulsar-irradiated stars in dense globular clusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tavani, Marco

    1992-01-01

    We discuss the properties of stars irradiated by millisecond pulsars in 'hard' binaries of dense globular clusters. Irradiation by a relativistic pulsar wind as in the case of the eclipsing millisecond pulsar PSR 1957+20 alter both the magnitude and color of the companion star. Some of the blue stragglers (BSs) recently discovered in dense globular clusters can be irradiated stars in binaries containing powerful millisecond pulsars. The discovery of pulsar-driven orbital modulations of BS brightness and color with periods of a few hours together with evidence for radio and/or gamma-ray emission from BS binaries would valuably contribute to the understanding of the evolution of collapsed stars in globular clusters. Pulsar-driven optical modulation of cluster stars might be the only observable effect of a new class of binary pulsars, i.e., hidden millisecond pulsars enshrouded in the evaporated material lifted off from the irradiated companion star.

  14. SIGPROC: Pulsar Signal Processing Programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lorimer, D. R.

    2011-07-01

    SIGPROC is a package designed to standardize the initial analysis of the many types of fast-sampled pulsar data. Currently recognized machines are the Wide Band Arecibo Pulsar Processor (WAPP), the Penn State Pulsar Machine (PSPM), the Arecibo Observatory Fourier Transform Machine (AOFTM), the Berkeley Pulsar Processors (BPP), the Parkes/Jodrell 1-bit filterbanks (SCAMP) and the filterbank at the Ooty radio telescope (OOTY). The SIGPROC tools should help users look at their data quickly, without the need to write (yet) another routine to read data or worry about big/little endian compatibility (byte swapping is handled automatically).

  15. A novel look at the pulsar force-free magnetosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petrova, S. A.; Flanchik, A. B.

    2018-03-01

    The stationary axisymmetric force-free magnetosphere of a pulsar is considered. We present an exact dipolar solution of the pulsar equation, construct the magnetospheric model on its basis and examine its observational support. The new model has toroidal rather than common cylindrical geometry, in line with that of the plasma outflow observed directly as the pulsar wind nebula at much larger spatial scale. In its new configuration, the axisymmetric magnetosphere consumes the neutron star rotational energy much more efficiently, implying re-estimation of the stellar magnetic field, B_{new}0=3.3×10^{-4}B/P, where P is the pulsar period. Then the 7-order scatter of the magnetic field derived from the rotational characteristics of the pulsars observed appears consistent with the \\cotχ-law, where χ is a random quantity uniformly distributed in the interval [0,π/2]. Our result is suggestive of a unique actual magnetic field strength of the neutron stars along with a random angle between the magnetic and rotational axes and gives insight into the neutron star unification on the geometrical basis.

  16. Star Cluster Buzzing With Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2005-01-01

    A dense globular star cluster near the center of our Milky Way Galaxy holds a buzzing beehive of rapidly-spinning millisecond pulsars, according to astronomers who discovered 21 new pulsars in the cluster using the National Science Foundation's 100-meter Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia. The cluster, called Terzan 5, now holds the record for pulsars, with 24, including three known before the GBT observations. Pulsar Diagram Pulsar Diagram: Click on image for more detail. "We hit the jackpot when we looked at this cluster," said Scott Ransom, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, VA. "Not only does this cluster have a lot of pulsars -- and we still expect to find more in it -- but the pulsars in it are very interesting. They include at least 13 in binary systems, two of which are eclipsing, and the four fastest-rotating pulsars known in any globular cluster, with the fastest two rotating nearly 600 times per second, roughly as fast as a household blender," Ransom added. Ransom and his colleagues reported their findings to the American Astronomical Society's meeting in San Diego, CA, and in the online journal Science Express. The star cluster's numerous pulsars are expected to yield a bonanza of new information about not only the pulsars themselves, but also about the dense stellar environment in which they reside and probably even about nuclear physics, according to the scientists. For example, preliminary measurements indicate that two of the pulsars are more massive than some theoretical models would allow. "All these exotic pulsars will keep us busy for years to come," said Jason Hessels, a Ph.D student at McGill University in Montreal. Globular clusters are dense agglomerations of up to millions of stars, all of which formed at about the same time. Pulsars are spinning, superdense neutron stars that whirl "lighthouse beams" of radio waves or light around as they spin. A neutron star is what is

  17. Pulsar searching and timing with the Parkes telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ng, C. W. Y.

    2014-11-01

    Pulsars are highly magnetised, rapidly rotating neutron stars that radiate a beam of coherent radio emission from their magnetic poles. An introduction to the pulsar phenomenology is presented in Chapter 1 of this thesis. The extreme conditions found in and around such compact objects make pulsars fantastic natural laboratories, as their strong gravitational fields provide exclusive insights to a rich variety of fundamental physics and astronomy. The discovery of pulsars is therefore a gateway to new science. An overview of the standard pulsar searching technique is described in Chapter 2, as well as a discussion on notable pulsar searching efforts undertaken thus far with various telescopes. The High Time Resolution Universe (HTRU) Pulsar Survey conducted with the 64-m Parkes radio telescope in Australia forms the bulk of this PhD. In particular, the author has led the search effort of the HTRU low-latitude Galactic plane project part which is introduced in Chapter 3. We discuss the computational challenges arising from the processing of the petabyte-sized survey data. Two new radio interference mitigation techniques are introduced, as well as a partially-coherent segmented acceleration search algorithm which aims to increase our chances of discovering highly-relativistic short-orbit binary systems, covering a parameter space including the potential pulsar-black hole binaries. We show that under a linear acceleration approximation, a ratio of ~0.1 of data length over orbital period results in the highest effectiveness for this search algorithm. Chapter 4 presents the initial results from the HTRU low-latitude Galactic plane survey. From the 37 per cent of data processed thus far, we have re-detected 348 previously known pulsars and discovered a further 47 pulsars. Two of which are fast-spinning pulsars with periods less than 30 ms. PSR J1101-6424 is a millisecond pulsar (MSP) with a heavy white dwarf companion while its short spin period of 5 ms indicates

  18. Determination of the Sun's offset from the Galactic plane using pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, J. M.; Manchester, R. N.; Wang, N.

    2017-07-01

    We derive the Sun's offset from the local mean Galactic plane (z⊙) using the observed z-distribution of young pulsars. Pulsar distances are obtained from measurements of annual parallax, H I absorption spectra or associations where available and otherwise from the observed pulsar dispersion and a model for the distribution of free electrons in the Galaxy. We fit the cumulative distribution function for a sech2(z)-distribution function, representing an isothermal self-gravitating disc, with uncertainties being estimated using the bootstrap method. We take pulsars having characteristic age τc ≲ 106.5 yr and located within 4.5 kpc of the Sun, omitting those within the local spiral arm and those significantly affected by the Galactic warp, and solve for z⊙ and the scaleheight, H, for different cut-offs in τc. We compute these quantities using just the independently determined distances and these together with dispersion measure (DM)-based distances separately using the YMW16 and NE2001 Galactic electron density models. We find that an age cut-off at 105.75 yr with YMW16 DM distances gives the best results with a minimum uncertainty in z⊙ and an asymptotically stable value for H showing that, at this age and below, the observed pulsar z-distribution is dominated by the dispersion in their birth locations. From this sample of 115 pulsars, we obtain z⊙ = 13.4 ± 4.4 pc and H = 56.9 ± 6.5 pc, similar to estimated scaleheights for OB stars and open clusters. Consistent results are obtained using the independent-only distances and using the NE2001 model for the DM-based distances.

  19. Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars: Results from the Initial Detector Era

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aasi, J.; Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amariutei, D.; Anderson, R. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Ast, S.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barker, D.; Barnum, S. H.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bebronne, M.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Belopolski, I.; Bergmann, G.; Berliner, J. M.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Bessis, D.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bhadbhade, T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bowers, J.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brannen, C. A.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Constancio, M., Jr.; Conte, A.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Dal Canton, T.; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; De Rosa, R.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Del Pozzo, W.; Deleeuw, E.; Deléglise, S.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Dmitry, K.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dumas, J.-C.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, K.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W.; Favata, M.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R.; Flaminio, R.; Foley, E.; Foley, S.; Forsi, E.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fujimoto, M.-K.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garcia, J.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gil-Casanova, S.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Griffo, C.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hall, B.; Hall, E.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hartman, M. T.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Heefner, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Holtrop, M.; Hong, T.; Hooper, S.; Horrom, T.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Hua, Z.; Huang, V.; Huerta, E. A.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Iafrate, J.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jang, Y. J.; Jaranowski, P.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kasprzack, M.; Kasturi, R.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kaufman, K.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, B. K.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, W.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kucharczyk, C.; Kudla, S.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kurdyumov, R.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Le Roux, A.; Leaci, P.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J. B.; Lhuillier, V.; Li, T. G. F.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Liu, F.; Liu, H.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Lloyd, D.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana-Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; May, G.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Mokler, F.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Mori, T.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nanda Kumar, D.; Nardecchia, I.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R.; Necula, V.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nishida, E.; Nishizawa, A.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; Ortega Larcher, W.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Ou, J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoletti, R.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Peiris, P.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pindor, B.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poole, V.; Poux, C.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rodriguez, C.; Rodruck, M.; Roever, C.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G. R.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Soden, K.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Sperandio, L.; Staley, A.; Steinert, E.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stevens, D.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Szeifert, G.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tang, L.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; ter Braack, A. P. M.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vlcek, B.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vrinceanu, D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Waldman, S. J.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wan, Y.; Wang, J.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wibowo, S.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yum, H.; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, X. J.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.; Buchner, S.; Cognard, I.; Corongiu, A.; D'Amico, N.; Espinoza, C. M.; Freire, P. C. C.; Gotthelf, E. V.; Guillemot, L.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Hobbs, G. B.; Kramer, M.; Lyne, A. G.; Marshall, F. E.; Possenti, A.; Ransom, S. M.; Ray, P. S.; Roy, J.; Stappers, B. W.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

    2014-04-01

    We present the results of searches for gravitational waves from a large selection of pulsars using data from the most recent science runs (S6, VSR2 and VSR4) of the initial generation of interferometric gravitational wave detectors LIGO (Laser Interferometric Gravitational-wave Observatory) and Virgo. We do not see evidence for gravitational wave emission from any of the targeted sources but produce upper limits on the emission amplitude. We highlight the results from seven young pulsars with large spin-down luminosities. We reach within a factor of five of the canonical spin-down limit for all seven of these, whilst for the Crab and Vela pulsars we further surpass their spin-down limits. We present new or updated limits for 172 other pulsars (including both young and millisecond pulsars). Now that the detectors are undergoing major upgrades, and, for completeness, we bring together all of the most up-to-date results from all pulsars searched for during the operations of the first-generation LIGO, Virgo and GEO600 detectors. This gives a total of 195 pulsars including the most recent results described in this paper.

  20. Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars: Results from the Initial Detector Era

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aasi, J.; Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; hide

    2014-01-01

    We present the results of searches for gravitational waves from a large selection of pulsars using data from the most recent science runs (S6, VSR2 and VSR4) of the initial generation of interferometric gravitational wave detectors LIGO (Laser Interferometric Gravitational-wave Observatory) and Virgo. We do not see evidence for gravitational wave emission from any of the targeted sources but produce upper limits on the emission amplitude. We highlight the results from seven young pulsars with large spin-down luminosities. We reach within a factor of five of the canonical spin-down limit for all seven of these, whilst for the Crab and Vela pulsars we further surpass their spin-down limits. We present new or updated limits for 172 other pulsars (including both young and millisecond pulsars). Now that the detectors are undergoing major upgrades, and, for completeness, we bring together all of the most up-to-date results from all pulsars searched for during the operations of the first-generation LIGO, Virgo and GEO600 detectors. This gives a total of 195 pulsars including the most recent results described in this paper.

  1. Searching for pulsars using image pattern recognition

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhu, W. W.; Berndsen, A.; Madsen, E. C.

    In the modern era of big data, many fields of astronomy are generating huge volumes of data, the analysis of which can sometimes be the limiting factor in research. Fortunately, computer scientists have developed powerful data-mining techniques that can be applied to various fields. In this paper, we present a novel artificial intelligence (AI) program that identifies pulsars from recent surveys by using image pattern recognition with deep neural nets—the PICS (Pulsar Image-based Classification System) AI. The AI mimics human experts and distinguishes pulsars from noise and interference by looking for patterns from candidate plots. Different from other pulsar selectionmore » programs that search for expected patterns, the PICS AI is taught the salient features of different pulsars from a set of human-labeled candidates through machine learning. The training candidates are collected from the Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array (PALFA) survey. The information from each pulsar candidate is synthesized in four diagnostic plots, which consist of image data with up to thousands of pixels. The AI takes these data from each candidate as its input and uses thousands of such candidates to train its ∼9000 neurons. The deep neural networks in this AI system grant it superior ability to recognize various types of pulsars as well as their harmonic signals. The trained AI's performance has been validated with a large set of candidates from a different pulsar survey, the Green Bank North Celestial Cap survey. In this completely independent test, the PICS ranked 264 out of 277 pulsar-related candidates, including all 56 previously known pulsars and 208 of their harmonics, in the top 961 (1%) of 90,008 test candidates, missing only 13 harmonics. The first non-pulsar candidate appears at rank 187, following 45 pulsars and 141 harmonics. In other words, 100% of the pulsars were ranked in the top 1% of all candidates, while 80% were ranked higher than any noise or interference. The

  2. Searching for Pulsars Using Image Pattern Recognition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, W. W.; Berndsen, A.; Madsen, E. C.; Tan, M.; Stairs, I. H.; Brazier, A.; Lazarus, P.; Lynch, R.; Scholz, P.; Stovall, K.; Ransom, S. M.; Banaszak, S.; Biwer, C. M.; Cohen, S.; Dartez, L. P.; Flanigan, J.; Lunsford, G.; Martinez, J. G.; Mata, A.; Rohr, M.; Walker, A.; Allen, B.; Bhat, N. D. R.; Bogdanov, S.; Camilo, F.; Chatterjee, S.; Cordes, J. M.; Crawford, F.; Deneva, J. S.; Desvignes, G.; Ferdman, R. D.; Freire, P. C. C.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Jenet, F. A.; Kaplan, D. L.; Kaspi, V. M.; Knispel, B.; Lee, K. J.; van Leeuwen, J.; Lyne, A. G.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Siemens, X.; Spitler, L. G.; Venkataraman, A.

    2014-02-01

    In the modern era of big data, many fields of astronomy are generating huge volumes of data, the analysis of which can sometimes be the limiting factor in research. Fortunately, computer scientists have developed powerful data-mining techniques that can be applied to various fields. In this paper, we present a novel artificial intelligence (AI) program that identifies pulsars from recent surveys by using image pattern recognition with deep neural nets—the PICS (Pulsar Image-based Classification System) AI. The AI mimics human experts and distinguishes pulsars from noise and interference by looking for patterns from candidate plots. Different from other pulsar selection programs that search for expected patterns, the PICS AI is taught the salient features of different pulsars from a set of human-labeled candidates through machine learning. The training candidates are collected from the Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array (PALFA) survey. The information from each pulsar candidate is synthesized in four diagnostic plots, which consist of image data with up to thousands of pixels. The AI takes these data from each candidate as its input and uses thousands of such candidates to train its ~9000 neurons. The deep neural networks in this AI system grant it superior ability to recognize various types of pulsars as well as their harmonic signals. The trained AI's performance has been validated with a large set of candidates from a different pulsar survey, the Green Bank North Celestial Cap survey. In this completely independent test, the PICS ranked 264 out of 277 pulsar-related candidates, including all 56 previously known pulsars and 208 of their harmonics, in the top 961 (1%) of 90,008 test candidates, missing only 13 harmonics. The first non-pulsar candidate appears at rank 187, following 45 pulsars and 141 harmonics. In other words, 100% of the pulsars were ranked in the top 1% of all candidates, while 80% were ranked higher than any noise or interference. The

  3. PEACE: pulsar evaluation algorithm for candidate extraction - a software package for post-analysis processing of pulsar survey candidates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, K. J.; Stovall, K.; Jenet, F. A.; Martinez, J.; Dartez, L. P.; Mata, A.; Lunsford, G.; Cohen, S.; Biwer, C. M.; Rohr, M.; Flanigan, J.; Walker, A.; Banaszak, S.; Allen, B.; Barr, E. D.; Bhat, N. D. R.; Bogdanov, S.; Brazier, A.; Camilo, F.; Champion, D. J.; Chatterjee, S.; Cordes, J.; Crawford, F.; Deneva, J.; Desvignes, G.; Ferdman, R. D.; Freire, P.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Karuppusamy, R.; Kaspi, V. M.; Knispel, B.; Kramer, M.; Lazarus, P.; Lynch, R.; Lyne, A.; McLaughlin, M.; Ransom, S.; Scholz, P.; Siemens, X.; Spitler, L.; Stairs, I.; Tan, M.; van Leeuwen, J.; Zhu, W. W.

    2013-07-01

    Modern radio pulsar surveys produce a large volume of prospective candidates, the majority of which are polluted by human-created radio frequency interference or other forms of noise. Typically, large numbers of candidates need to be visually inspected in order to determine if they are real pulsars. This process can be labour intensive. In this paper, we introduce an algorithm called Pulsar Evaluation Algorithm for Candidate Extraction (PEACE) which improves the efficiency of identifying pulsar signals. The algorithm ranks the candidates based on a score function. Unlike popular machine-learning-based algorithms, no prior training data sets are required. This algorithm has been applied to data from several large-scale radio pulsar surveys. Using the human-based ranking results generated by students in the Arecibo Remote Command Center programme, the statistical performance of PEACE was evaluated. It was found that PEACE ranked 68 per cent of the student-identified pulsars within the top 0.17 per cent of sorted candidates, 95 per cent within the top 0.34 per cent and 100 per cent within the top 3.7 per cent. This clearly demonstrates that PEACE significantly increases the pulsar identification rate by a factor of about 50 to 1000. To date, PEACE has been directly responsible for the discovery of 47 new pulsars, 5 of which are millisecond pulsars that may be useful for pulsar timing based gravitational-wave detection projects.

  4. GMRT Galactic Plane Pulsar and Transient Survey and the Discovery of PSR J1838+1523

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surnis, Mayuresh P.; Joshi, Bhal Chandra; McLaughlin, Maura A.; Lorimer, Duncan R.; M A, Krishnakumar; Manoharan, P. K.; Naidu, Arun

    2018-05-01

    We report the results of a blind pulsar survey carried out with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 325 MHz. The survey covered about 10% of the region between Galactic longitude 45° < l < 135° and Galactic latitude 1°< |b| < 10° with a dwell time of 1800 s, resulting in the detection of 28 pulsars. One of these, PSR J1838+1523, was previously unknown and has a period of 549 ms and a dispersion measure of 68 pc cm-3. We also present the timing solution of this pulsar obtained from multi-frequency timing observations carried out with the GMRT and the Ooty Radio Telescope. The measured flux density of this pulsar is 4.3±1.8 and 1.2±0.7 mJy at 325 and 610 MHz, respectively. This implies a spectral index of -2 ±0.8, thus making the expected flux density at 1.4 GHz to be about 0.2 mJy, which would be just detectable in the high frequency pulsar surveys like the Northern High Time Resolution Universe pulsar survey. This discovery underlines the importance of low frequency pulsar surveys in detecting steep spectrum pulsars, thus providing complementary coverage of the pulsar population.

  5. A phenomenological pulsar model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Michel, F. C.

    1978-01-01

    Particle injection energies and rates previously calculated for the stellar wind generation by rotating magnetized neutron stars are adopted. It is assumed that the ambient space-charge density being emitted to form this wind is bunched. These considerations immediately place the coherent radio frequency luminosity from such bunches near 10 to the 28th erg/s for typical pulsar parameters. A comparable amount of incoherent radiation is emitted for typical (1 second) pulsars. For very rapid pulsars, however, the latter component grows more rapidly than the available energy sources. The comparatively low radio luminosity of the Crab and Vela pulsars is attributed to both components being limited in the same ratio. The incoherent radiation essentially has a synchotron spectrum and extends to gamma-ray energies; consequently the small part of the total luminosity that is at optical wavelengths is unobservable. Assuming full coherence at all wavelengths short of a critical length gives a spectral index for the flux density of -8/3 at higher frequencies. The finite energy available from the injected particles would force the spectrum to roll over below about 100 MHz, although intrinsic morphological factors probably enter for any specific pulsar as well.

  6. A survey for Hα pulsar bow shocks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brownsberger, Sasha; Romani, Roger W., E-mail: rwr@astro.stanford.edu, E-mail: sashab@stanford.edu

    2014-04-01

    We report on a survey for Hα bow shock emission around nearby γ-detected energetic pulsars. This survey adds three Balmer-dominated neutron star bow shocks to the six previously confirmed examples. In addition to the shock around Fermi pulsar PSR J1741–2054, we now report Hα structures around two additional γ-ray pulsars, PSR J2030+4415 and PSR J1509–5850. These are the first known examples of Hα nebulae with pre-ionization halos. With new measurements, we show that a simple analytic model can account for the angular size and flux of the bow shocks' apices. The latter, in particular, provides a new pulsar probe andmore » indicates large moments of inertia and smaller distances than previously assumed in several cases. In particular, we show that the re-measured PSR J0437–4715 shock flux implies I = (1.7 ± 0.2) × 10{sup 45}/(f {sub HI}sin i) g cm{sup 2}. We also derive a distance d ≈ 0.72 kpc for the γ-ray only pulsar PSR J2030+4415 and revised distances for PSRs J1959+2048 (1.4 kpc) and J2555+6535 (∼1 kpc), smaller than the conventional DM-estimated values. Finally, we report upper limits for 94 additional LAT pulsars. An estimate of the survey sensitivity indicates that for a warm neutral medium filling factor φ{sub WNM} ∼ 0.3 there should be a total of approximately nine Hα bow shocks in our LAT-targeted survey; given that seven such objects are now known, a much larger φ{sub WNM} seems problematic.« less

  7. Type I X-Ray Bursts at Low Accretion Rates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Fang; Brown, E. F.; Truran, J. W.

    2006-06-01

    Neutron stars, with their strong surface gravity, have interestingly short timescales for the sedimentation of heavy elements. Recent observations of unstable thermonuclear burning (observed as X-ray bursts) on the surfaces of slowly accreting neutron stars (< 0.01 of the Eddington rate) motivate us to examine how sedimentation of CNO isotopes affects the ignition of these bursts. For neutron stars accreting at rates less than 0.1 Eddington, there is sufficient time for CNO to settle out of the accreted envelope. We estimate the burst development using a simple one-zone model with a full reaction network. At the lowest accretion rates, 0.1 Eddington, there can still be an effect. We note that the reduced proton-to-seed ratio favors the production of 12C--an important ingredient for subsequent superbursts.This work is supported by the U.S. DOE under grant B523820 to the Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes at the University of Chicago, JINA under NSF-PFC grant PHY 02-16783, NSF under grant AST-0507456 and U.S. DOE under contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38.

  8. Sub-luminous γ-ray pulsars

    DOE PAGES

    Romani, R. W.; Kerr, M.; Craig, H. A.; ...

    2011-08-17

    Here, most pulsars observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope have γ-ray luminosities scaling with spin-down powermore » $${\\dot{E}}$$ as $$L_\\gamma \\approx ({\\dot{E}}\\, \\times \\, 10^{33}\\,{\\rm erg \\,s^{-1}})^{1/2}$$. However, there exist one detection and several upper limits an order of magnitude or more fainter than this trend. We describe these "sub-luminous" γ-ray pulsars and discuss the case for this being an orientation effect. Of the 12 known young radio pulsars with $${\\dot{E}}>10^{34}\\, {\\rm erg\\,s^{-1}}$$ and d ≤ 2 kpc several are substantially sub-luminous. The limited available geometrical constraints favor aligned geometries for these pulsars, although no one case for alignment is compelling. In this scenario GeV emission detected from such sub-luminous pulsars can be due to a lower altitude, lower-power accelerator gap.« less

  9. Massive star formation by accretion. I. Disc accretion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haemmerlé, L.; Eggenberger, P.; Meynet, G.; Maeder, A.; Charbonnel, C.

    2016-01-01

    Context. Massive stars likely form by accretion and the evolutionary track of an accreting forming star corresponds to what is called the birthline in the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram. The shape of this birthline is quite sensitive to the evolution of the entropy in the accreting star. Aims: We first study the reasons why some birthlines published in past years present different behaviours for a given accretion rate. We then revisit the question of the accretion rate, which allows us to understand the distribution of the observed pre-main-sequence (pre-MS) stars in the HR diagram. Finally, we identify the conditions needed to obtain a large inflation of the star along its pre-MS evolution that may push the birthline towards the Hayashi line in the upper part of the HR diagram. Methods: We present new pre-MS models including accretion at various rates and for different initial structures of the accreting core. We compare them with previously published equivalent models. From the observed upper envelope of pre-MS stars in the HR diagram, we deduce the accretion law that best matches the accretion history of most of the intermediate-mass stars. Results: In the numerical computation of the time derivative of the entropy, some treatment leads to an artificial loss of entropy and thus reduces the inflation that the accreting star undergoes along the birthline. In the case of cold disc accretion, the existence of a significant swelling during the accretion phase, which leads to radii ≳ 100 R⊙ and brings the star back to the red part of the HR diagram, depends sensitively on the initial conditions. For an accretion rate of 10-3M⊙ yr-1, only models starting from a core with a significant radiative region evolve back to the red part of the HR diagram. We also obtain that, in order to reproduce the observed upper envelope of pre-MS stars in the HR diagram with an accretion law deduced from the observed mass outflows in ultra-compact HII regions, the fraction of the

  10. Orbital Dynamics of Candidate Transitional Millisecond Pulsar 3FGL J1544.6-1125: An unusually face-on system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Britt, Christopher T.; Strader, Jay; Chomiuk, Laura; Halpern, Jules P.; Tremou, Evangelina; Peacock, Mark; Salinas, Ricardo

    2018-01-01

    We present the orbital solution for the donor star of the candidate transitional millisecond pulsar 3FGL J1544.6-1125, currently observed as an accreting low-mass X-ray binary. The orbital period is 0.2415361(36) days, entirely consistent with the spectral classification of the donor star as a mid to late K dwarf. The semi-amplitude of the radial velocity curve is exceptionally low at K2=39.3+/-1.5 km s-1, implying a remarkably face-on inclination in the range 5-8o, depending on the neutron star and donor masses. After determining the veiling of the secondary, we derive a distance to the binary of 3.8+/-0.7 kpc, yielding a 0.3-10 keV X-ray luminosity of 6.1+/-1.9 x1033 erg s-1, similar to confirmed transitional millisecond pulsars. As face-on binaries rarely occur by chance, we discuss the possibility that Fermi-selected samples of transitional milli-second pulsars in the sub-luminous disk state are affected by beaming. By phasing emission line strength on the spectroscopic ephemeris, we find coherent variations, and argue that some optical light originates from emission from an asymmetric shock originating near the inner disk.

  11. Fast optical and X-ray variability in the UCXB 4U0614+09

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hakala, P. J.; Charles, P. A.; Muhli, P.

    2011-09-01

    We present results from several years of fast optical photometry of 4U0614+091 (V1055 Orionis), a candidate ultracompact X-ray binary most likely consisting of a neutron star and a degenerate secondary. We find evidence for strong accretion-driven variability at all epochs, which manifests itself as red noise. This flickering produces transient peaks in the observed power spectrum in the 15-65 min period range. Only in one of our 12 optical data sets can we see evidence for a period that cannot be reproduced using the red noise model. This period of 51 min coincides with the strongest period detected by Shahbaz et al. and can thus be taken as the prime candidate for the orbital period of the system. Furthermore, we find some tentative evidence for the X-ray versus optical flux anticorrelation discovered by Machin et al. using our data together with the all-sky X-ray monitoring data from RXTE/All Sky Monitor. We propose that the complex time series behaviour of 4U0614+09 is a result of drastic changes in the accretion disc geometry/structure on time-scales from hours to days. Finally, we want to draw attention to the interpretation of moderately strong peaks in the power spectra of especially accreting sources. Many of such 'periods' can probably be attributed to the presence of red noise (i.e. correlated events) in the data. Based on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma jointly by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. Uses results provided by the ASM/RXTE teams at MIT and at the RXTE SOF and GOF at NASA's GSFC.

  12. Youngest Radio Pulsar Revealed with Green Bank Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2002-04-01

    mine for years to come," noted Camilo. "We can very precisely measure how its rate of rotation changes over time, potentially inferring fundamental clues about what causes a magnetized neutron star to spin down. We also will make valuable comparisons to the X-ray data, which may help us determine exactly how these objects generate and emit radiation." The researchers also point to the fact that this discovery bodes well for the GBT being able to study additional young pulsars that have previously escaped detection. "By using this magnificent new telescope, we should be able to discover other very young pulsars that we surmise are there, but are simply too weak to detect by any other means," said Camilo. "Measuring the luminosity and spectrum of a large sample of these stars will be crucial for making an accurate census of pulsars in our Galaxy." The researchers used the new Berkeley-Caltech Pulsar Machine to process the signals from the GBT and record them for later analysis. The group led by Camilo in this investigation consists also of: Ingrid H. Stairs (NRAO Green Bank, West Virginia); Duncan R. Lorimer, Michael Kramer, Maura A. McLaughlin (University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, U.K.); Donald C. Backer (University of California, Berkeley); Scott M. Ransom (McGill University, Montreal, Canada); Bernd Klein, Richard Wielebinski, Peter Muller (Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany); and Zaven Arzoumanian (Universities Space Research Association/NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland). The GBT is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope. It was dedicated on August 25, 2000. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

  13. PINT, a New Pulsar Timing Software

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Jing; Jenet, Fredrick A.; Ransom, Scott M.; Demorest, Paul; Van Haasteren, Rutger; Archibald, Anne

    2015-01-01

    We are presenting a new pulsar timing software PINT. The current pulsar timing group are heavily depending on Tempo/Tempo2, a package for analysis pulsar data. However, for a high accuracy pulsar timing related project, such as pulsar timing for gravitational waves, an alternative software is needed for the purpose of examing the results. We are developing a Tempo independent software with a different structure. Different modules is designed to be more isolated and easier to be expanded. Instead of C, we are using Python as our programming language for the advantage of flexibility and powerful docstring. Here, we are presenting the detailed design and the first result of the software.

  14. Narrow-band search of continuous gravitational-wave signals from Crab and Vela pulsars in Virgo VSR4 data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Alemic, A.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amariutei, D.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J. S.; Ashton, G.; Ast, S.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Baldaccini, F.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barbet, M.; Barclay, S.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Bartlett, J.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bauer, Th. S.; Baune, C.; Bavigadda, V.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Belczynski, C.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Benacquista, M.; Bergman, J.; Bergmann, G.; Berry, C. P. L.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Bhagwat, S.; Bhandare, R.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biscans, S.; Bitossi, M.; Biwer, C.; Bizouard, M. A.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, C. D.; Blair, D.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bojtos, P.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, Sukanta; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brown, N. M.; Buchman, S.; Buikema, A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Cannon, K. C.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Cho, M.; Chow, J. H.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C.; Colombini, M.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cripe, J.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Cutler, C.; Dahl, K.; Canton, T. Dal; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dartez, L.; Dattilo, V.; Dave, I.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; De Laurentis, M.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dojcinoski, G.; Dolique, V.; Dominguez, E.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edo, T.; Edwards, M.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, X.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fays, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Feldbaum, D.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, E. C.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fuentes-Tapia, S.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S.; Garufi, F.; Gatto, A.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Gendre, B.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L. Á.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Gräf, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greco, G.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C. J.; Guo, X.; Gushwa, K.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hacker, J.; Hall, E. D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hannam, M. D.; Hanson, J.; Hardwick, T.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hart, M.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Hee, S.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heinzel, G.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Hofman, D.; Hollitt, S. E.; Holt, K.; Hopkins, P.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Houston, E.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y. M.; Huerta, E.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Idrisy, A.; Indik, N.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Islas, G.; Isler, J. C.; Isogai, T.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; Jang, H.; Jaranowski, P.; Jawahar, S.; Ji, Y.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; Haris, K.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kaufer, S.; Kaur, T.; Kawabe, K.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keiser, G. M.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Key, J. S.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N. G.; Kim, N.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Korobko, M.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Krueger, C.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, P.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Lazzaro, C.; Le, J.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Libbrecht, K.; Libson, A.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macarthur, J.; MacDonald, T.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Magee, R.; Mageswaran, M.; Maglione, C.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mangano, V.; Mansell, G. L.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McCormick, S.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McLin, K.; McWilliams, S.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Meidam, J.; Meinders, M.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyers, P. M.; Mezzani, F.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Middleton, H.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, A.; Miller, J.; Millhouse, M.; Minenkov, Y.; Ming, J.; Mirshekari, S.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohanty, S. D.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moore, B.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nardecchia, I.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Necula, V.; Nedkova, K.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A. H.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; Oram, R.; O'Reilly, B.; Ortega, W.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Pai, S.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pal-Singh, A.; Pan, H.; Pankow, C.; Pannarale, F.; Pant, B. C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patrick, Z.; Pedraza, M.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Post, A.; Poteomkin, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Predoi, V.; Premachandra, S.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qin, J.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quiroga, G.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramirez, K.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Reula, O.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sachdev, S.; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Sawadsky, A.; Scheuer, J.; Schilling, R.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Serafinelli, R.; Sergeev, A.; Serna, G.; Sevigny, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shao, Z.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Silva, A. D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Singh, R.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Staley, A.; Stebbins, J.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stephens, B. C.; Steplewski, S.; Stevenson, S.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Szczepanczyk, M.; Szeifert, G.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tápai, M.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taracchini, A.; Taylor, R.; Tellez, G.; Theeg, T.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Tshilumba, D.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van Bakel, N.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; van den Broeck, C.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, H.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Ward, R. L.; Warner, J.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Xie, S.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yam, W.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, Q.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we present the results of a coherent narrow-band search for continuous gravitational-wave signals from the Crab and Vela pulsars conducted on Virgo VSR4 data. In order to take into account a possible small mismatch between the gravitational-wave frequency and two times the star rotation frequency, inferred from measurement of the electromagnetic pulse rate, a range of 0.02 Hz around two times the star rotational frequency has been searched for both the pulsars. No evidence for a signal has been found and 95% confidence level upper limits have been computed assuming both that polarization parameters are completely unknown and that they are known with some uncertainty, as derived from x-ray observations of the pulsar wind torii. For Vela the upper limits are comparable to the spin-down limit, computed assuming that all the observed spin-down is due to the emission of gravitational waves. For Crab the upper limits are about a factor of 2 below the spin-down limit, and represent a significant improvement with respect to past analysis. This is the first time the spin-down limit is significantly overcome in a narrow-band search.

  15. Narrow-Band Search of Continuous Gravitational-Wave Signals from Crab and Vela Pulsars in Virgo VSR4 Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Adams, T.; hide

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we present the results of a coherent narrow-band search for continuous gravitational-wave signals from the Crab and Vela pulsars conducted on Virgo VSR4 data. In order to take into account a possible small mismatch between the gravitational wave frequency and two times the star rotation frequency, inferred from measurement of the electromagnetic pulse rate, a range of 0.02 Hz around two times the star rotational frequency has been searched for both the pulsars. No evidence for a signal has been found and 95% confidence level upper limits have been computed both assuming polarization parameters are completely unknown and that they are known with some uncertainty, as derived from X-ray observations of the pulsar wind torii. For Vela the upper limits are comparable to the spin-down limit, computed assuming that all the observed spin-down is due to the emission of gravitational waves. For Crab the upper limits are about a factor of two below the spin-down limit, and represent a significant improvement with respect to past analysis. This is the first time the spin-down limit is significantly overcome in a narrow-band search.

  16. ARECIBO PALFA SURVEY AND EINSTEIN-HOME: BINARY PULSAR DISCOVERY BY VOLUNTEER COMPUTING

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Knispel, B.; Allen, B.; Aulbert, C.

    2011-05-01

    We report the discovery of the 20.7 ms binary pulsar J1952+2630, made using the distributed computing project Einstein-Home in Pulsar ALFA survey observations with the Arecibo telescope. Follow-up observations with the Arecibo telescope confirm the binary nature of the system. We obtain a circular orbital solution with an orbital period of 9.4 hr, a projected orbital radius of 2.8 lt-s, and a mass function of f = 0.15 M{sub sun} by analysis of spin period measurements. No evidence of orbital eccentricity is apparent; we set a 2{sigma} upper limit e {approx}< 1.7 x 10{sup -3}. The orbital parameters suggest amore » massive white dwarf companion with a minimum mass of 0.95 M{sub sun}, assuming a pulsar mass of 1.4 M{sub sun}. Most likely, this pulsar belongs to the rare class of intermediate-mass binary pulsars. Future timing observations will aim to determine the parameters of this system further, measure relativistic effects, and elucidate the nature of the companion star.« less

  17. Millisecond Pulsar Observation at CRL

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-11-01

    32nd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) Meeting MILLISECOND PULSAR OBSERVATION AT CRL Y. Hanado, Y . Shibuya, M. Hosokawa, M. Sekido...status of millisecond pulsar timing observation at CRL.. Weekly observation of PSR1937+21 using the 34-m antenna at Kashima Space Research Center has...been on going since November 1997. Recently we eliminated systematic trends that were apparent in the data, and estimated the pulsar parameters of

  18. Two-Pole Caustic Model for High-Energy Lightcurves of Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dyks, J.; Rudak, B.

    2003-01-01

    We present a new model of high-energy lightcurves from rotation powered pulsars. The key ingredient of the model is the gap region (i.e. the region where particle acceleration is taking place and high-energy photons originate) which satisfies the following assumptions: i) the gap region extends from each polar cap to the light cylinder; ii) the gap is thin and confined to the surface of last open magnetic-field lines; iii) photon emissivity is uniform within the gap region. The model lightcurves are dominated by strong peaks (either double or single) of caustic origin. Unlike in other pulsar models with caustic effects, the double peaks arise due to crossing two caustics, each of which is associated with a different magnetic pole. The generic features of the lightcurves are consistent with the observed characteristics of pulsar lightcurves: 1) the most natural (in terms of probability) shape consists of two peaks (separated by 0.4 to 0.5 in phase for large viewing angles); 2) the peaks possess well developed wings; 3) there is a bridge (inter-peak) emission component; 4) there is a non-vanishing off-pulse emission level; 5) the radio pulse occurs before the leading high-energy peak. The model is well suited for four gamma-ray pulsars - Crab, Vela, Geminga and B1951+32 - with double-peak lightcurves exhibiting the peak separation of 0.4 to 0.5 in phase. Hereby, we apply the model to the Vela pulsar. Moreover, we indicate the limitation of the model in accurate reproducing of the lightcurves with single pulses and narrowly separated (about 0.2 in phase) pulse peaks. We also discuss the optical polarization properties for the Crab pulsar in the context of the two-pole caustic model.

  19. Pulsar observations with the MAGIC telescopes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fidalgo, David

    2016-07-01

    The vast majority of spectra of gamma-ray pulsars exhibit an exponential cut-off at a few GeV, as seen by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board of the Fermi satellite. Due to this cut-off, current Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) with an energy threshold as low as 30 GeV, struggle to detect pulsars. So far, emission above 50 GeV has been confirmed only for the Crab and Vela pulsars. In the case of the former, the spectrum even extends up to about 1 TeV firmly revealing a second emission component. To further understand the emission mechanism of gamma-ray pulsars, the MAGIC collaboration continues the search of pulsars above 50 GeV. In this talk we report on recent results on the Crab and Geminga Pulsar obtained with the MAGIC telescopes, including the analysis of data taken with a new trigger system lowering the energy threshold of the MAGIC telescopes.

  20. GBM Observations of Be X-Ray Binary Outbursts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.; Finger, M. H.; Jenke, P. A.

    2014-01-01

    Since 2008 we have been monitoring accreting pulsars using the Gamma ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on Fermi. This monitoring program includes daily blind full sky searches for previously unknown or previously quiescent pulsars and source specific analysis to track the frequency evolution of all detected pulsars. To date we have detected outbursts from 23 transient accreting pulsars, including 21 confirmed or likely Be/X-ray binaries. I will describe our techniques and highlight results for selected pulsars.

  1. Testing SgrA{sup *} with the spectrum of its accretion structure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lin, Nan; Li, Zilong; Bambi, Cosimo

    2015-09-01

    SgrA{sup *} is the supermassive black hole candidate at the center of the Galaxy and an ideal laboratory to test general relativity. Following previous work by other authors, we use the Polish doughnut model to describe an optically thin and constant angular momentum ion torus in hydrodynamical equilibrium and model the accretion structure around SgrA{sup *}. The radiation mechanisms are bremsstrahlung, synchrotron emission, and inverse Compton scattering. We compute the spectrum as seen by a distant observer in Kerr and non-Kerr spacetimes and we study how an accurate measurement can constrain possible deviations form the Kerr solution. As in themore » case of emission from a thin accretion disk, we find a substantial degeneracy between the determination of the spin and of possible deviations from the Kerr geometry, even when the parameters of the ion torus are fixed. This means that this technique cannot independently test the nature of SgrA{sup *} even in the presence of good data and with the systematics under control. However, it might do it in combination with other measurements (black hole shadow, radio pulsar, etc.)« less

  2. Spectral properties of 441 radio pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jankowski, F.; van Straten, W.; Keane, E. F.; Bailes, M.; Barr, E. D.; Johnston, S.; Kerr, M.

    2018-02-01

    We present a study of the spectral properties of 441 pulsars observed with the Parkes radio telescope near the centre frequencies of 728, 1382 and 3100 MHz. The observations at 728 and 3100 MHz were conducted simultaneously using the dual-band 10-50 cm receiver. These high-sensitivity, multifrequency observations provide a systematic and uniform sample of pulsar flux densities. We combine our measurements with spectral data from the literature in order to derive the spectral properties of these pulsars. Using techniques from robust regression and information theory, we classify the observed spectra in an objective, robust and unbiased way into five morphological classes: simple or broken power law, power law with either low- or high-frequency cut-off and log-parabolic spectrum. While about 79 per cent of the pulsars that could be classified have simple power-law spectra, we find significant deviations in 73 pulsars, 35 of which have curved spectra, 25 with a spectral break and 10 with a low-frequency turn-over. We identify 11 gigahertz-peaked spectrum (GPS) pulsars, with 3 newly identified in this work and 8 confirmations of known GPS pulsars; 3 others show tentative evidence of GPS, but require further low-frequency measurements to support this classification. The weighted mean spectral index of all pulsars with simple power-law spectra is -1.60 ± 0.03. The observed spectral indices are well described by a shifted log-normal distribution. The strongest correlations of spectral index are with spin-down luminosity, magnetic field at the light-cylinder and spin-down rate. We also investigate the physical origin of the observed spectral features and determine emission altitudes for three pulsars.

  3. Fate of very low-mass secondaries in accreting binaries and the 1.5-ms pulsar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ruderman, M. A.; Shaham, J.

    1983-01-01

    It is shown analytically that the canonical stability postulate for low-mass binaries can be inaccurate when the secondary component mass is less than 0.02 solar mass. The adjustable evolutionary parameter h is demonstrated to have a value (in terms of the mass flow effects) of 2/3, less than which catastrophic instability and tidal disruption of the secondary might occur. The disrupted secondary would be reduced to a remnant significantly smaller in mass than the earth, and not be observable visually. Additionally, close passage by another star could accelerate or initiate the process. The model is applicable to the pulsar binary PSR1937+214, and is noted not to conflict with spin-up theories.

  4. The NANOGrav Eleven-Year Data Set: High-precision timing of 48 Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nice, David J.; NANOGrav

    2017-01-01

    Gravitational waves from sources such as supermassive black hole binary systems perturb times-of-flight of signals traveling from pulsars to the Earth. The NANOGrav collaboration aims to measure these perturbations in high precision millisecond pulsar timing data and thus to directly detect gravitational waves and characterize the gravitational wave sources. By observing pulsars over time spans of many years, we are most sensitive to gravitational waves at nanohertz frequencies. This work is complimentary to ground based detectors such as LIGO, which are sensitive to gravitational waves with frequencies 10 orders of magnitude higher.In this presentation we describe the NANOGrav eleven-year data set. This includes pulsar time-of-arrival measurements from 48 millisecond pulsars made with the Arecibo Observatory (for pulsars with declinations between -1 and 39 degrees) and the Green Bank Telescope (for other pulsars, with two pulsars overlapping with Arecibo). The data set consists of more than 300,000 pulse time-of-arrival measurements made in nearly 7000 unique observations (a given pulsar observed with a given telescope receiver on a given day). In the best cases, measurement precision is better than 100 nanoseconds, and in nearly all cases it is better than 1 microsecond.All pulsars in our program are observed at intervals of 3 to 4 weeks. Observations use wideband data acquisition systems and are made at two receivers at widely separated frequencies at each epoch, allowing for characterization and mitigation of the effects of interstellar medium on the signal propagation. Observation of a large number of pulsars allows for searches for correlated perturbations among the pulsar signals, which is crucial for achieving high-significance detection of gravitational waves in the face of uncorrelated noise (from gravitational waves and rotation noise) in the individual pulsars. In addition, seven pulsars are observed at weekly intervals. This increases our sensitivity

  5. Gamma-Ray Pulsar Candidates for GLAST

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, D. J.

    2008-01-01

    The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) will be launched this year, and its Large Area Telescope (LAT) is expected to discover scores to hundreds of gamma-ray pulsars. This poster discusses which of the over 1700 known pulsars, mostly visible only at radio frequencies, are likely to emit greater than 100 MeV gamma rays with intensities detectable by the LAT. The main figure of merit used to select gamma-ray pulsar candidates is sqrt(E-dot)/d2, where E-dot is the energy loss due to rotational spin-down, and d is the distance to the pulsar. The figure of merit incorporates spin-down flux at earth (proportional to E-dot/d2) times efficiency, assumed proportional to l/sqrt(E-dot). A few individual objects are cited to illustrate the issues. Since large E-dot pulsars also tend to have large timing noise and occasional glitches, their ephemerides can become inaccurate in weeks to months. To detect and study the gamma-ray emission the photons must be accurately tagged with the pulse phase. With hours to days between gamma-ray photon arrival times from a pulsar and months to years of LAT exposure needed for good detections, GLAST will rely on radio and X-ray timing measurements throughout the continuous gamma-ray observations. The poster will describe efforts to coordinate pulsar timing of the candidate gamma-ray pulsars.

  6. Gamma-Ray Pulsar Candidates for GLAST

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, David J.; Smith, D. A.; Dumora, D.; Guillemot, L.; Parent, D.; Reposeur, T.; Grove, E.; Romani, R. W.; Thorsett, S. E.

    2007-01-01

    The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) will be launched less than a year from now, and its Large Area Telescope (LAT) is expected to discover scores to hundreds of gamma-ray pulsars. This poster discusses which of the over 1700 known pulsars, mostly visible only at radio Erequencies, are likely to emit greater than l00 MeV gamma rays with intensities detectable by the LAT. The main figure of merit used to select gamma-ray pulsar candidates is sqrt(E-dot)/d^2, where E-dot is the energy loss due to rotational spindown, and d is the distance to the pulsar. The figure of merit incorporates spin-down flux at earth (proportional to E-dot/d^2) times efficiency, assumed proportional to 1/sqrt(E-dot). A few individual objects are cited to illustrate the issues. Since large E-dot pulsars also tend to have large timing noise and occasional glitches, their ephemerides can become inaccurate in weeks to months. To detect and study the gamma-ray emission the photons must be accurately tagged with the pulse phase. With hours to days between gamma-ray photon arrival times from a pulsar and months to years of LAT exposure needed for good detections, GLAST will need timing measurements throughout the continuous gamma-ray observations. The poster will describe efforts to coordinate pulsar timing of the candidate gamma-ray pulsars.

  7. Towards a Realistic Pulsar Magnetosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kalapotharakos, Constantinos; Kazanas, Demosthenes; Harding, Alice; Contopoulos, Ioannis

    2012-01-01

    We present the magnetic and electric field structures as well as the currents ami charge densities of pulsar magnetospberes which do not obey the ideal condition, E(raised dot) B = O. Since the acceleration of particles and the production of radiation requires the presence of an electric field component parallel to the magnetic field, E(sub ll) the structure of non-Ideal pulsar magnetospheres is intimately related to the production of pulsar radiation. Therefore, knowledge of the structure of non-Ideal pulsar maglletospheres is important because their comparison (including models for t he production of radiation) with observations will delineate the physics and the parameters underlying the pulsar radiation problem. We implement a variety of prescriptions that support nonzero values for E(sub ll) and explore their effects on the structure of the resulting magnetospheres. We produce families of solutions that span the entire range between the vacuum and the (ideal) Force-Free Electrodynamic solutions. We also compute the amount of dissipation as a fraction of the Poynting flux for pulsars of different angles between the rotation and magnetic axes and conclude that tltis is at most 20-40% (depending on t he non-ideal prescription) in the aligned rotator and 10% in the perpendicular one. We present also the limiting solutions with the property J = pc and discuss their possible implicatioll on the determination of the "on/ off" states of the intermittent pulsars. Finally, we find that solutions with values of J greater than those needed to null E(sub ll) locally produce oscillations, potentially observable in the data.

  8. Pulsar gamma rays from polar cap regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chiang, James; Romani, Roger W.

    1992-01-01

    The production is studied of pulsar gamma rays by energetic electrons flowing in the open field region above pulsar polar caps. The propagation was followed of curvature radiation from primary electrons, as well as hard synchrotron radiation generated by secondary pairs, through the pulsar magnetosphere for vacuum dipole open field geometries. Using data from radio and optical observations, models were constructed for the specific geometries and viewing angles appropriate to particular pulsars. These detailed models produce normalized spectra above 10 MeV, pulse profiles, beaming fractions and phase resolved spectra appropriate for direct comparison with COS-B and GRO data. Models are given for the Crab, Vela, and other potentially detectable pulsars; general agreement with existing data is good, although perturbations to the simplified models are needed for close matches. The calculations were extended to the millisecond pulsar range, which allows the production of predictions for the flux and spectra of populations of recycled pulsars and search strategies are pointed out.

  9. Pulsars and Acceleration Sites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, Alice

    2008-01-01

    Rotation-powered pulsars are excellent laboratories for the studying particle acceleration as well as fundamental physics of strong gravity, strong magnetic fields and relativity. But even forty years after their discovery, we still do not understand their pulsed emission at any wavelength. I will review both the basic physics of pulsars as well as the latest developments in understanding their high-energy emission. Special and general relativistic effects play important roles in pulsar emission, from inertial frame-dragging near the stellar surface to aberration, time-of-flight and retardation of the magnetic field near the light cylinder. Understanding how these effects determine what we observe at different wavelengths is critical to unraveling the emission physics. Fortunately the Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), with launch in May 2008 will detect many new gamma-ray pulsars and test the predictions of these models with unprecedented sensitivity and energy resolution for gamma-rays in the range of 30 MeV to 300 GeV.

  10. PSR J1907+0602: A radio-faint gamma-ray pulsar powering a bright TeV pulsar wind nebula

    DOE PAGES

    Abdo, A. A.

    2010-02-06

    Here, we present multiwavelength studies of the 106.6 ms γ-ray pulsar PSR J1907+06 near the TeV source MGRO J1908+06. Timing observations with Fermi result in a precise position determination for the pulsar of R.A. = 19 h07 m54more » $$s\\atop{.}$$7(2), decl. = +06°02'16(2)'' placing the pulsar firmly within the TeV source extent, suggesting the TeV source is the pulsar wind nebula of PSR J1907+0602. Pulsed γ-ray emission is clearly visible at energies from 100 MeV to above 10 GeV. The phase-averaged power-law index in the energy range E > 0.1 GeV is Γ = 1.76 ± 0.05 with an exponential cutoff energy E c = 3.6 ± 0.5 GeV. We present the energy-dependent γ-ray pulsed light curve as well as limits on off-pulse emission associated with the TeV source. We also report the detection of very faint (flux density of sime 3.4 μJy) radio pulsations with the Arecibo telescope at 1.5 GHz having a dispersion measure DM = 82.1 ± 1.1 cm –3 pc. This indicates a distance of 3.2 ± 0.6 kpc and a pseudo-luminosity of L 1400 sime 0.035 mJy kpc 2. Furthermore, a Chandra ACIS observation revealed an absorbed, possibly extended, compact (lesssim4'') X-ray source with significant nonthermal emission at R.A. = 19 h07 m54$$s\\atop{.}$$76, decl. = +06°02'14farcs6 with a flux of 2.3 +0.6 –1.4 × 10 –14 erg cm –2 s –1. From archival ASCA observations, we place upper limits on any arcminute scale 2-10 keV X-ray emission of ~1 × 10 –13 erg cm –2 s –1. The implied distance to the pulsar is compatible with that of the supernova remnant G40.5 – 0.5, located on the far side of the TeV nebula from PSR J1907+0602, and the S74 molecular cloud on the nearer side which we discuss as potential birth sites.« less

  11. THE TIMING OF NINE GLOBULAR CLUSTER PULSARS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lynch, Ryan S.; Freire, Paulo C. C.; Ransom, Scott M.

    2012-02-01

    We have used the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope to time nine previously known pulsars without published timing solutions in the globular clusters (GCs) M62, NGC 6544, and NGC 6624. We have full timing solutions that measure the spin, astrometric, and (where applicable) binary parameters for six of these pulsars. The remaining three pulsars (reported here for the first time) were not detected enough to establish solutions. We also report our timing solutions for five pulsars with previously published solutions, and find good agreement with other authors, except for PSR J1701-3006B in M62. Gas in this system is probablymore » responsible for the discrepancy in orbital parameters, and we have been able to measure a change in the orbital period over the course of our observations. Among the pulsars with new solutions we find several binary pulsars with very low mass companions (members of the so-called 'black widow' class) and we are able to place constraints on the mass-to-light ratio in two clusters. We confirm that one of the pulsars in NGC 6624 is indeed a member of the rare class of non-recycled pulsars found in GCs. We have also measured the orbital precession and Shapiro delay for a relativistic binary in NGC 6544. If we assume that the orbital precession can be described entirely by general relativity, which is likely, we are able to measure the total system mass (2.57190(73) M{sub Sun }) and companion mass (1.2064(20) M{sub Sun }), from which we derive the orbital inclination (sin i = 0.9956(14)) and the pulsar mass (1.3655(21) M{sub Sun }), the most precise such measurement ever obtained for a millisecond pulsar. The companion is the most massive known around a fully recycled pulsar.« less

  12. X-Ray Emission from the Millisecond Pulsar J1012+5307

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halpern, Jules P.; Wang, F. Y.-H.; Oliversen, Ronald (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The recently discovered 5.3 ms pulsar J1012+5307 at a distance of 520 pc is in an area of the sky which is particularly deficient in absorbing gas. The column density along the line of sight is less than 7.5 x 10(exp 19)/sq cm, which facilitates soft X-ray observations. Halpern reported a possible ROSAT PSPC detection of the pulsar in a serendipitous, off-axis observation. We have now confirmed the X-ray emission of PSR J1012+5307 in a 23 ksec observation with the ROSAT HRI. A point source is detected within 3 sec. of the radio position. Its count rate of 1.6 +/- 0.3 x 10(exp -3)/s corresponds to an unabsorbed 0.1 - 2.4 keV flux of 6.4 x 10(exp -14) ergs/sq cm s, similar to that reported previously. This counts-to-flux conversion is valid for N(sub H) = 5 x 10(exp 19)/sq cm, and either a power-law spectrum of photon index 2.5 or a blackbody of kT = 0.1 keV. The implied X-ray luminosity of 2.0 x 10(exp 30) ergs/ s is 5 x 10(exp -4) of the pulsar's spin-down power E, and similar to that of the nearest millisecond pulsar J0437-4715, which is nearly a twin of J1012+5307 in P and E. We subjected the 37 photons (and 13 background counts) within the source region to a pulsar search, but no evidence for pulsation was found. The pulsar apparently emits over a large fraction of its rotation cycle, and the absence of sharp modulation can be taken as evidence for surface thermal emission, as favored for PSR J0437-4715, rather than magnetospheric X-ray emission which is apparent in the sharp pulses of the much more energetic millisecond pulsar B1821-24. A further test of of the interpretation will be made with a longer ROSAT observation, which will increase the number of photons collected by a factor of 5, and permit a more sensitive examination of the light curve for modulation due to emission from heated polar caps. If found, such modulation will be further evidence that surface reheating by the impact of particles accelerated along open field lines operates in these approx

  13. High-precision timing of 42 millisecond pulsars with the European Pulsar Timing Array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desvignes, G.; Caballero, R. N.; Lentati, L.; Verbiest, J. P. W.; Champion, D. J.; Stappers, B. W.; Janssen, G. H.; Lazarus, P.; Osłowski, S.; Babak, S.; Bassa, C. G.; Brem, P.; Burgay, M.; Cognard, I.; Gair, J. R.; Graikou, E.; Guillemot, L.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Jessner, A.; Jordan, C.; Karuppusamy, R.; Kramer, M.; Lassus, A.; Lazaridis, K.; Lee, K. J.; Liu, K.; Lyne, A. G.; McKee, J.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Perrodin, D.; Petiteau, A.; Possenti, A.; Purver, M. B.; Rosado, P. A.; Sanidas, S.; Sesana, A.; Shaifullah, G.; Smits, R.; Taylor, S. R.; Theureau, G.; Tiburzi, C.; van Haasteren, R.; Vecchio, A.

    2016-05-01

    We report on the high-precision timing of 42 radio millisecond pulsars (MSPs) observed by the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA). This EPTA Data Release 1.0 extends up to mid-2014 and baselines range from 7-18 yr. It forms the basis for the stochastic gravitational-wave background, anisotropic background, and continuous-wave limits recently presented by the EPTA elsewhere. The Bayesian timing analysis performed with TEMPONEST yields the detection of several new parameters: seven parallaxes, nine proper motions and, in the case of six binary pulsars, an apparent change of the semimajor axis. We find the NE2001 Galactic electron density model to be a better match to our parallax distances (after correction from the Lutz-Kelker bias) than the M2 and M3 models by Schnitzeler. However, we measure an average uncertainty of 80 per cent (fractional) for NE2001, three times larger than what is typically assumed in the literature. We revisit the transverse velocity distribution for a set of 19 isolated and 57 binary MSPs and find no statistical difference between these two populations. We detect Shapiro delay in the timing residuals of PSRs J1600-3053 and J1918-0642, implying pulsar and companion masses m_p=1.22_{-0.35}^{+0.5} M_{⊙}, m_c = 0.21_{-0.04}^{+0.06} M_{⊙} and m_p=1.25_{-0.4}^{+0.6} M_{⊙}, m_c = 0.23_{-0.05}^{+0.07} M_{⊙}, respectively. Finally, we use the measurement of the orbital period derivative to set a stringent constraint on the distance to PSRs J1012+5307 and J1909-3744, and set limits on the longitude of ascending node through the search of the annual-orbital parallax for PSRs J1600-3053 and J1909-3744.

  14. Pulsar Bursts Coming From Beachball-Sized Structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2003-03-01

    within the Crab's "giant" pulses are second only to the Sun in their radio brightness in the sky. Although the mechanism that converts the plasma energy to radio waves in the Crab's "giant" pulses may be unique to the Crab pulsar, it is feasible that all radio pulsars may operate the same way. The research team now is observing signals from other pulsars to see if they are fundamentally different. The subpulses in the Crab's "giant" pulses are so strong that the team's equipment could detect them even if they originated not in our own Milky Way Galaxy, but in a nearby galaxy. The Crab Nebula is a cloud of glowing debris from a star that was seen to explode on July 4, 1054. Chinese astronomers noted the bright new star that outshone the planet Venus and was visible in daylight for 23 days. A rock carving at New Mexico's Chaco Canyon probably indicates that Native American skywatchers also noted the bright intruder in the sky. The nebula was discovered by John Bevis in 1731 and independently rediscovered by French astronomer Charles Messier on August 28, 1758. Messier made the Crab Nebula (named because of its crab-like shape) the first object in his famous catalog of non-stellar objects, a catalog widely popular among amateur astronomers with small telescopes. In 1948, radio emission was discovered coming from the Crab Nebula. In 1968, astronomers at Arecibo Observatory discovered the pulsar in the heart of the nebula. The following year, astronomers at Arizona's Steward Observatory discovered visible-light pulses also coming from the pulsar, making this the first pulsar found to emit visible light in addition to radio waves. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. The Arecibo Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, which is operated by Cornell University under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

  15. Status of a Parkes Survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud for Millisecond Pulsars and Transients

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crawford, Fronefield; Lorimer, Duncan; Ridley, Josh; Bonidie, Victoria; Faisal Alam, Md

    2018-01-01

    To date, no millisecond radio pulsars have been discovered outside of our Galaxy. We are undertaking the first survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud that is sensitive to millisecond pulsars. For this search we are using the 1.4 GHz multibeam receiver on the Parkes 64-m telescope. We also hope to discover new source populations and probe the high-end of the pulsar luminosity function. We are searching our data over a wide range of dispersion measures for both single-pulse events and for accelerated pulsars. With about 40% of the survey completed, we have discovered three new long-period pulsars (all of which have been published) but have not yet confirmed any new millisecond pulsars.

  16. The Emerging Paradigm of Pebble Accretion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ormel, Chris W.

    Pebble accretion is the mechanism in which small particles ("pebbles") accrete onto big bodies big (planetesimals or planetary embryos) in gas-rich environments. In pebble accretion accretion , accretion occurs by settling and depends only on the mass of the gravitating body gravitating , not its radius. I give the conditions under which pebble accretion operates and show that the collisional cross section can become much larger than in the gas-free, ballistic, limit. In particular, pebble accretion requires the pre-existence of a massive planetesimal seed. When pebbles experience strong orbital decay by drift motions or are stirred by turbulence, the accretion efficiency is low and a great number of pebbles are needed to form Earth-mass cores. Pebble accretion is in many ways a more natural and versatile process than the classical, planetesimal-driven paradigm, opening up avenues to understand planet formation4"> in solar and exoplanetary systems.

  17. Pulsar Search Using Supervised Machine Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ford, John M.

    2017-05-01

    Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars which emit a strong beam of energy through mechanisms that are not entirely clear to physicists. These very dense stars are used by astrophysicists to study many basic physical phenomena, such as the behavior of plasmas in extremely dense environments, behavior of pulsar-black hole pairs, and tests of general relativity. Many of these tasks require a large ensemble of pulsars to provide enough statistical information to answer the scientific questions posed by physicists. In order to provide more pulsars to study, there are several large-scale pulsar surveys underway, which are generating a huge backlog of unprocessed data. Searching for pulsars is a very labor-intensive process, currently requiring skilled people to examine and interpret plots of data output by analysis programs. An automated system for screening the plots will speed up the search for pulsars by a very large factor. Research to date on using machine learning and pattern recognition has not yielded a completely satisfactory system, as systems with the desired near 100% recall have false positive rates that are higher than desired, causing more manual labor in the classification of pulsars. This work proposed to research, identify, propose and develop methods to overcome the barriers to building an improved classification system with a false positive rate of less than 1% and a recall of near 100% that will be useful for the current and next generation of large pulsar surveys. The results show that it is possible to generate classifiers that perform as needed from the available training data. While a false positive rate of 1% was not reached, recall of over 99% was achieved with a false positive rate of less than 2%. Methods of mitigating the imbalanced training and test data were explored and found to be highly effective in enhancing classification accuracy.

  18. High-School Teams Joining Massive Pulsar Search

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2008-09-01

    High school students and teachers will join astronomers on the cutting edge of science under a program to be operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and West Virginia University (WVU), and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program, called the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, will engage West Virginia students and teachers in a massive search for new pulsars using data from the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Sue Ann Heatherly Sue Ann Heatherly, NRAO Education Officer CREDIT: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on image for larger version) The NSF announced a $892,838 grant to NRAO and WVU to conduct the three-year program. The project will involve 60 teachers and some 600 students in helping astronomers analyze data from 1500 hours of observing time on the GBT. The 120 terabytes of data produced by some 70,000 individual pointings of the giant, 17-million-pound telescope is expected to reveal dozens of previously-unknown pulsars. "The students in this program will be partners in frontier research, discovering new pulsars and measuring changes in pulsars already known," said Sue Ann Heatherly, the NRAO Education Officer in Green Bank and Principal Investigator in the project. Pulsars are superdense neutron stars, the corpses of massive stars that have exploded as supernovae. As the neutron star spins, lighthouse-like beams of radio waves, streaming from the poles of its powerful magnetic field, sweep through space. When one of these beams sweeps across the Earth, radio telescopes can capture the pulse of radio waves. Pulsars serve as exotic laboratories for studying the physics of extreme conditions. Scientists can learn valuable new information about the physics of subatomic particles, electromagnetics, and General Relativity by observing pulsars and the changes they undergo over time. The Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC) combines the capabilities of NRAO and WVU to provide a unique opportunity for teachers and students

  19. Eight γ-Ray Pulsars Discovered In Blind Frequency Searches Of Fermi Lat Data

    DOE PAGES

    Saz Parkinson, P. M.; Dormody, M.; Ziegler, M.; ...

    2010-11-19

    We report the discovery of eight γ-ray pulsars in blind frequency searches of ~650 source positions using the Large Area Telescope (LAT), on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. We present the timing models, light curves, and detailed spectral parameters of the new pulsars. PSRs J1023-5746, J1044-5737, J1413-5205, J1429-5911, and J1954+2836 are young (τ c < 100 kyr), energetic (more » $$\\dot{E} \\gtrsim 10^{36}$$ erg s–1), and located within the Galactic plane (|b| < 3°). The remaining three pulsars, PSRs J1846+0919, J1957+5033, and J2055+25, are less energetic, and located off the plane. Five pulsars are associated with sources included in the Fermi-LAT bright γ-ray source list, but only one, PSR J1413–6205, is clearly associated with an EGRET source. PSR J1023–5746 has the smallest characteristic age (τ c = 4.6 kyr) and is the most energetic ($$\\dot{E} = 1.1 \\times 10^{37}$$ erg s–1) of all γ-ray pulsars discovered so far in blind searches. By analyzing >100 ks of publicly available archival Chandra X-ray data, we have identified the likely counterpart of PSR J1023–5746 as a faint, highly absorbed source, CXOU J102302.8-574606. The large X-ray absorption indicates that this could be among the most distant γ-ray pulsars detected so far. PSR J1023–5746 is positionally coincident with the TeV source HESS J1023–575, located near the young stellar cluster Westerlund 2, while PSR J1954+2836 is coincident with a 4.3σ excess reported by Milagro at a median energy of 35 TeV. PSRs J1957+5033 and J2055+25 have the largest characteristic ages (τ c ~ 1 Myr) and are the least energetic ($$\\dot{E} \\sim 5\\times 10^{33}$$ erg s–1) of the newly discovered pulsars. We used recent XMM observations to identify the counterpart of PSR J2055+25 as XMMU J205549.4+253959. Deep radio follow-up observations of the eight pulsars resulted in no detections of pulsations and upper limits comparable to the faintest known radio pulsars, indicating that these

  20. Hidden slow pulsars in binaries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tavani, Marco; Brookshaw, Leigh

    1993-01-01

    The recent discovery of the binary containing the slow pulsar PSR 1718-19 orbiting around a low-mass companion star adds new light on the characteristics of binary pulsars. The properties of the radio eclipses of PSR 1718-19 are the most striking observational characteristics of this system. The surface of the companion star produces a mass outflow which leaves only a small 'window' in orbital phase for the detection of PSR 1718-19 around 400 MHz. At this observing frequency, PSR 1718-19 is clearly observable only for about 1 hr out of the total 6.2 hr orbital period. The aim of this Letter is twofold: (1) to model the hydrodynamical behavior of the eclipsing material from the companion star of PSR 1718-19 and (2) to argue that a population of binary slow pulsars might have escaped detection in pulsar surveys carried out at 400 MHz. The possible existence of a population of partially or totally hidden slow pulsars in binaries will have a strong impact on current theories of binary evolution of neutron stars.

  1. Pulsar Candidate in Andromeda

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-23

    NASA's Nuclear Spectroscope Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has identified a candidate pulsar in Andromeda -- the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way. This likely pulsar is brighter at high energies than the Andromeda galaxy's entire black hole population. The inset image shows the pulsar candidate in blue, as seen in X-ray light by NuSTAR. The background image of Andromeda was taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer in ultraviolet light. Andromeda is a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way but larger in size. It lies 2.5 million light-years away in the Andromeda constellation. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20970

  2. Pulsar observations with the MAGIC Telescope

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lopez, M.; Contreras, J. L.; Otte, N.

    2007-07-12

    Pulsars were detected by EGRET up to energies below 20 GeV. Observations at higher energies with ground-based experiments, including MAGIC, so far failed to detect pulsars, indicating a sharp cutoff of the pulsed emission. Here we present, in particular, the results of the search for very high {gamma}-ray emission from the pulsar PSR B1951+32.

  3. [Diagnostic capability of PULSAR, FDT y HRT-II in glaucoma suspects].

    PubMed

    González-de-la-Rosa, M; González-Hernández, M; Aguilar-Estévez, J; Díaz-Alemán, T; Armas-Plasencia, R

    2007-07-01

    To determine the diagnostic capability of PULSAR-T30W, FDT-Threshold-N30 and HRT-II in glaucoma suspects. Forty-seven eyes from 47 referred glaucoma suspects (GS) were examined twice with each technique. Cases with TOP-WW-MD>6dB were excluded. Results were compared with those of 70 eyes from 70 normal controls (C). Mean MD value using TOP-WW in the GS group (0.96dB. sd=1.7) was not significantly different from C (0.8dB. sd=1.77) (p>0.05). Disc area in GS group (2.12 mm(2). sd=0.34) was significantly greater than in C (1.97 mm2. sd=0.45) (p<0.01). For 95.7% specificity, PULSAR-sLV showed the highest sensitivity of 30.9% in individual examinations. The highest reproducible sensitivity in the two examinations was obtained using HRT-II maximum contour elevation (23.4%) and reference height (23.4%), and was 14.9% for various indices after correcting for the influence of disc area (cup area, cup/disc area ratio, maximum contour depression and mean RNFL thickness). Reproducible sensitivity of the perimetric indices was: PULSAR-MD=8.5%, PULSAR-sLV=17%, FDT-MD=6.4%, FDT-PSD=4.3%. The association of perimetric and HRT-II indices achieved high sensitivity but low diagnostic reproducibility. The most effective indices were maximum contour elevation, reference height and PULSAR-sLV, although the inclusion of the optic nerve head assessment in the selection of the GS sample may have favored the HRT-II results.

  4. Scattering analysis of LOFAR pulsar observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geyer, M.; Karastergiou, A.; Kondratiev, V. I.; Zagkouris, K.; Kramer, M.; Stappers, B. W.; Grießmeier, J.-M.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Michilli, D.; Pilia, M.; Sobey, C.

    2017-09-01

    We measure the effects of interstellar scattering on average pulse profiles from 13 radio pulsars with simple pulse shapes. We use data from the LOFAR High Band Antennas, at frequencies between 110 and 190 MHz. We apply a forward fitting technique, and simultaneously determine the intrinsic pulse shape, assuming single Gaussian component profiles. We find that the constant τ, associated with scattering by a single thin screen, has a power-law dependence on frequency τ ∝ ν-α, with indices ranging from α = 1.50 to 4.0, despite simplest theoretical models predicting α = 4.0 or 4.4. Modelling the screen as an isotropic or extremely anisotropic scatterer, we find anisotropic scattering fits lead to larger power-law indices, often in better agreement with theoretically expected values. We compare the scattering models based on the inferred, frequency-dependent parameters of the intrinsic pulse, and the resulting correction to the dispersion measure (DM). We highlight the cases in which fits of extreme anisotropic scattering are appealing, while stressing that the data do not strictly favour either model for any of the 13 pulsars. The pulsars show anomalous scattering properties that are consistent with finite scattering screens and/or anisotropy, but these data alone do not provide the means for an unambiguous characterization of the screens. We revisit the empirical τ versus DM relation and consider how our results support a frequency dependence of α. Very long baseline interferometry, and observations of the scattering and scintillation properties of these sources at higher frequencies, will provide further evidence.

  5. Gravitational Wave Astronomy Using Pulsars: Massive Black Hole Mergers and the Early Universe

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    Gravitational Wave Astronomy Using Pulsars : Massive Black Hole Mergers & the Early Universe A White Paper for the Astronomy & Astrophysics Decadal...COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Gravitational Wave Astronomy Using Pulsars : Massive Black Hole Mergers & the Early...theory of general relativity. Using a collection of millisecond pulsars as high-precision clocks, the nHz band of this radiation is likely to be detected

  6. Observations of Spin-Powered Pulsars with the AGILE Gamma-Ray Telescope

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pellizzoni, A.; Pilia, M.; Possenti, M.

    2008-12-24

    AGILE is a small gamma-ray astronomy satellite mission of the Italian Space Agency dedicated to high-energy astrophysics launched in 2007 April. It provides large sky exposure levels (> or approx. 10{sup 9} cm{sup 2} s per year on the Galactic Plane) with sensitivity peaking at E{approx}400 MeV(and simultaneous X-ray monitoring in the 18-60 keV band) where the bulk of pulsar energy output is typically released. Its {approx}1 {mu}s is absolute time tagging capability makes it perfectly suited for the study of gamma-ray pulsars following up on the CGRO/EGRET heritage. In this paper we summarize the timing results obtained during themore » first year of AGILE observations of the known gamma-ray pulsars Vela, Crab, Geminga and B 1706-4. AGILE collected a large number of gamma-ray photons from EGRET pulsars ({approx}10,000 pulsed counts for Vela) in only few months of observations unveiling new interesting features at sub-millisecond level in the pulsars' high-energy light-curves and paving the way to the discovery of new gamma-ray pulsars.« less

  7. Pulsar discovery by global volunteer computing.

    PubMed

    Knispel, B; Allen, B; Cordes, J M; Deneva, J S; Anderson, D; Aulbert, C; Bhat, N D R; Bock, O; Bogdanov, S; Brazier, A; Camilo, F; Champion, D J; Chatterjee, S; Crawford, F; Demorest, P B; Fehrmann, H; Freire, P C C; Gonzalez, M E; Hammer, D; Hessels, J W T; Jenet, F A; Kasian, L; Kaspi, V M; Kramer, M; Lazarus, P; van Leeuwen, J; Lorimer, D R; Lyne, A G; Machenschalk, B; McLaughlin, M A; Messenger, C; Nice, D J; Papa, M A; Pletsch, H J; Prix, R; Ransom, S M; Siemens, X; Stairs, I H; Stappers, B W; Stovall, K; Venkataraman, A

    2010-09-10

    Einstein@Home aggregates the computer power of hundreds of thousands of volunteers from 192 countries to mine large data sets. It has now found a 40.8-hertz isolated pulsar in radio survey data from the Arecibo Observatory taken in February 2007. Additional timing observations indicate that this pulsar is likely a disrupted recycled pulsar. PSR J2007+2722's pulse profile is remarkably wide with emission over almost the entire spin period; the pulsar likely has closely aligned magnetic and spin axes. The massive computing power provided by volunteers should enable many more such discoveries.

  8. A Census of Southern Pulsars at 185 MHz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xue, Mengyao; Bhat, N. D. R.; Tremblay, S. E.; Ord, S. M.; Sobey, C.; Swainston, N. A.; Kaplan, D. L.; Johnston, Simon; Meyers, B. W.; McSweeney, S. J.

    2017-12-01

    The Murchison Widefield Array, and its recently developed Voltage Capture System, facilitates extending the low-frequency range of pulsar observations at high-time and -frequency resolution in the Southern Hemisphere, providing further information about pulsars and the ISM. We present the results of an initial time-resolved census of known pulsars using the Murchison Widefield Array. To significantly reduce the processing load, we incoherently sum the detected powers from the 128 Murchison Widefield Array tiles, which yields 10% of the attainable sensitivity of the coherent sum. This preserves the large field-of-view ( 450 deg2 at 185 MHz), allowing multiple pulsars to be observed simultaneously. We developed a WIde-field Pulsar Pipeline that processes the data from each observation and automatically folds every known pulsar located within the beam. We have detected 50 pulsars to date, 6 of which are millisecond pulsars. This is consistent with our expectation, given the telescope sensitivity and the sky coverage of the processed data ( 17 000 deg2). For 10 pulsars, we present the lowest frequency detections published. For a subset of the pulsars, we present multi-frequency pulse profiles by combining our data with published profiles from other telescopes. Since the Murchison Widefield Array is a low-frequency precursor to the Square Kilometre Array, we use our census results to forecast that a survey using the low-frequency component of the Square Kilometre Array Phase 1 can potentially detect around 9 400 pulsars.

  9. Young Pulsar Reveals Clues to Supernova

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2001-09-01

    Astronomers examined the remnants of a stellar explosion with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and discovered one of the youngest known pulsars. The properties of this pulsar, a neutron star rotating 15 times a second, will enable scientists to better understand how neutron stars are formed in the seconds just before a supernova explosion, and how they pump energy into the space around them for thousands of years after the explosion. A team led by Stephen Murray of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA studied 3C58, the remains of a supernova observed on Earth in 1181 AD in the constellation Cassiopeia. In addition to a pulsating central source they observed an extended X-ray source surrounding the pulsar thought to be produced by a cloud of high-energy particles about 20 light years across. These results were presented at the "Two Years of Science with Chandra" symposium in Washington, D.C. According to Murray, "Our discovery shows that all pulsars are not born equal. This pulsar is about the same age as the Crab Nebula pulsar, but there is little family resemblance." Murray explained that the 3C58 pulsar, which is now rotating at about half the rate of the Crab pulsar, is rotating almost as fast as it was when it was formed. In contrast, the Crab pulsar was formed spinning much more rapidly and has slowed to about half its initial speed. Conventional theory has assumed that all pulsars were like the Crab, born with rapid rotation and then have spun down considerably. The observations of 3C58, along with Chandra observations by another group of scientists of a pulsar associated with the supernova of 386 AD have cast doubt on that assumption, however. Furthermore, the X-ray power of 3C58 and its surrounding nebula are 20,000 and 1,000 times weaker than the Crab pulsar and its surrounding nebula respectively. One possibility for the low power of 3C58 is that the energy flow from its pulsar is primarily in the form of electromagnetic fields

  10. High-Energy Pulsar Models: Developments and New Questions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Venter, C.; Harding, A. K.

    2014-01-01

    The past few years have seen a major advance in observational knowledge of high-energy (HE) pulsars. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and AGILE have increased the number of known gamma-ray pulsars by an order of magnitude, its members being divided roughly equally among millisecond pulsars (MSPs), young radio-loud pulsars, and young radio-quiet pulsars. Many new and diverse emission characteristics are being measured, while radio and X-ray follow-up observations increase the pulsar detection rate and enrich our multiwavelength picture of these extreme sources. The wealth of new data has provided impetus for further development and improvement of existing theoretical pulsar models. Geometric light curve (LC) modelling has uncovered three broad classes into which HE pulsars fall: those where the radio profile leads, is aligned with, or lags the gamma-ray profile. For example, the original MSP and original black widow system are members of the second class, requiring co-located emission regions and thereby breaking with traditional notions of radio emission origin. These models imply narrow accelerator gaps in the outer magnetosphere, indicating copious pair production even in MSP magnetospheres that were previously thought to be pair-starved. The increased quality and variety of the LCs necessitate construction of ever more sophisticated models. We will review progress in global magnetosphere solutions which specify a finite conductivity on field lines above the stellar surface, filling the gap between the standard vacuum and force-free (FF; plasma-filled) models. The possibility of deriving phase-resolved spectra for the brightest pulsars, coupled with the fact that the HE pulsar population is sizable enough to allow sampling of various pulsar geometries, will enable much more stringent testing of future radiation models. Reproduction of the observed phase-resolved behavior of this disparate group will be one of the next frontiers in pulsar science, impacting on

  11. Prospects for high-precision pulsar timing with the new Effelsberg PSRIX backend

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lazarus, P.; Karuppusamy, R.; Graikou, E.; Caballero, R. N.; Champion, D. J.; Lee, K. J.; Verbiest, J. P. W.; Kramer, M.

    2016-05-01

    The PSRIX backend is the primary pulsar timing instrument of the Effelsberg 100 m radio telescope since early 2011. This new ROACH-based system enables bandwidths up to 500 MHz to be recorded, significantly more than what was possible with its predecessor, the Effelsberg-Berkeley Pulsar Processor (EBPP). We review the first four years of PSRIX timing data for 33 pulsars collected as part of the monthly European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) observations. We describe the automated data analysis pipeline, COASTGUARD, that we developed to reduce these observations. We also introduce TOASTER, the EPTA timing data base, used to store timing results, processing information and observation metadata. Using these new tools, we measure the phase-averaged flux densities at 1.4 GHz of all 33 pulsars. For seven of these pulsars, our flux density measurements are the first values ever reported. For the other 26 pulsars, we compare our flux density measurements with previously published values. By comparing PSRIX data with EBPP data, we find an improvement of ˜2-5 times in signal-to-noise ratio, which translates to an increase of ˜2-5 times in pulse time-of-arrival (TOA) precision. We show that such an improvement in TOA precision will improve the sensitivity to the stochastic gravitational wave background. Finally, we showcase the flexibility of the new PSRIX backend by observing several millisecond-period pulsars (MSPs) at 5 and 9 GHz. Motivated by our detections, we discuss the potential for complementing existing pulsar timing array data sets with MSP monitoring campaigns at these higher frequencies.

  12. THE DISTURBANCE OF A MILLISECOND PULSAR MAGNETOSPHERE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shannon, R. M.; Kerr, M.; Dai, S.

    2016-09-01

    Pulsar timing has enabled some of the strongest tests of fundamental physics. Central to the technique is the assumption that the detected radio pulses can be used to accurately measure the rotation of the pulsar. Here, we report on a broadband variation in the pulse profile of the millisecond pulsar J1643−1224. A new component of emission suddenly appears in the pulse profile, decays over four months, and results in a permanently modified pulse shape. Profile variations such as these may be the origin of timing noise observed in other millisecond pulsars. The sensitivity of pulsar-timing observations to gravitational radiation canmore » be increased by accounting for this variability.« less

  13. On the origins of part-time radio pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Bing; Gil, Janusz; Dyks, Jaroslaw

    2007-01-01

    Growing evidence suggests that some radio pulsars only act sporadically. These `part-time' pulsars include long-term nulls, quasi-periodic radio flares in PSR B1931+24, as well as the so-called Rotating Radio Transients (RRATs). Based on the assumption that these objects are isolated neutron stars similar to conventional radio pulsars, we discuss two possible interpretations to the phenomenon. The first interpretation suggests that these objects are pulsars slightly below the radio emission `death line', which become occasionally active only when the conditions for pair production and coherent emission are satisfied. The second interpretation invokes a radio emission direction reversal in conventional pulsars, as has been introduced to interpret the peculiar mode changing phenomenon in PSR B1822-09. In this picture, our line of sight misses the main radio emission beam of the pulsar but happens to sweep the emission beam when the radio emission direction is reversed. These part-time pulsars are therefore the other half of `nulling' pulsars. We suggest that X-ray observations may provide clues to differentiate between these two possibilities.

  14. Long-term observations of the pulsars in 47 Tucanae - II. Proper motions, accelerations and jerks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Freire, P. C. C.; Ridolfi, A.; Kramer, M.; Jordan, C.; Manchester, R. N.; Torne, P.; Sarkissian, J.; Heinke, C. O.; D'Amico, N.; Camilo, F.; Lorimer, D. R.; Lyne, A. G.

    2017-10-01

    This paper is the second in a series where we report the results of the long-term timing of the millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in 47 Tucanae with the Parkes 64-m radio telescope. We obtain improved timing parameters that provide additional information for studies of the cluster dynamics: (a) the pulsar proper motions yield an estimate of the proper motion of the cluster as a whole (μα = 5.00 ± 0.14 mas yr - 1, μδ = - 2.84 ± 0.12 mas yr - 1) and the motion of the pulsars relative to each other. (b) We measure the second spin-period derivatives caused by the change of the pulsar line-of-sight accelerations; 47 Tuc H, U and possibly J are being affected by nearby objects. (c) For 10 binary systems, we now measure changes in the orbital period caused by their acceleration in the gravitational field of the cluster. From all these measurements, we derive a cluster distance no smaller than ˜4.69 kpc and show that the characteristics of these MSPs are very similar to their counterparts in the Galactic disc. We find no evidence in favour of an intermediate mass black hole at the centre of the cluster. Finally, we describe the orbital behaviour of four 'black widow' systems. Two of them, 47 Tuc J and O, exhibit orbital variability similar to that observed in other such systems, while for 47 Tuc I and R the orbits seem to be remarkably stable. It appears therefore that not all 'black widows' have unpredictable orbital behaviour.

  15. High-sensitivity observations of 28 pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weisberg, J. M.; Armstrong, B. K.; Backus, P. R.; Cordes, J. M.; Boriakoff, V.

    1986-01-01

    Average 430-MHz pulse profiles and, where possible, modulation indices and pulse-nulling fractions are computed for 28 pulsars. Morphological classifications are determined for most of the pulsars. It is found that core emission components tend to have lower modulation indices than conal components, and that pulsars having only a core component never exhibit pulse pulling. PSR 1612 + 07 is shown to undergo mode changes.

  16. On the evolution of the Galactic pulsar population

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sierpowska, A.; Bednarek, W.

    2001-09-01

    We analyse the evolution of periods of the observed population of radio pulsars from their birth up to the present time assuming that pulsars lose rotational energy in emission of electromagnetic dipole and gravitational radiation. We consider the hypothesis that all pulsars are born with the same period close to 10 ms. We found strong correlation between the ellipticity of pulsars and their surface magnetic field. Such correlation is expected if the deformation of the pulsar shape is due to the strong magnetic field.

  17. The Bursting Behavior of 4U 1728-34: Parameters of a Neutron Star and Geometry of a NS-disk system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shaposhnikov, Nickolai; Titarchuk, Lev; Haber, Frank

    2003-01-01

    We analyze a set of Type I X-ray bursts from the low mass X-ray binary 4U 1728-34, observed with Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). We infer the dependence of the neutron star (NS) mass and radius with respect to the assumed distance to the system using an analytical model of X-ray burst spectral formation. The model behavior clearly indicates that the burster atmosphere is helium-dominated. Our results strongly favor the soft equation of state (EOS) of NS for 4U 1728-34. We find that distance to the source should be within 4.5-5.0 kpc range. We obtain rather narrow constrains for the NS radius in 8.7-9.7 km range and interval 1.2-1.6 Ma for NS mass for this particular distance range. We uncover a temporal behavior of red-shift corrected burst flux for the radial expansion episodes and we put forth a dynamical evolution scenario for the NS accretion disk geometry during which an expanded envelope affects the accretion disk and increases the area of the neutron star exposed to the Earth observer. In the framework of this scenario we provide a new method for the estimation of the inclination angle which leads to the value of approximately 50 degrees for 4U 1728-34.

  18. Directional Statistics for Polarization Observations of Individual Pulses from Radio Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McKinnon, M. M.

    2010-10-01

    Radio polarimetry is a three-dimensional statistical problem. The three-dimensional aspect of the problem arises from the Stokes parameters Q, U, and V, which completely describe the polarization of electromagnetic radiation and conceptually define the orientation of a polarization vector in the Poincaré sphere. The statistical aspect of the problem arises from the random fluctuations in the source-intrinsic polarization and the instrumental noise. A simple model for the polarization of pulsar radio emission has been used to derive the three-dimensional statistics of radio polarimetry. The model is based upon the proposition that the observed polarization is due to the incoherent superposition of two, highly polarized, orthogonal modes. The directional statistics derived from the model follow the Bingham-Mardia and Fisher family of distributions. The model assumptions are supported by the qualitative agreement between the statistics derived from it and those measured with polarization observations of the individual pulses from pulsars. The orthogonal modes are thought to be the natural modes of radio wave propagation in the pulsar magnetosphere. The intensities of the modes become statistically independent when generalized Faraday rotation (GFR) in the magnetosphere causes the difference in their phases to be large. A stochastic version of GFR occurs when fluctuations in the phase difference are also large, and may be responsible for the more complicated polarization patterns observed in pulsar radio emission.

  19. The First Fermi Large Area Telescope Catalog of Gamma-ray Pulsars

    DOE PAGES

    Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; ...

    2010-03-25

    The dramatic increase in the number of known gamma-ray pulsars since the launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST) offers the first opportunity to study a sizable population of these high-energy objects. This catalog summarizes 46 high-confidence pulsed detections using the first six months of data taken by the Large Area Telescope (LAT), Fermi's main instrument. Sixteen previously unknown pulsars were discovered by searching for pulsed signals at the positions of bright gamma-ray sources seen with the LAT, or at the positions of objects suspected to be neutron stars based on observations at other wavelengths. The dimmest observed flux among these gamma-ray-selected pulsars is 6.0 × 10 –8 ph cm –2 s –1 (for E>100 MeV). Pulsed gamma-ray emission was discovered from 24 known pulsars by using ephemerides (timing solutions) derived from monitoring radio pulsars. Eight of these new gamma-ray pulsars are millisecond pulsars. The dimmest observed flux among the radio-selected pulsars is 1.4 × 10 –8 ph cm –2 s –1 (for E>100 MeV). The remaining six gamma-ray pulsars were known since the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory mission, or before. The limiting flux for pulse detection is non-uniform over the sky owing to different background levels, especially near the Galactic plane. The pulsed energy spectra can be described by a power law with an exponential cutoff, with cutoff energies in the range ~1-5 GeV. The rotational energy-loss rate (more » $$\\dot{E}$$) of these neutron stars spans five decades, from ~3 × 10 33 erg s –1 to 5 × 10 38 erg s –1, and the apparent efficiencies for conversion to gamma-ray emission range from ~0.1% to ~ unity, although distance uncertainties complicate efficiency estimates. The pulse shapes show substantial diversity, but roughly 75% of the gamma-ray pulse profiles have two peaks, separated by ≳0.2 of rotational phase. For most of the pulsars, gamma-ray emission appears to come mainly from the outer

  20. A novel mechanism for creating double pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sigurdsson, Steinn; Hernquist, Lars

    1992-01-01

    Simulations of encounters between pairs of hard binaries, each containing a neutron star and a main-sequence star, reveal a new formation mechanism for double pulsars in dense cores of globular clusters. In many cases, the two normal stars are disrupted to form a common envelope around the pair of neutron stars, both of which will be spun up to become millisecond pulsars. We predict that a new class of pulsars, double millisecond pulsars, will be discovered in the cores of dense globular clusters. The genesis proceeds through a short-lived double-core common envelope phase, with the envelope ejected in a fast wind. It is possible that the progenitor may also undergo a double X-ray binary phase. Any circular, short-period double pulsar found in the galaxy would necessarily come from disrupted disk clusters, unlike Hulse-Taylor class pulsars or low-mass X-ray binaries which may be ejected from clusters or formed in the galaxy.

  1. Evidence for free precession in a pulsar

    PubMed

    Stairs; Lyne; Shemar

    2000-08-03

    Pulsars are rotating neutron stars that produce lighthouse-like beams of radio emission from their magnetic poles. The observed pulse of emission enables their rotation rates to be measured with great precision. For some young pulsars, this provides a means of studying the interior structure of neutron stars. Most pulsars have stable pulse shapes, and slow down steadily (for example, see ref. 20). Here we report the discovery of long-term, highly periodic and correlated variations in both the pulse shape and the rate of slow-down of the pulsar PSR B1828-11. The variations are best described as harmonically related sinusoids, with periods of approximately 1,000, 500 and 250 days, probably resulting from precession of the spin axis caused by an asymmetry in the shape of the pulsar. This is difficult to understand theoretically, because torque-free precession of a solitary pulsar should be damped out by the vortices in its superfluid interior.

  2. The High Time Resolution Universe Pulsar Survey - XII. Galactic plane acceleration search and the discovery of 60 pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ng, C.; Champion, D. J.; Bailes, M.; Barr, E. D.; Bates, S. D.; Bhat, N. D. R.; Burgay, M.; Burke-Spolaor, S.; Flynn, C. M. L.; Jameson, A.; Johnston, S.; Keith, M. J.; Kramer, M.; Levin, L.; Petroff, E.; Possenti, A.; Stappers, B. W.; van Straten, W.; Tiburzi, C.; Eatough, R. P.; Lyne, A. G.

    2015-07-01

    We present initial results from the low-latitude Galactic plane region of the High Time Resolution Universe pulsar survey conducted at the Parkes 64-m radio telescope. We discuss the computational challenges arising from the processing of the terabyte-sized survey data. Two new radio interference mitigation techniques are introduced, as well as a partially coherent segmented acceleration search algorithm which aims to increase our chances of discovering highly relativistic short-orbit binary systems, covering a parameter space including potential pulsar-black hole binaries. We show that under a constant acceleration approximation, a ratio of data length over orbital period of ≈0.1 results in the highest effectiveness for this search algorithm. From the 50 per cent of data processed thus far, we have redetected 435 previously known pulsars and discovered a further 60 pulsars, two of which are fast-spinning pulsars with periods less than 30 ms. PSR J1101-6424 is a millisecond pulsar whose heavy white dwarf (WD) companion and short spin period of 5.1 ms indicate a rare example of full-recycling via Case A Roche lobe overflow. PSR J1757-27 appears to be an isolated recycled pulsar with a relatively long spin period of 17 ms. In addition, PSR J1244-6359 is a mildly recycled binary system with a heavy WD companion, PSR J1755-25 has a significant orbital eccentricity of 0.09 and PSR J1759-24 is likely to be a long-orbit eclipsing binary with orbital period of the order of tens of years. Comparison of our newly discovered pulsar sample to the known population suggests that they belong to an older population. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our current pulsar detection yield is as expected from population synthesis.

  3. A Search for Debris Disks Around Variable Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shannon, Ryan; Cordes, J.; Lazio, J.; Kramer, M.; Lyne, A.

    2009-01-01

    After a supernova explosion, a modest amount of material will fall back and form a disk surrounding the resultant neutron star. This material can aggregate into rocky debris and the disk can be stable for the entire 10 million year lifetime of a canonical (non-recycled) radio pulsar. Previously, we developed a model that unifies the different classes of radio variability observed in many older pulsars. In this model, rocky material migrates inwards towards the neutron star and is ablated inside the pulsar magnetosphere. This material alters the electrodynamics in the magnetosphere which can cause the observed quiescent and bursting states observed in nulling pulsars, intermittent pulsars, and rotating radio transients. With this model in mind, we observed three nulling pulsars and one intermittent pulsar that are good candidates to host debris disks detectable by the Spitzer IRAC. Here we report how our IRAC observations constrain disk geometry, with particular emphasis on configurations that can provide the in-fall rate to cause the observed radio variability. We place these observations in the context of other searches for debris disks around neutron stars, which had studied either very young or very old (recycled) pulsars. By observing older canonical pulsars, all major classes of radio pulsars have been observed, and we can assess the presence of debris disks as a function of pulsar type. This work is based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech.

  4. EIGHT {gamma}-RAY PULSARS DISCOVERED IN BLIND FREQUENCY SEARCHES OF FERMI LAT DATA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Saz Parkinson, P. M.; Dormody, M.; Ziegler, M.

    2010-12-10

    We report the discovery of eight {gamma}-ray pulsars in blind frequency searches of {approx}650 source positions using the Large Area Telescope (LAT), on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. We present the timing models, light curves, and detailed spectral parameters of the new pulsars. PSRs J1023-5746, J1044-5737, J1413-5205, J1429-5911, and J1954+2836 are young ({tau}{sub c} < 100 kyr), energetic (E-dot {approx}>10{sup 36} erg s{sup -1}), and located within the Galactic plane (|b| < 3{sup 0}). The remaining three pulsars, PSRs J1846+0919, J1957+5033, and J2055+25, are less energetic, and located off the plane. Five pulsars are associated with sources included inmore » the Fermi-LAT bright {gamma}-ray source list, but only one, PSR J1413-6205, is clearly associated with an EGRET source. PSR J1023-5746 has the smallest characteristic age ({tau}{sub c} = 4.6 kyr) and is the most energetic (E-dot = 1.1x10{sup 37} erg s{sup -1}) of all {gamma}-ray pulsars discovered so far in blind searches. By analyzing >100 ks of publicly available archival Chandra X-ray data, we have identified the likely counterpart of PSR J1023-5746 as a faint, highly absorbed source, CXOU J102302.8-574606. The large X-ray absorption indicates that this could be among the most distant {gamma}-ray pulsars detected so far. PSR J1023-5746 is positionally coincident with the TeV source HESS J1023-575, located near the young stellar cluster Westerlund 2, while PSR J1954+2836 is coincident with a 4.3{sigma} excess reported by Milagro at a median energy of 35 TeV. PSRs J1957+5033 and J2055+25 have the largest characteristic ages ({tau}{sub c} {approx} 1 Myr) and are the least energetic (E-dot {approx}5x10{sup 33} erg s{sup -1}) of the newly discovered pulsars. We used recent XMM observations to identify the counterpart of PSR J2055+25 as XMMU J205549.4+253959. Deep radio follow-up observations of the eight pulsars resulted in no detections of pulsations and upper limits comparable to the

  5. PSR J1906+0722: An Elusive Gamma-Ray Pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, C. J.; Pletsch, H. J.; Wu, J.; Guillemot, L.; Ackermann, M.; Allen, B.; de Angelis, A.; Aulbert, C.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bellazzini, R.; Bissaldi, E.; Bock, O.; Bonino, R.; Bottacini, E.; Brandt, T. J.; Bregeon, J.; Bruel, P.; Buson, S.; Caliandro, G. A.; Cameron, R. A.; Caragiulo, M.; Caraveo, P. A.; Cecchi, C.; Champion, D. J.; Charles, E.; Chekhtman, A.; Chiang, J.; Chiaro, G.; Ciprini, S.; Claus, R.; Cohen-Tanugi, J.; Cuéllar, A.; Cutini, S.; D'Ammando, F.; Desiante, R.; Drell, P. S.; Eggenstein, H. B.; Favuzzi, C.; Fehrmann, H.; Ferrara, E. C.; Focke, W. B.; Franckowiak, A.; Fusco, P.; Gargano, F.; Gasparrini, D.; Giglietto, N.; Giordano, F.; Glanzman, T.; Godfrey, G.; Grenier, I. A.; Grove, J. E.; Guiriec, S.; Harding, A. K.; Hays, E.; Hewitt, J. W.; Hill, A. B.; Horan, D.; Hou, X.; Jogler, T.; Johnson, A. S.; Jóhannesson, G.; Kramer, M.; Krauss, F.; Kuss, M.; Laffon, H.; Larsson, S.; Latronico, L.; Li, J.; Li, L.; Longo, F.; Loparco, F.; Lovellette, M. N.; Lubrano, P.; Machenschalk, B.; Manfreda, A.; Marelli, M.; Mayer, M.; Mazziotta, M. N.; Michelson, P. F.; Mizuno, T.; Monzani, M. E.; Morselli, A.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Murgia, S.; Nuss, E.; Ohsugi, T.; Orienti, M.; Orlando, E.; de Palma, F.; Paneque, D.; Pesce-Rollins, M.; Piron, F.; Pivato, G.; Rainò, S.; Rando, R.; Razzano, M.; Reimer, A.; Saz Parkinson, P. M.; Schaal, M.; Schulz, A.; Sgrò, C.; Siskind, E. J.; Spada, F.; Spandre, G.; Spinelli, P.; Suson, D. J.; Takahashi, H.; Thayer, J. B.; Tibaldo, L.; Torne, P.; Torres, D. F.; Tosti, G.; Troja, E.; Vianello, G.; Wood, K. S.; Wood, M.; Yassine, M.

    2015-08-01

    We report the discovery of PSR J1906+0722, a gamma-ray pulsar detected as part of a blind survey of unidentified Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) sources being carried out on the volunteer distributed computing system, Einstein@Home. This newly discovered pulsar previously appeared as the most significant remaining unidentified gamma-ray source without a known association in the second Fermi-LAT source catalog (2FGL) and was among the top 10 most significant unassociated sources in the recent third catalog (3FGL). PSR J1906+0722 is a young, energetic, isolated pulsar, with a spin frequency of 8.9 Hz, a characteristic age of 49 kyr, and spin-down power 1.0× {10}36 erg s-1. In 2009 August it suffered one of the largest glitches detected from a gamma-ray pulsar ({{Δ }}f/f≈ 4.5× {10}-6). Remaining undetected in dedicated radio follow-up observations, the pulsar is likely radio-quiet. An off-pulse analysis of the gamma-ray flux from the location of PSR J1906+0722 revealed the presence of an additional nearby source, which may be emission from the interaction between a neighboring supernova remnant and a molecular cloud. We discuss possible effects which may have hindered the detection of PSR J1906+0722 in previous searches and describe the methods by which these effects were mitigated in this survey. We also demonstrate the use of advanced timing methods for estimating the positional, spin and glitch parameters of difficult-to-time pulsars such as this.

  6. X-rays from the eclipsing pulsar 1957+20

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fruchter, A. S.; Bookbinder, J.; Garcia, M. R.; Bailyn, C. D.

    1992-01-01

    The detection of soft X-rays of about 1 keV energy from the eclipsing pulsar PSR1957+20 is reported. This high-energy radiation should be a valuable diagnostic of the wind in this recycled pulsar system. Possible sources of the X-ray emission are the interstellar nebula driven by the pulsar wind, the interaction between the pulsar and its evaporating companion, and the pulsar itself. The small apparent size of the X-ray object argues against the first of these possibilities and suggests that the X-rays are produced within the binary.

  7. X-ray Emission from the Millisecond Pulsar J1012+5307

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Halpern, J. P.; Wang, F. Y.-H.

    1997-12-01

    The recently discovered 5.3 ms pulsar J1012+5307 at a distance of 520 pc is in an area of the sky which is particularly deficient in absorbing gas. The column density along the line of sight is less than 7.5 x 10(19) cm(-2) , which facilitates soft X-ray observations. Halpern (1996, ApJ, 459, L9) reported a possible ROSAT PSPC detection of the pulsar in a serendipitous, off-axis observation. We have now confirmed the X-ray emission of PSR J1012+5307 in a 23 ksec observation with the ROSAT HRI. A point source is detected within 3('') of the radio position. Its count rate of 1.6 +/- 0.3 x 10(-3) s(-1) corresponds to an unbsorbed 0.1--2.4 keV flux of 6.4 x 10(-14) ergs cm(-2) s(-1) , similar to that reported previously. This counts-to-flux conversion is valid for N_H = 5 x 10(19) cm(-2) , and either a power-law spectrum of photon index 2.5 or a blackbody of kT = 0.1 keV. The implied X-ray luminosity of 2.0 x 10(30) ergs s(-1) is 5 x 10(-4) of the pulsar's spin-down power dot E, and similar to that of the nearest millisecond pulsar J0437--4715, which is nearly a twin of J1012+5307 in P and dot E. We subjected the 37 photons (and 13 background counts) within the source region to a pulsar search, but no evidence for pulsation was found. The pulsar apparently emits over a large fraction of its rotation cycle, and the absence of sharp modulation can be taken as evidence for surface thermal emission, as is favored for PSR J0437--4715 (Zavlin & Pavlov 1997, A&A, in press), rather than magnetospheric X-ray emission which is apparent in the sharp pulses of the much more energetic millisecond pulsar B1821--24 (Saito et al. 1997, ApJ, 477, L37). A further test of this interpretation will be made with a longer ROSAT observation, which will increase the number of photons collected by a factor of 5, and permit a more sensitive examination of the light curve for modulation due to emission from heated polar caps. If found, such modulation will be further evidence that surface

  8. Physical processes in the strong magnetic fields of accreting neutron stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meszaros, P.

    1984-01-01

    Analytical formulae are fitted to observational data on physical processes occurring in strong magnetic fields surrounding accreting neutron stars. The propagation of normal modes in the presence of a quantizing magnetic field is discussed in terms of a wave equation in Fourier space, quantum electrodynamic effects, polarization and mode ellipticity. The results are applied to calculating the Thomson scattering, bremsstrahlung and Compton scattering cross-sections, which are a function of the frequency, angle and polarization of the magnetic field. Numerical procedures are explored for solving the radiative transfer equations. When applied to modeling X ray pulsars, a problem arises in the necessity to couple the magnetic angle and frequency dependence of the cross-sections with the hydrodynamic equations. The use of time-dependent averaging and approximation techniques is indicated.

  9. Spacecraft Navigation Using X-ray Pulsars

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    95FEATURED RESEARCH 2006 NRL REVIEW Spacecraft Navigation Using X-ray Pulsars P.S. Ray, K.S. Wood, and B.F. Phlips E.O. Hulburt Center for Space...satellites and computes the range (technically pseudorange) to each satellite Pulsars are the collapsed remnants of massive stars that have become...relatively simple structure, pulsars are exceptionally stable rotators whose timing stability rivals that of conventional atomic clocks. A navigation

  10. Search for and detection of pulsars inmonitoring observations at 111 MHz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tyul'bashev, S. A.; Tyul'bashev, V. S.; Kitaeva, M. A.; Chernyshova, A. I.; Malofeev, V. M.; Chashei, I. V.; Shishov, V. I.; Dagkesamanskii, R. D.; Klimenko, S. V.; Nikitin, I. N.; Nikitina, L. D.

    2017-10-01

    In the course of monitoring interplanetary scintillations of a large number of sources using the Big Scanning Antenna of the Lebedev Physical Institute, a search for pulsars with periods ≥0.4 s at declinations -9◦ < δ < 42◦ and right ascensions 0h < α < 24h was simultaneously carried out. The search was conducted using four years of observations carried out at 110.25MHz in six frequency channels making up a 2.5 MHz band and having a time resolution of 100 ms. The initial identification of pulsar candidates was done using Fourier power spectra averaged over the entire observational period; the pulsar candidates were then verified using observations with higher frequency and time resolution: 32 frequency channels and a time resolution of 12.5 ms. Eighteen new pulsars were discovered in the studied area, whose main characteristics are presented.

  11. PSR J1907+0602: A RADIO-FAINT GAMMA-RAY PULSAR POWERING A BRIGHT TeV PULSAR WIND NEBULA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.

    2010-03-01

    We present multiwavelength studies of the 106.6 ms gamma-ray pulsar PSR J1907+06 near the TeV source MGRO J1908+06. Timing observations with Fermi result in a precise position determination for the pulsar of R.A. = 19{sup h}07{sup m}54.{sup s}7(2), decl. = +06{sup 0}02'16(2)'' placing the pulsar firmly within the TeV source extent, suggesting the TeV source is the pulsar wind nebula of PSR J1907+0602. Pulsed gamma-ray emission is clearly visible at energies from 100 MeV to above 10 GeV. The phase-averaged power-law index in the energy range E > 0.1 GeV is GAMMA = 1.76 +- 0.05 with an exponential cutoffmore » energy E{sub c} = 3.6 +- 0.5 GeV. We present the energy-dependent gamma-ray pulsed light curve as well as limits on off-pulse emission associated with the TeV source. We also report the detection of very faint (flux density of {approx_equal} 3.4 {mu}Jy) radio pulsations with the Arecibo telescope at 1.5 GHz having a dispersion measure DM = 82.1 +- 1.1 cm{sup -3} pc. This indicates a distance of 3.2 +- 0.6 kpc and a pseudo-luminosity of L{sub 1400} {approx_equal} = 0.035 mJy kpc{sup 2}. A Chandra ACIS observation revealed an absorbed, possibly extended, compact ({approx}<4'') X-ray source with significant nonthermal emission at R.A. = 19{sup h}07{sup m}54.{sup s}76, decl. = +06{sup 0}02'14.''6 with a flux of 2.3{sup +0.6}{sub -1.4} x 10{sup -14} erg cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}. From archival ASCA observations, we place upper limits on any arcminute scale 2-10 keV X-ray emission of {approx}1 x 10{sup -13} erg cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}. The implied distance to the pulsar is compatible with that of the supernova remnant G40.5 - 0.5, located on the far side of the TeV nebula from PSR J1907+0602, and the S74 molecular cloud on the nearer side which we discuss as potential birth sites.« less

  12. The optical counterpart to the new accreting pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124 is a Be star

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kouroubatzakis, K.; Reig, P.; Andrews, J.; ), A. Zezas

    2017-10-01

    We report optical spectroscopic observations of the optical counterpart to the 9.87-s accreting neutron star transient Swift J0243.6+6124 (ATel#10809, ATel#10812) from the 1.3-m telescope of the Skinakas Observatory (Greece).

  13. Pulsar simulations for the Fermi Large Area Telescope

    DOE PAGES

    Razzano, M.; Harding, Alice K.; Baldini, L.; ...

    2009-05-21

    Pulsars are among the prime targets for the Large Area Telescope (LAT) aboard the recently launched Fermi observatory. The LAT will study the gamma-ray Universe between 20 MeV and 300 GeV with unprecedented detail. Increasing numbers of gamma-ray pulsars are being firmly identified, yet their emission mechanisms are far from being understood. To better investigate and exploit the LAT capabilities for pulsar science, a set of new detailed pulsar simulation tools have been developed within the LAT collaboration. The structure of the pulsar simulator package ( PulsarSpectrum) is presented here. Starting from photon distributions in energy and phase obtained frommore » theoretical calculations or phenomenological considerations, gamma-rays are generated and their arrival times at the spacecraft are determined by taking into account effects such as barycentric effects and timing noise. Pulsars in binary systems also can be simulated given orbital parameters. As a result, we present how simulations can be used for generating a realistic set of gamma-rays as observed by the LAT, focusing on some case studies that show the performance of the LAT for pulsar observations.« less

  14. Detecting pulsars in the Galactic Centre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajwade, K. M.; Lorimer, D. R.; Anderson, L. D.

    2017-10-01

    Although high-sensitivity surveys have revealed a number of highly dispersed pulsars in the inner Galaxy, none have so far been found in the Galactic Centre (GC) region, which we define to be within a projected distance of 1 pc from Sgr A*. This null result is surprising given that several independent lines of evidence predict a sizable population of neutron stars in the region. Here, we present a detailed analysis of both the canonical and millisecond pulsar populations in the GC and consider free-free absorption and multipath scattering to be the two main sources of flux density mitigation. We demonstrate that the sensitivity limits of previous surveys are not sufficient to detect GC pulsar population, and investigate the optimum observing frequency for future surveys. Depending on the degree of scattering and free-free absorption in the GC, current surveys constrain the size of the potentially observable population (I.e. those beaming towards us) to be up to 52 canonical pulsars and 10 000 millisecond pulsars. We find that the optimum frequency for future surveys is in the range of 9-13 GHz. We also predict that future deeper surveys with the Square Kilometre array will probe a significant portion of the existing radio pulsar population in the GC.

  15. Future Facilities for Gamma-Ray Pulsar Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, D. J.

    2003-01-01

    Pulsars seen at gamma-ray energies offer insight into particle acceleration to very high energies, along with information about the geometry and interaction processes in the magnetospheres of these rotating neutron stars. During the next decade, a number of new gamma-ray facilities will become available for pulsar studies. This brief review describes the motivation for gamma-ray pulsar studies, the opportunities for such studies, and some specific discussion of the capabilities of the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Large Area Telescope (LAT) for pulsar measurements.

  16. Fastest Pulsar Speeding Out of Galaxy, Astronomers Discover

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2005-08-01

    any firm conclusions," said Wouter Vlemmings of the Jodrell Bank Observatory in the UK and Cornell University in the U.S. The observations of B1508+55 were part of a larger project to use the VLBA to measure the distances and motions of numerous pulsars. "This is the first result of this long-term project, and it's pretty exciting to have something so spectacular come this early," Brisken said. The VLBA observations were made at radio frequencies between 1.4 and 1.7 GigaHertz. Chatterjee, Vlemmings and Brisken worked with Joseph Lazio of the Naval Research Laboratory, James Cordes of Cornell University, Miller Goss of NRAO, Stephen Thorsett of the University of California, Santa Cruz, Edward Fomalont of NRAO, Andrew Lyne and Michael Kramer, both of Jodrell Bank Observatory. The scientists presented their findings in the September 1 issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters. The VLBA is a system of ten radio-telescope antennas, each with a dish 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter and weighing 240 tons. From Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the VLBA spans more than 5,000 miles, providing astronomers with the sharpest vision of any telescope on Earth or in space. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

  17. Outlook for Detecting Gravitational Waves with Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2016-04-01

    Though the recent discovery of GW150914 is a thrilling success in the field of gravitational-wave astronomy, LIGO is only one tool the scientific community is using to hunt for these elusive signals. After 10 years of unsuccessful searching, how likely is it that pulsar-timing-array projects will make their own first detection soon?Frequency ranges for gravitational waves produced by different astrophysical sources. Pulsar timing arrays such as the EPTA and IPTA are used to detect low-frequency gravitational waves generated by the stochastic background and supermassive black hole binaries. [Christopher Moore, Robert Cole and Christopher Berry]Supermassive BackgroundGround-based laser interferometers like LIGO are ideal for probing ripples in space-time caused by the merger of stellar-mass black holes; these mergers cause chirps in the frequency range of tens to thousands of hertz. But how do we pick up the extremely low-frequency, nanohertz background signal caused by the orbits of pairs of supermassive black holes? For that, we need pulsar timing arrays.Pulsar timing arrays are sets of pulsars whose signals are analyzed to look for correlations in the pulse arrival time. As the space-time between us and a pulsar is stretched and then compressed by a passing gravitational wave, the pulsars pulses should arrive a little late and then a little early. Comparing these timing residuals in an array of pulsars could theoretically allow for the detection of the gravitational waves causing them.Globally, there are currently four pulsar timing array projects actively searching for this signal, with a fifth planned for the future. Now a team of scientists led by Stephen Taylor (NASA-JPL/Caltech) has estimated the likelihood that these projects will successfully detect gravitational waves in the future.Probability for SuccessExpected detection probability of the gravitational-wave background as a function of observing time, for five different pulsar timing arrays. Optimistic

  18. Gamma ray pulsars. [electron-photon cascades

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oegelman, H.; Ayasli, S.; Hacinliyan, A.

    1977-01-01

    Data from the SAS-2 high-energy gamma-ray experiment reveal the existence of four pulsars emitting photons above 35 MeV. An attempt is made to explain the gamma-ray emission from these pulsars in terms of an electron-photon cascade that develops in the magnetosphere of the pulsar. Although there is very little material above the surface of the pulsar, the very intense magnetic fields (10 to the 12th power gauss) correspond to many radiation lengths which cause electrons to emit photons by magnetic bremsstrahlung and which cause these photons to pair-produce. The cascade develops until the mean photon energy drops below the pair-production threshold which is in the gamma-ray range; at this stage, the photons break out from the source.

  19. Self-modulational formation of pulsar microstructures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kennel, C. F.; Chian, A. C.-L.

    1987-01-01

    A nonlinear plasma theory for self modulation of pulsar radio pulses is discussed. A nonlinear Schroedinger equation is derived for strong electromagnetic waves propagating in an electron positron plasma. The nonlinearities arising from wave intensity induced particle mass variation may excite the modulational instability of circularly and linearly polarized pulsar radiation. The resulting wave envelopes can take the form of periodic wave trains or solitons. These nonlinear stationary waveforms may account for the formation of pulsar microstructures.

  20. Eclipsing Pulsar Promises Clues to Crushed Matter

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    NASA image release August 17, 2010 Astronomers using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) have found the first fast X-ray pulsar to be eclipsed by its companion star. Further studies of this unique stellar system will shed light on some of the most compressed matter in the universe and test a key prediction of Einstein's relativity theory. Known as Swift J1749.4-2807 -- J1749 for short -- the system erupted with an X-ray outburst on April 10. During the event, RXTE observed three eclipses, detected X-ray pulses that identified the neutron star as a pulsar, and even recorded pulse variations that indicated the neutron star's orbital motion. To view a video of this pulsar go here: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4901238111 To read more click here Credit: NASA/GSFC NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

  1. CHANGES IN THE CRAB PULSAR

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Scientists are learning more about how pulsars work by studying a series of Hubble Space Telescope images of the heart of the Crab Nebula. The images, taken over a period of several months, show that the Crab is a far more dynamic object than previously understood. At the center of the nebula lies the Crab Pulsar. The pulsar is a tiny object by astronomical standards -- only about six miles across -- but has a mass greater than that of the Sun and rotates at a rate of 30 times a second. As the pulsar spins its intense magnetic field whips around, acting like a sling shot, accelerating subatomic particles and sending them hurtling them into space at close to the speed of light. The tiny pulsar and its wind are the powerhouse for the entire Crab Nebula, which is 10 light-years across -- a feat comparable to an object the size of a hydrogen atom illuminating a volume of space a kilometer across. The three pictures shown here, taken from the series of Hubble images, show dramatic changes in the appearance of the central regions of the nebula. These include wisp-like structures that move outward away from the pulsar at half the speed of light, as well as a mysterious 'halo' which remains stationary, but grows brighter then fainter over time. Also seen are the effects of two polar jets that move out along the rotation axis of the pulsar. The most dynamic feature seen -- a small knot that 'dances around' so much that astronomers have been calling it a 'sprite' -- is actually a shock front (where fast-moving material runs into slower-moving material)in one of these polar jets. The telescope captured the images with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 using a filter that passes light of wavelength around 550 nanometers, near the middle of the visible part of the spectrum. The Crab Nebula is located 7,000 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. Credit: Jeff Hester and Paul Scowen (Arizona State University), and NASA

  2. PSR J1906+0722: an Elusive Gamma-Ray Pulsar

    DOE PAGES

    Clark, C. J.; Pletsch, H. J.; Wu, J.; ...

    2015-08-04

    Here, we report the discovery of PSR J1906+0722, a gamma-ray pulsar detected as part of a blind survey of unidentified Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) sources being carried out on the volunteer distributed computing system, Einstein@Home. This newly discovered pulsar previously appeared as the most significant remaining unidentified gamma-ray source without a known association in the second Fermi-LAT source catalog (2FGL) and was among the top 10 most significant unassociated sources in the recent third catalog (3FGL). PSR J1906+0722 is a young, energetic, isolated pulsar, with a spin frequency of 8.9 Hz, a characteristic age of 49 kyr, and spin-down powermore » $$1.0\\times {10}^{36}$$ erg s -1. In 2009 August it suffered one of the largest glitches detected from a gamma-ray pulsar ($${\\rm{\\Delta }}f/f\\approx 4.5\\times {10}^{-6}$$). Remaining undetected in dedicated radio follow-up observations, the pulsar is likely radio-quiet. An off-pulse analysis of the gamma-ray flux from the location of PSR J1906+0722 revealed the presence of an additional nearby source, which may be emission from the interaction between a neighboring supernova remnant and a molecular cloud. We discuss possible effects which may have hindered the detection of PSR J1906+0722 in previous searches and describe the methods by which these effects were mitigated in this survey. Lastly, we also demonstrate the use of advanced timing methods for estimating the positional, spin and glitch parameters of difficult-to-time pulsars such as this.« less

  3. The Pulsar Quartet: Listening to a Galactic Symphony

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiziltan, Bülent

    2014-06-01

    Pulsars are exotic dead stars that emit very regular radio pulses. These pulses are attributed to their regular rotation. Some pulsars are spinning fast enough that the audio equivalent waveform of their pulses fall within our hearing range. If human ears were tuned to radio waves it would have been possible to ‘hear’ these very compact stars. We produced the audio waveform of these pulsar signals and mapped them onto a frequency chart to find the corresponding musical notes. We use these ‘audible' pulsars like musical instruments in a symphony orchestra to play a full quartet. At the same time, an accompanying visual interface shows the realistic distribution of all pulsars in our own Galaxy. Pulsars shine as they play each note in the quartet with realistic brightening and subsequent dimming proportional to their rotational energies. This can serve as an educational tool at all levels to demonstrate many interesting aspects of stellar evolution and articulate an aesthetic connection of us with the cosmos. Interested in watching the light show while the Milky Way Pulsar Orchestra plays a quartet?

  4. Spectral State Evolution of 4U 1820-30: the Stability of the Spectral Index of Comptonization Tail

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Titarchuk, Lev G.; Seifina, Elena; Frontera, Filippo

    2013-01-01

    We analyze the X-ray spectra and their timing properties of the compact Xray binary 4U 1820-30. We establish spectral transitions in this source seen with BeppoSAX and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). During the RXTE observations (1996 - 2009), the source were approximately approximately 75% of its time in the soft state making the lower banana and upper banana transitions combined with long-term low-high state transitions. We reveal that all of the X-ray spectra of 4U 1820-30 are fit by a composition of a thermal (blackbody) component, a Comptonization component (COMPTB) and a Gaussian-line component. Thus using this spectral analysis we find that the photon power-law index Gamma of the Comptonization component is almost unchangeable (Gamma approximately 2) while the electron temperature kTe changes from 2.9 to 21 keV during these spectral events. We also establish that for these spectral events the normalization of COMPTB component (which is proportional to mass accretion rate ?M) increases by factor 8 when kTe decreases from 21 keV to 2.9 keV. Before this index stability effect was also found analyzing X-ray data for Z-source GX 340+0 and for atolls, 4U 1728-34, GX 3+1. Thus, we can suggest that this spectral stability property is a spectral signature of an accreting neutron star source. On the other hand in a black hole binary G monotonically increases with ?Mand ultimately its value saturates at large ?M.

  5. Studying the accretion geometry of EXO 2030+375 at luminosities close to the propeller regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fürst, F.; Kretschmar, P.; Kajava, J. J. E.; Alfonso-Garzón, J.; Kühnel, M.; Sanchez-Fernandez, C.; Blay, P.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.; Jenke, P.; Kreykenbohm, I.; Pottschmidt, K.; Wilms, J.; Rothschild, R. E.

    2017-10-01

    The Be X-ray binary EXO 2030+375was in an extended low-luminosity state during most of 2016. We observed this state with NuSTARand Swift, supported by INTEGRALobservations and optical spectroscopy with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT). We present a comprehensive spectral and timing analysis of these data here to study the accretion geometry and investigate a possible onset of the propeller effect. The Hα data show that the circumstellar disk of the Be-star is still present. We measure equivalent widths similar to values found during more active phases in the past, indicating that the low-luminosity state is not simply triggered by a smaller Be disk. The NuSTARdata, taken at a 3-78 keV luminosity of 6.8 × 1035 erg s-1 (for a distance of 7.1 kpc), are nicely described by standard accreting pulsar models such as an absorbed power law with a high-energy cutoff. We find that pulsations are still clearly visible at these luminosities, indicating that accretion is continuing despite the very low mass transfer rate. In phase-resolved spectroscopy we find a peculiar variation of the photon index from 1.5 to 2.5 over only about 3% of the rotational period. This variation is similar to that observed with XMM-Newtonat much higher luminosities. It may be connected to the accretion column passing through our line of sight. With Swift/XRT we observe luminosities as low as 1034 erg s-1 where the data quality did not allow us to search for pulsations, but the spectrum is much softer and well described by either a blackbody or soft power-law continuum. This softer spectrum might be due to the accretion being stopped by the propeller effect and we only observe the neutron star surface cooling.

  6. Magnetic Pair Creation Transparency in Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Story, Sarah; Baring, M. G.

    2013-04-01

    The Fermi gamma-ray pulsar database now exceeds 115 sources and has defined an important part of Fermi's science legacy, providing rich information for the interpretation of young energetic pulsars and old millisecond pulsars. Among the well established population characteristics is the common occurrence of exponential turnovers in the 1-10 GeV range. These turnovers are too gradual to arise from magnetic pair creation in the strong magnetic fields of pulsar inner magnetospheres, so their energy can be used to provide lower bounds to the typical altitude of GeV band emission. We explore such constraints due to single-photon pair creation transparency below the turnover energy. We adopt a semi-analytic approach, spanning both domains when general relativistic influences are important and locales where flat spacetime photon propagation is modified by rotational aberration effects. Our work clearly demonstrates that including near-threshold physics in the pair creation rate is essential to deriving accurate attenuation lengths. The altitude bounds, typically in the range of 2-6 neutron star radii, provide key information on the emission altitude in radio quiet pulsars that do not possess double-peaked pulse profiles. For the Crab pulsar, which emits pulsed radiation up to energies of 120 GeV, we obtain a lower bound of around 15 neutron star radii to its emission altitude.

  7. A glitch in the millisecond pulsar J0613-0200

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McKee, J. W.; Janssen, G. H.; Stappers, B. W.; Lyne, A. G.; Caballero, R. N.; Lentati, L.; Desvignes, G.; Jessner, A.; Jordan, C. A.; Karuppusamy, R.; Kramer, M.; Cognard, I.; Champion, D. J.; Graikou, E.; Lazarus, P.; Osłowski, S.; Perrodin, D.; Shaifullah, G.; Tiburzi, C.; Verbiest, J. P. W.

    2016-09-01

    We present evidence for a small glitch in the spin evolution of the millisecond pulsar J0613-0200, using the EPTA Data Release 1.0, combined with Jodrell Bank analogue filterbank times of arrival (TOAs) recorded with the Lovell telescope and Effelsberg Pulsar Observing System TOAs. A spin frequency step of 0.82(3) nHz and frequency derivative step of -1.6(39) × 10-19 Hz s-1 are measured at the epoch of MJD 50888(30). After PSR B1821-24A, this is only the second glitch ever observed in a millisecond pulsar, with a fractional size in frequency of Δν/ν = 2.5(1) × 10-12, which is several times smaller than the previous smallest glitch. PSR J0613-0200 is used in gravitational wave searches with pulsar timing arrays, and is to date only the second such pulsar to have experienced a glitch in a combined 886 pulsar-years of observations. We find that accurately modelling the glitch does not impact the timing precision for pulsar timing array applications. We estimate that for the current set of millisecond pulsars included in the International Pulsar Timing Array, there is a probability of ˜50 per cent that another glitch will be observed in a timing array pulsar within 10 years.

  8. Einstein@Home Finds an Elusive Pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2015-08-01

    Since the release of the second Fermi-LAT catalog in 2012, astronomers have been hunting for 3FGL J1906.6+0720, a gamma-ray source whose association couldn't be identified. Now, personal-computer time volunteered through the Einstein@Home project has resulted in the discovery of a pulsar that has been hiding from observers for years. A Blind Search: Identifying sources detected by Fermi-LAT can be tricky: the instrument's sky resolution is limited, so the position of the source can be hard to pinpoint. The gamma-ray source 3FGL J1906.6+0720 appeared in both the second and third Fermi-LAT source catalogs, but even after years of searching, no associated radio or X-ray source had been found. A team of researchers, led by Colin Clark of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, suspected that the source might be a gamma-ray pulsar. To confirm this, however, they needed to detect pulsed emission — something inherently difficult given the low photon count and the uncertain position of the source. The team conducted a blind search for pulsations coming from the general direction of the gamma-ray source. Two things were needed for this search: clever data analysis and a lot of computing power. The data analysis algorithm was designed to be adaptive: it searched a 4-dimensional parameter space that included a safety margin, allowing the algorithm to wander if the source was at the edge of the parameter space. The computing power was contributed by tens of thousands of personal computers volunteered by participants in the Einstein@Home project, making much shorter work out of a search that would have required dozens of years on a single laptop. The sky region around the newly discovered pulsar. The dotted ellipse shows the 3FGL catalog 95% confidence region for the source. The data analysis algorithm was designed to search an area 50% larger (given by the dashed ellipse), but it was allowed to “walk away” within the gray shaded region if the source seemed to

  9. Giant Pulse Studies of Ordinary and Recycled Pulsars with NICER

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewandowska, Natalia; Arzoumanian, Zaven; Gendreau, Keith C.; Enoto, Teruaki; Harding, Alice; Lommen, Andrea; Ray, Paul S.; Deneva, Julia; Kerr, Matthew; Ransom, Scott M.; NICER Team

    2018-01-01

    Radio Giant Pulses are one of the earliest discovered form of anomalous single pulse emission from pulsars. Known for their non-periodical occurrence, restriction to certain phase ranges, power-law intensity distributions, pulse widths ranging from microseconds to nanoseconds and very high brightness temperatures, they stand out as an individual form of pulsar radio emission.Discovered originally in the case of the Crab pulsar, several other pulsars have been observed to emit radio giant pulses, the most promising being the recycled pulsar PSR B1937+21 and also the Vela pulsar.Although radio giant pulses are apparently the result of a coherent emission mechanism, recent studies of the Crab pulsar led to the discovery of an additional incoherent component at optical wavelengths. No such component has been identified for recycled pulsars, or Vela yet.To provide constraints on possible emission regions in their magnetospheres and to search for differences between giant pulses from ordinary and recycled pulsars, we present the progress of the correlation study of PSR B1937+21 and the Vela pulsar carried out with NICER and several radio observatories.

  10. The reflection spectrum of the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636-53

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yanan; Méndez, Mariano; Sanna, Andrea; Altamirano, Diego; Belloni, T. M.

    2017-06-01

    We present 3-79 keV NuSTAR observations of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636-53 in the soft, transitional and hard state. The spectra display a broad emission line at 5-10 keV. We applied several models to fit this line: A Gaussian line, a relativistically broadened emission line model, kyrline, and two models including relativistically smeared and ionized reflection off the accretion disc with different coronal heights, relxill and relxilllp. All models fit the spectra well; however, the kyrline and relxill models yield an inclination of the accretion disc of ˜88° with respect to the line of sight, which is at odds with the fact that this source shows no dips or eclipses. The relxilllp model, on the other hand, gives a reasonable inclination of ˜56°. We discuss our results for these models in this source and the possible primary source of the hard X-rays.

  11. Hydrodynamic Simulations of the Consequences of Accretion onto ONe White Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starrfield, Sumner; Bose, Maitrayee; Iliadis, Christian; Hix, William Raphael; Woodward, Charles E.; Wagner, Robert M.; José, Jordi; Hernanz, Margarita; Feng, Wanda

    2018-06-01

    Mass and luminosity variations of the white dwarf, combined with changes in the mass accretion rate and composition of the accreted material affect the evolution of the thermonuclear runaway (TNR) in classical and recurrent novae. Here we highlight continued investigations of these effects on accreting Oxygen-Neon (ONe) white dwarfs. We now use the results of the multi-dimensional studies of TNRs in white dwarfs, accreting only solar matter, which show that sufficient core material is dredged-up during the TNR to agree with the measurements of ejecta abundances in classical nova explosions. Therefore, we first accrete solar material and follow the evolution until a TNR is ongoing. We then switch the composition to a mixture with either 25% core material or 50% core material (plus accreted material) and follow the resulting evolution of the TNR through peak nuclear burning and decline. We use our 1D, Lagrangian, hydrodynamic code: NOVA. We will report on the results of these new simulations and compare the ejecta abundances to those measured in pre-solar grains that are thought to arise from classical nova explosions. We will also compare these results to our companion studies, done in a similar fashion, where we have followed the consequences of accretion onto Carbon-Oxygen white dwarfs. This work was supported in part by NASA under the Astrophysics Theory Program grant 14-ATP14-0007 and the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-FG02- 97ER41041. SS acknowledges partial support from NASA, NSF, and HST grants to ASU and WRH is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics.

  12. X-rays from radio pulsars: the detection of PSR 1055-52

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cheng, A.F.; Helfand, D.J.

    The short-period pulsar PSR 1055-52 has been detected as a soft X-ray source in the course of an Einstein Observatory survey of radio pulsars. Its X-ray to radio luminosity ratio is approx.10/sup 4/, although the X-rays are not modulated at the neutron star's rotation frequency. We present high spatial resolution observations which suggest that a significant fraction of the emission comes from an extended region surrounding the pulsar. We investigate several possible scenarios for the origin of both point and extended X-ray emission from isolated neutron stars: radiation from the hot stellar surface, from hot polar caps, and from anmore » optically thick atmosphere, as well as from a circumstellar nebula emitting thermal bremsstrahlung or synchrotron radiation. We conclude that the spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristic of this source are most consistent with a model in which relativistic particles generated by the pulsar are radiating synchrotron X-rays in the surrounding magnetic field; i.e., that PSR 1055 is embedded in a mini-Crab nebula. Observational tests of this hypothesis are suggested, and the implications of this result for pulsar evolution are briefly discussed.« less

  13. Chandra Associates Pulsar and Historic Supernova

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2001-01-01

    SAN DIEGO -- Scientists using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have found new evidence that a pulsar in the constellation of Sagittarius was created when a massive star exploded, witnessed by Chinese astronomers in the year 386 AD. If confirmed, this will be only the second pulsar to be clearly associated with a historic event. These results were presented today by Victoria Kaspi and Mallory Roberts of McGill University at the American Astronomical Society meeting. Also participating in the research were Gautum Vasisht from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Eric Gotthelf from Columbia University, Michael Pivovaroff from Therma-Wave, Inc., and Nobuyuki Kawai from the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Japan. The scientists used Chandra to locate the pulsar exactly at the geometric center of the supernova remnant known as G11.2-0.3. This location provides very strong evidence that the pulsar, a neutron star that is rotating 14 times a second, was formed in the supernova of 386 AD, and therefore has an age of 1615 years. "Determining the true ages of astronomical objects is notoriously difficult, and for this reason, historical records of supernovas are of great importance,"said Kaspi."In roughly the past 2,000 years, fewer than 10 reports of probable supernovae have been archived mostly by Asian astronomers. Of those handful, the remnant of 1054 AD, the Crab Nebula, was until now the only pulsar whose birth could be associated with a historic event - and, hence, the only neutron star that has a firm age." Between mid-April and mid-May in the year 386 AD, a young "guest star", presumably a supernova, was recorded by Chinese observers in the direction of the sky now known as the constellation of Sagittarius. In the 1970s, radio astronomers discovered an expanding nebula of gas and high-energy particles, called G11.2-0.3, that is believed to be the remnant of that explosion. In 1997, a team of X-ray astronomers used Japan’s ASCA satellite to discover a pulsar

  14. Toward an Empirical Theory of Pulsar Emission. XII. Exploring the Physical Conditions in Millisecond Pulsar Emission Regions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rankin, Joanna M.; Mitra, Dipanjan; Archibald, Anne

    The five-component profile of the 2.7 ms pulsar J0337+1715 appears to exhibit the best example to date of a core/double-cone emission-beam structure in a millisecond pulsar (MSP). Moreover, three other MSPs, the binary pulsars B1913+16, B1953+29, and J1022+1001, seem to exhibit core/single-cone profiles. These configurations are remarkable and important because it has not been clear whether MSPs and slow pulsars exhibit similar emission-beam configurations, given that they have considerably smaller magnetospheric sizes and magnetic field strengths. MSPs thus provide an extreme context for studying pulsar radio emission. Particle currents along the magnetic polar flux tube connect processes just above themore » polar cap through the radio-emission region to the light-cylinder and the external environment. In slow pulsars, radio-emission heights are typically about 500 km around where the magnetic field is nearly dipolar, and estimates of the physical conditions there point to radiation below the plasma frequency and emission from charged solitons by the curvature process. We are able to estimate emission heights for the four MSPs and carry out a similar estimation of physical conditions in their much lower emission regions. We find strong evidence that MSPs also radiate by curvature emission from charged solitons.« less

  15. Newly Commissioned Green Bank Telescope Bags New Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2002-01-01

    clusters are breeding grounds for unusual binary star systems, like the ones detected by the researchers. All three pulsars are known as "millisecond pulsars" because they make one complete rotation in only a few thousandths of a second. One of these newly discovered pulsars spins at approximately 440 rotations per second, and the other two both spin about 300 times per second. All are orbited by white dwarfs with orbital periods ranging from 4 to 27 hours. "This discovery demonstrates the remarkable sensitivity of the Green Bank Telescope," said Phil Jewell, site director for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W.Va. "The fact that these pulsars were never before detected in this highly studied area of the Galaxy shows that the GBT has outstanding capabilities and will be an important tool for astronomers to make very precise, very sensitive observations of the Universe. The GBT is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope. It was dedicated on August 25, 2000, after nearly 10 years of construction. Since that time, engineers and scientists at the NRAO in Green Bank have been testing the telescope and outfitting it with the sensitive receivers and electronics that will make it one of the world's premier astronomical instruments. "As a graduate student," said Jacoby "this discovery was particularly satisfying, and I feel privileged to be part of the history of the Green Bank Telescope." Shrinivas Kulkarni, the Caltech faculty advisor for this project, remarked, "it is very satisfying to see such discoveries being made by young people. GBT is poised to play a significant role in the education of young astronomers." The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

  16. The distribution of free electrons in the inner galaxy from pulsar dispersion measures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, D. S.; Harding, A. K.

    1981-01-01

    The dispersion measures of a sample of 149 pulsars in the inner Galaxy (absolute value of l 50 deg) were statistically analyzed to deduce the large-scale distribution of free thermal electrons in this region. The dispersion measure distribution of these pulsars shows significant evidence for a decrease in the electron scale height from a local value greater than the pulsar scale height to a value less than the pulsar scale height at galactocentric radii inside of approximately 7 kpc. An increase in the electron density (to a value around .15/cu cm at 4 to 5 kpc) must accompany such a decrease in scale height. There is also evidence for a large-scale warp in the electron distribution below the b + 0 deg plane inside the Solar circle. A model is proposed for the electron distribution which incorporates these features and Monte Carlo generated dispersion measure distributions are presented for parameters which best reproduce the observed pulsar distributions.

  17. The High Energy X-ray Spectrum of 4U1700-37 Observed from OSO-8

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dolan, J. F.; Coe, M. J.; Crannell, C. J.; Dennis, B. R.; Frost, K. J.; Maurer, G. S.; Orwig, L. E.

    1979-01-01

    The most intense hard X-ray source in the confused region in Scorpius is identified as 4U1700-37. The 3.4-day modulation is seen above 20 keV with the intensity during eclipse being consistent with zero flux. The photon-number spectrum from 20 to 150 keV is well represented by a single power law with a photo-number spectral index of -2.77 + or - 0.35 or by a thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum with kT = 27 96.8-min X-ray modulation previously reported at lower energies. Despite the difficulties in reconciling both the lack of periodic modulation in the emitted X-radiation and the orbital dynamics of the system with theories of the evolution and physical properties of neutron stars, the observed properties of 4U1700-37 are all consistent with the source being a spherically accreting neutron star rather than a black hole.

  18. XMM-Newton Observations of Four Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zavlin, Vyacheslav E.

    2005-01-01

    I present an analysis of the XMM-Newton observations of four millisecond pulsars, J0437-4715, J2124-3358, J1024-0719, and J0034-0534. The new data provide strong evidence of thermal emission in the X-ray flux detected from the first three objects. This thermal component is best interpreted as radiation from pulsar polar caps covered with a nonmagnetic hydrogen atmosphere. A nonthermal power-law component, dominating at energies E greater than or equal to 3 keV, can also be present in the detected X-ray emission. For PSR J0437-4715, the timing analysis reveals that the shape and pulsed fraction of the pulsar light curves are energy dependent. This, together with the results obtained from the phase-resolved spectroscopy, supports the two-component (thermal plus nonthermal) interpretation of the pulsar's X-ray radiation. Highly significant pulsations have been found in the X-ray flux of PSRs 52124-3358 and 51024-0719. For PSR 50034-0534, a possible X-ray counterpart of the radio pulsar has been suggested. The inferred properties of the detected thermal emission are compared with predictions of radio pulsar models.

  19. Magnetic pair creation transparency in gamma-ray pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Story, Sarah A.

    Magnetic pair creation, gamma → e+e- , is a key component in polar cap models of gamma-ray pulsars, and has informed assumptions about the still poorly understood radio emission. The Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope has now detected more than 100 gamma-ray pulsars, providing rich information for the interpretation of young energetic pulsars and old millisecond pulsars. Fermi observations have established that the high-energy spectra of most of these pulsars have exponential turnovers in the 1--10 GeV range. These turnovers are too gradual to arise from magnetic pair creation in the strong magnetic fields of pulsar inner magnetospheres, so their energy can be used to provide a physically motivated lower bound to the typical altitude of GeV band emission. This work computes pair creation opacities for photon propagation in neutron star magnetospheres. It explores the constraints that can be placed on the emission location of Fermi gamma-rays due to single-photon pair creation transparency below the turnover energy, as well as the limitations of this technique. These altitude bounds are typically in the range of 2--6 neutron star radii for the Fermi pulsar sample, and provide one of the few possible constraints on the emission altitude in radio quiet pulsars that do not possess double-peaked pulse profiles.

  20. A Search for Pulsar Companions to OB Runaway Stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaspi, V. M.

    1995-01-01

    We have searched for radio pulsar companions to 40 nearby OB runaway stars. Observations were made at 474 and 770 MHz with the NRAO 140 ft telescope. The survey was sensitive to long- period pulsars with flux densities of 1 mJy or more. One previously unknown pulsar was discovered, PSRJ2044+4614, while observing towards target O star BD+45,3260. Follow-up timing observations of the pulsar measured its position to high precision, revealing a 9' separation between the pulsar and the target star, unequivocally indicating they are not associated.

  1. Target of Opportunity Positioning of Transient X-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chakrabarty, Deepto

    2003-01-01

    Our program successfully localized three newly-identified transient X-ray pulsars. XTE J1858+034 is a 221 s pulsar (Takeshima et al. 1998, IAUC 6826), XTE J1946+274 is a 15.8 s pulsar (Takeshima and Chakrabarty 1998, IAUC 7016), and XTE J0111.2-7317 is a 31 s pulsar in the Small Magellanic Cloud (Chakrabarty et al. 1998, IAUC 7048). This last pulsar was a particularly interesting source, and our XTE observations enabled prompt follow-up observations with the ASCA mission (Yokogawa et al. 2000, ApJ. 539, 191).

  2. Low-mass X-ray binary evolution and the origin of millisecond pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frank, Juhan; King, Andrew R.; Lasota, Jean-Pierre

    1992-01-01

    The evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) is considered. It is shown that X-ray irradiation of the companion stars causes these systems to undergo episodes of rapid mass transfer followed by detached phases. The systems are visible as bright X-ray binaries only for a short part of each cycle, so that their space density must be considerably larger than previously estimated. This removes the difficulty in regarding LMXBs as the progenitors of low-mass binary pulsars. The low-accretion-rate phase of the cycle with the soft X-ray transients is identified. It is shown that 3 hr is likely to be the minimum orbital period for LMXBs with main-sequence companions and it is suggested that the evolutionary endpoint for many LMXBs may be systems which are the sites of gamma-ray bursts.

  3. Exposing Drifting Subpulses from the Slowest to the Fastest Pulsars.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Leeuwen, Joeri

    2006-06-01

    Pulsar emission is surprisingly similar over a vast range of periods and magnetic fields: all the way from the 2-millisecond 108-G recycled pulsars to the 6-second 1014-G magnetar-like regular pulsars. We think the stability and speed of the subpulse drift seen over this whole range can discern between different mechanisms for pulsar emission. Using two new techniques to discern and interpret subpulse drift patterns in both dim and bright pulsars, we investigate the relation between subpulse-drift speed and the pulsar period and magnetic field.

  4. COHERENT NETWORK ANALYSIS FOR CONTINUOUS GRAVITATIONAL WAVE SIGNALS IN A PULSAR TIMING ARRAY: PULSAR PHASES AS EXTRINSIC PARAMETERS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Yan; Mohanty, Soumya D.; Jenet, Fredrick A., E-mail: ywang12@hust.edu.cn

    2015-12-20

    Supermassive black hole binaries are one of the primary targets of gravitational wave (GW) searches using pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). GW signals from such systems are well represented by parameterized models, allowing the standard Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) to be used for their detection and estimation. However, there is a dichotomy in how the GLRT can be implemented for PTAs: there are two possible ways in which one can split the set of signal parameters for semi-analytical and numerical extremization. The straightforward extension of the method used for continuous signals in ground-based GW searches, where the so-called pulsar phasemore » parameters are maximized numerically, was addressed in an earlier paper. In this paper, we report the first study of the performance of the second approach where the pulsar phases are maximized semi-analytically. This approach is scalable since the number of parameters left over for numerical optimization does not depend on the size of the PTA. Our results show that for the same array size (9 pulsars), the new method performs somewhat worse in parameter estimation, but not in detection, than the previous method where the pulsar phases were maximized numerically. The origin of the performance discrepancy is likely to be in the ill-posedness that is intrinsic to any network analysis method. However, the scalability of the new method allows the ill-posedness to be mitigated by simply adding more pulsars to the array. This is shown explicitly by taking a larger array of pulsars.« less

  5. Polarized curvature radiation in pulsar magnetosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, P. F.; Wang, C.; Han, J. L.

    2014-07-01

    The propagation of polarized emission in pulsar magnetosphere is investigated in this paper. The polarized waves are generated through curvature radiation from the relativistic particles streaming along curved magnetic field lines and corotating with the pulsar magnetosphere. Within the 1/γ emission cone, the waves can be divided into two natural wave-mode components, the ordinary (O) mode and the extraordinary (X) mode, with comparable intensities. Both components propagate separately in magnetosphere, and are aligned within the cone by adiabatic walking. The refraction of O mode makes the two components separated and incoherent. The detectable emission at a given height and a given rotation phase consists of incoherent X-mode and O-mode components coming from discrete emission regions. For four particle-density models in the form of uniformity, cone, core and patches, we calculate the intensities for each mode numerically within the entire pulsar beam. If the corotation of relativistic particles with magnetosphere is not considered, the intensity distributions for the X-mode and O-mode components are quite similar within the pulsar beam, which causes serious depolarization. However, if the corotation of relativistic particles is considered, the intensity distributions of the two modes are very different, and the net polarization of outcoming emission should be significant. Our numerical results are compared with observations, and can naturally explain the orthogonal polarization modes of some pulsars. Strong linear polarizations of some parts of pulsar profile can be reproduced by curvature radiation and subsequent propagation effect.

  6. Localizing New Pulsars with Intensity Mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swiggum, Joe; Gentile, Peter

    2018-01-01

    Although low-frequency, single dish pulsar surveys provide an efficient means of searching large regions of sky quickly, the localization of new discoveries is poor. For example, discoveries from 350 MHz surveys using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have position uncertainties up to the FWHM of the telescope's "beam" on the sky, over half a degree! Before finding a coherent timing solution (requires 8-12 months of dedicated timing observations) a "gridding" method is usually employed to improve localization of new pulsars, whereby a grid of higher frequency beam positions is used to tile the initial error region. This method often requires over an hour of observing time to achieve arcminute-precision localization (provided the pulsar is detectable at higher frequencies).Here, we describe another method that uses the same observing frequency as the discovery observation and scans over Right Ascension and Declination directions around the nominal position. A Gaussian beam model is fit to folded pulse profile intensities as a function of time/position to provide improved localization. Using five test cases, we show that intensity mapping localization at 350 MHz with the GBT yields pulsar positions to 1 arcminute precision, facilitating high-frequency follow-up and higher significance detections for future pulsar timing. This method is also well suited to be directly implemented in future low-frequency drift scan pulsar surveys (e.g. with the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope; FAST).

  7. PSRPOPPy: an open-source package for pulsar population simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bates, S. D.; Lorimer, D. R.; Rane, A.; Swiggum, J.

    2014-04-01

    We have produced a new software package for the simulation of pulsar populations, PSRPOPPY, based on the PSRPOP package. The codebase has been re-written in Python (save for some external libraries, which remain in their native Fortran), utilizing the object-oriented features of the language, and improving the modularity of the code. Pre-written scripts are provided for running the simulations in `standard' modes of operation, but the code is flexible enough to support the writing of personalised scripts. The modular structure also makes the addition of experimental features (such as new models for period or luminosity distributions) more straightforward than with the previous code. We also discuss potential additions to the modelling capabilities of the software. Finally, we demonstrate some potential applications of the code; first, using results of surveys at different observing frequencies, we find pulsar spectral indices are best fitted by a normal distribution with mean -1.4 and standard deviation 1.0. Secondly, we model pulsar spin evolution to calculate the best fit for a relationship between a pulsar's luminosity and spin parameters. We used the code to replicate the analysis of Faucher-Giguère & Kaspi, and have subsequently optimized their power-law dependence of radio luminosity, L, with period, P, and period derivative, Ṗ. We find that the underlying population is best described by L ∝ P-1.39±0.09 Ṗ0.48±0.04 and is very similar to that found for γ-ray pulsars by Perera et al. Using this relationship, we generate a model population and examine the age-luminosity relation for the entire pulsar population, which may be measurable after future large-scale surveys with the Square Kilometre Array.

  8. Spectral and Temporal Properties of the Ultraluminous X-Ray Pulsar in M82 from 15 years of Chandra Observations and Analysis of the Pulsed Emission Using NuSTAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brightman, Murray; Harrison, Fiona; Walton, Dominic J.; Fuerst, Felix; Hornschemeier, Ann; Zezas, Andreas; Bachetti, Matteo; Grefenstette, Brian; Ptak, Andrew; Tendulkar, Shriharsh; Yukita, Mihoko

    2016-01-01

    The recent discovery by Bachetti et al. of a pulsar in M82 that can reach luminosities of up to 1040 erg s-1, a factor of ˜100 times the Eddington luminosity for a 1.4 M⊙ compact object, poses a challenge for accretion physics. In order to better understand the nature of this source and its duty cycle, and in light of several physical models that have been subsequently published, we conduct a spectral and temporal analysis of the 0.5-8 keV X-ray emission from this source from 15 years of Chandra observations. We analyze 19 ACIS observations where the point-spread function (PSF) of the pulsar is not contaminated by nearby sources. We fit the Chandra spectra of the pulsar with a power-law model and a disk blackbody model, subjected to interstellar absorption in M82. We carefully assess for the effect of pile-up in our observations, where four observations have a pile-up fraction of >10%, which we account for during spectral modeling with a convolution model. When fitted with a power-law model, the average photon index when the source is at high luminosity (LX > 1039 erg s-1) is Γ = 1.33 ± 0.15. For the disk blackbody model, the average temperature is Tin = 3.24 ± 0.65 keV, the spectral shape being consistent with other luminous X-ray pulsars. We also investigated the inclusion of a soft excess component and spectral break, finding that the spectra are also consistent with these features common to luminous X-ray pulsars. In addition, we present spectral analysis from NuSTAR over the 3-50 keV range where we have isolated the pulsed component. We find that the pulsed emission in this band is best fit by a power-law with a high-energy cutoff, where Γ = 0.6 ± 0.3 and {E}{{C}}={14}-3+5 keV. While the pulsar has previously been identified as a transient, we find from our longer-baseline study that it has been remarkably active over the 15-year period, where for 9/19 (47%) observations that we analyzed, the pulsar appears to be emitting at a luminosity in excess of

  9. Nucleosynthesis inside Supernova-Driven Supercritical Accretion Disks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujimoto, Shin-Ichirou; Arai, Kenzo; Matsuba, Ryuichi; Hashimoto, Masa-Aki; Koike, Osamu; Mineshige, Shin

    2001-06-01

    We have investigated nucleosynthesis in a supercritical accretion disk around a compact object of 1.4Msolar, using the self-similar solution of an optically thick advection dominated flow. Supercritical accretion is expected to occur in a supernova with fallback material accreting onto a new-born compact object. It has been found that appreciable nuclear reactions take place even for a reasonable value of the viscosity parameter, αvissimeq 0.01, when the accretion rate dot{m}=dot{M}c2/(16LEdd) > 105, where LEdd is the Eddington luminosity. If dot{m} ge 4 × 106, all heavy elements are destroyed to 4He through photodisintegrations at the inner part of the disk. Even 4He is also disintegrated to protons and neutrons near the inner edge when dot{m} ge 2 × 107. If the fallback matter of the supernova explosion has the composition of a helium-rich layer of the progenitor, a considerable amount of 44Ti could be ejected via a jet from the disk.

  10. The second fermi large area telescope catalog of gamma-ray pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abdo, A. A.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.

    2013-09-19

    This catalog summarizes 117 high-confidence ≥0.1 GeV gamma-ray pulsar detections using three years of data acquired by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi satellite. Half are neutron stars discovered using LAT data through periodicity searches in gamma-ray and radio data around LAT unassociated source positions. The 117 pulsars are evenly divided into three groups: millisecond pulsars, young radio-loud pulsars, and young radio-quiet pulsars. We characterize the pulse profiles and energy spectra and derive luminosities when distance information exists. Spectral analysis of the off-peak phase intervals indicates probable pulsar wind nebula emission for four pulsars, and off-peak magnetospheric emissionmore » for several young and millisecond pulsars. We compare the gamma-ray properties with those in the radio, optical, and X-ray bands. We provide flux limits for pulsars with no observed gamma-ray emission, highlighting a small number of gamma-faint, radio-loud pulsars. The large, varied gamma-ray pulsar sample constrains emission models. Fermi's selection biases complement those of radio surveys, enhancing comparisons with predicted population distributions.« less

  11. The second FERMI large area telescope catalog of gamma-ray pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abdo, A. A.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.

    2013-09-19

    This catalog summarizes 117 high-confidence ≥0.1 GeV gamma-ray pulsar detections using three years of data acquired by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi satellite. Half are neutron stars discovered using LAT data through periodicity searches in gamma-ray and radio data around LAT unassociated source positions. The 117 pulsars are evenly divided into three groups: millisecond pulsars, young radio-loud pulsars, and young radio-quiet pulsars. We characterize the pulse profiles and energy spectra and derive luminosities when distance information exists. Spectral analysis of the off-peak phase intervals indicates probable pulsar wind nebula emission for four pulsars, and off-peak magnetospheric emissionmore » for several young and millisecond pulsars. We compare the gamma-ray properties with those in the radio, optical, and X-ray bands. We provide flux limits for pulsars with no observed gamma-ray emission, highlighting a small number of gamma-faint, radio-loud pulsars. The large, varied gamma-ray pulsar sample constrains emission models. Fermi's selection biases complement those of radio surveys, enhancing comparisons with predicted population distributions.« less

  12. Discovery of an Unidentified Fermi Object as a Black Widow-Like Millisecond Pulsar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kong, A. K. H.; Huang, R. H. H.; Cheng, K. S.; Takata, J.; Yatsu, Y.; Cheung, C. C.; Donato, D.; Lin, L. C. C.; Kataoka, J.; Takahashi, Y.; hide

    2012-01-01

    The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has revolutionized our knowledge of the gamma-ray pulsar population, leading to the discovery of almost 100 gamma-ray pulsars and dozens of gamma-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Although the outer-gap model predicts different sites of emission for the radio and gamma-ray pulsars, until now all of the known gamma-ray MSPs have been visible in the radio. Here we report the discovery of a radio-quiet" gamma-ray emitting MSP candidate by using Fermi, Chandra, Swift, and optical observations. The X-ray and gamma-ray properties of the source are consistent with known gamma-ray pulsars. We also found a 4.63-hr orbital period in optical and X-ray data. We suggest that the source is a black widow-like MSP with a approx. 0.1 Stellar Mass late-type companion star. Based on the profile of the optical and X-ray light-curves, the companion star is believed to be heated by the pulsar while the X-ray emissions originate from pulsar magnetosphere and/or from intra-binary shock. No radio detection of the source has been reported yet and although no gamma-ray/radio pulsation has been found, we estimated that the spin period of the MSP is approx. 3-5 ms based on the inferred gamma-ray luminosity.

  13. Pulsar perimetry in the diagnosis of early glaucoma.

    PubMed

    Zeppieri, Marco; Brusini, Paolo; Parisi, Lucia; Johnson, Chris A; Sampaolesi, Roberto; Salvetat, Maria Letizia

    2010-01-01

    To assess the ability of Pulsar perimetry (Pulsar) in detecting early glaucomatous visual field (VF) damage in comparison with Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT), Scanning Laser Polarimetry (SLP, GDx VCC), and Heidelberg Retina Tomography (HRT). Prospective observational cross-sectional case study. This multicenter study included: 87 ocular hypertensives (OHT); 67 glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) patients; 75 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients; and 90 normals. All patients underwent standard automated perimetry (SAP) HFA 30-2, Pulsar T30W, FDT N-30, HRT II, and GDx VCC. Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves (AROCs) for discriminating between healthy and glaucomatous eyes and agreement among instruments were determined. The best parameters for Pulsar, FDT, HRT, and GDx were, respectively: loss variance square root; no. of areas with P< 5%; Cup-Shape-Measure; and Nerve Fiber Indicator (NFI). In detecting POAG eyes, Pulsar (AROC, 0.90) appeared comparable with FDT (0.89) and significantly better than HRT (0.82) and GDx (0.79). For GON, Pulsar ability (0.74) was higher than GDx (0.69) and lower than FDT (0.80) and HRT (0.83). The agreement among instruments ranged from 0.12 to 0.56. Pulsar test duration was significantly shorter than SAP and FDT (P< .001). Pulsar T30W test is a rapid and easy perimetric method, showing higher sensitivity than SAP in detecting early glaucomatous VF loss. Its diagnostic ability is good for detecting early perimetric POAG eyes and fair for GON eyes. Pulsar performance was comparable with FDT, HRT, and GDx, even if the agreement between instruments was poor to fair. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Formation of Millisecond Pulsars with Heavy White Dwarf Companions: Extreme Mass Transfer on Subthermal Timescales.

    PubMed

    Tauris; van Den Heuvel EP; Savonije

    2000-02-20

    We have performed detailed numerical calculations of the nonconservative evolution of close X-ray binary systems with intermediate-mass (2.0-6.0 M middle dot in circle) donor stars and a 1.3 M middle dot in circle accreting neutron star. We calculated the thermal response of the donor star to mass loss in order to determine its stability and follow the evolution of the mass transfer. Under the assumption of the "isotropic reemission model," we demonstrate that in many cases it is possible for the binary to prevent a spiral-in and survive a highly super-Eddington mass transfer phase (1pulsars with heavy CO white dwarfs and relatively short orbital periods (3-50 days). However, we conclude that to produce a binary pulsar with a O-Ne-Mg white dwarf or Porb approximately 1 day (e.g., PSR B0655+64) the above scenario does not work, and a spiral-in phase is still considered the most plausible scenario for the formation of such a system.

  15. Possible evidence that pulsars are quark stars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xu Renxin

    2008-01-10

    It is a pity that the real state of matter in pulsar-like stars is still not determined confidently because of the uncertainty about cold matter at supranuclear density, even 40 years after the discovery of pulsar. Nuclear matter (related to neutron stars) is one of the speculations for the inner constitution of pulsars even from the Landau's time more than 70 years ago, but quark matter (related to quark stars) is an alternative due to the fact of asymptotic freedom of interaction between quarks as the standard model of particle physics develops since 1960s. Therefore, one has to focus onmore » astrophysical observations in order to answer what the nature of pulsars is. In this presentation, I would like to summarize possible observational evidence/hints that pulsar-like stars could be quark stars, and to address achievable clear evidence for quark stars in the future experiments.« less

  16. Late accretion to the terrestrial planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brasser, Ramon; Mojzsis, Stephen; Werner, Stephanie; Matsumura, Soko; Ida, Shigeru

    2017-10-01

    IntroductionIt is generally accepted that silicate-metal (`rocky') planet formation relies on coagulation from a mixture of sub-Mars sized planetary embryos and (smaller) planetesimals that dynamically emerge from the evolving circum-solar disc in the first few million years of our Solar System. Once the planets have, for the most part, assembled after a giant impact phase, they continue to be bombarded by a multitude of planetesimals left over from accretion. Here we place limits on the mass and evolution of these planetesimals based on constraints from the highly siderophile element (HSE) budget of the Moon. The terrestrial and lunar HSE budgets indicate that Earth’s and Moon’s additions through late accretion were 0.7 wt% and 0.02 wt% respectively. The disproportionate high accretion between the Earth and Moon could be explained by stochastic accretion of a few remaining Ceres-sized bodies that preferentially targeted the Earth.ResultsFrom a combination of N-body and Monte Carlo simulations of planet formation we conclude:1) matching the terrestrial to lunar HSE ratio requires that late accretion on Earth mostly consisted of a single lunar-size impactor striking the Earth before 4.45 Ga2) the flux of terrestrial impactors must have been low avoid wholesale melting of Earth's crust after 4.4 Ga[6], and to simultaneously match the number of observed lunar basins3) after the terrestrial planets have fully formed, the mass in remnant planetesimals was ~0.001 Earth mass, lower than most previous models suggest.4) Mars' HSE budget also requires a colossal impact with a Ceres-sized object before 4.43 Ga, whose visible remnant could be the hemispherical dichotomy.These conclusions lead to an Hadean eon which is more clement than assumed previously. In addition, our dynamically and geochemically self-consistent scenario requires that future N-body simulations of rocky planet formation either directly incorporate collisional grinding or rely on pebble accretion.

  17. "Magnetar-like Emission from the Young Pulsar in Kes 75"

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gavrill, R.; Gonzalez, M.; Livingstone, M.; Gotthelf, E.; Kaspi, V.; Woods, P.

    2008-01-01

    Soft Gamma Repeaters (SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) are thought to be magnetars - isolated neutron stars with ultra-high magnetic fields. These sources exhibit X-ray and gamma-ray bursts, and week to month-long flux enhancements, all too bright to be accounted for by their spindown luminosity. A mystery in neutron star astrophysics is why such emission has never been seen from rotation-powered pulsars with magnetar-like fields. Here we report the first detection of magnetar-like X-ray bursts from what has been long thought to be a rotation-powered pulsar, PSR 51846-0258, at the center of the supernova remnant Kes 75. PSR J1846-0258 has an inferred surface dipolar magnetic field of 4.9 X 1103 G, which is sixth highest among the > 1700 known rotation-powered pulsars, but less than those of the approximately 12 confirmed magnetars. The bursts coincided with a sudden flux increase and an unprecedented change in timing behavior, f m l y establishing PSR 51 846-0258 as a rotation-powered pulsar/magnetar transition object. These observations demonstrate that magnetar-like emission can be seen from sources with fields lower than the magnetars, and suggest that the intensity of magnetar-like activity in neutron stars depends on magnetic field strength in a more continuous way than previously thought.

  18. Timing of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    D'Amico, Nichi; Possenti, Andrea; Manchester, Dick; Johnston, Simon; Kramer, Michael; Sarkissian, John; Lyne, Andrew; Burgay, Marta; Corongiu, Alessandro; Camilo, Fernando; Bailes, Matthew; van Straten, Willem

    2014-10-01

    Timing of the dozen pulsars discovered by us in P303 is ensuring high quality results: (a) the peculiarities (in position or projected acceleration) of all the 5 millisecond pulsars in NGC6752 suggested the presence of non thermal dynamics in the core, perhaps due to black-holes of intermediate mass; (b) the eclipsing pulsar in NGC6397 is a stereotype for studying the late evolution of exotic binaries. We propose to continue our timing project focusing mostly on NGC6397 at 10cm, for studying the orbital secular evolution, the eclipse region, and the role played by the high energy photons released from the pulsar in the ejection of matter from the binary system.

  19. Pulsar gamma-rays: Spectra luminosities and efficiencies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, A. K.

    1980-01-01

    The general characteristics of pulsar gamma ray spectra are presented for a model where the gamma rays are produced by curvature radiation from energetic particles above the polar cap and attenuated by pair production. The shape of the spectrum is found to depend on pulsar period, magnetic field strength, and primary particle energy. By a comparison of numerically calculated spectra with the observed spectra of the Crab and Vela pulsars, it is determined that primary particles must be accelerated to energies of about 3 x 10 to the 7th power mc sq. A genaral formula for pulsar gamma ray luminosity is determined and is found to depend on period and field strength.

  20. Numerical Solution of the Radiative Transfer Equation: X-Ray Spectral Formation from Cylindrical Accretion onto a Magnetized Neutron Star

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fairnelli, R.; Ceccobello, C.; Romano, P.; Titarchuk, L.

    2011-01-01

    Predicting the emerging X-ray spectra in several astrophysical objects is of great importance, in particular when the observational data are compared with theoretical models. This requires developing numerical routines for the solution of the radiative transfer equation according to the expected physical conditions of the systems under study. Aims. We have developed an algorithm solving the radiative transfer equation in the Fokker-Planck approximation when both thermal and bulk Comptonization take place. The algorithm is essentially a relaxation method, where stable solutions are obtained when the system has reached its steady-state equilibrium. Methods. We obtained the solution of the radiative transfer equation in the two-dimensional domain defined by the photon energy E and optical depth of the system pi using finite-differences for the partial derivatives, and imposing specific boundary conditions for the solutions. We treated the case of cylindrical accretion onto a magnetized neutron star. Results. We considered a blackbody seed spectrum of photons with exponential distribution across the accretion column and for an accretion where the velocity reaches its maximum at the stellar surface and at the top of the accretion column, respectively. In both cases higher values of the electron temperature and of the optical depth pi produce flatter and harder spectra. Other parameters contributing to the spectral formation are the steepness of the vertical velocity profile, the albedo at the star surface, and the radius of the accretion column. The latter parameter modifies the emerging spectra in a specular way for the two assumed accretion profiles. Conclusions. The algorithm has been implemented in the XPEC package for X-ray fitting and is specifically dedicated to the physical framework of accretion at the polar cap of a neutron star with a high magnetic field (approx > 10(exp 12) G). This latter case is expected to be of typical accreting systems such as X

  1. Magnetic Pair Creation Transparency in Gamma-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Story, Sarah A.; Baring, Matthew G.

    2014-07-01

    Magnetic pair creation, γ → e + e -, has been at the core of radio pulsar paradigms and central to polar cap models of gamma-ray pulsars for over three decades. The Fermi gamma-ray pulsar population now exceeds 140 sources and has defined an important part of Fermi's science legacy, providing rich information for the interpretation of young energetic pulsars and old millisecond pulsars. Among the population characteristics well established is the common occurrence of exponential turnovers in their spectra in the 1-10 GeV range. These turnovers are too gradual to arise from magnetic pair creation in the strong magnetic fields of pulsar inner magnetospheres. By demanding insignificant photon attenuation precipitated by such single-photon pair creation, the energies of these turnovers for Fermi pulsars can be used to compute lower bounds for the typical altitude of GeV band emission. This paper explores such pair transparency constraints below the turnover energy and updates earlier altitude bound determinations that have been deployed in various Fermi pulsar papers. For low altitude emission locales, general relativistic influences are found to be important, increasing cumulative opacity, shortening the photon attenuation lengths, and also reducing the maximum energy that permits escape of photons from a neutron star magnetosphere. Rotational aberration influences are also explored, and are found to be small at low altitudes, except near the magnetic pole. The analysis presented in this paper clearly demonstrates that including near-threshold physics in the pair creation rate is essential to deriving accurate attenuation lengths and escape energies. The altitude bounds are typically in the range of 2-7 stellar radii for the young Fermi pulsar population, and provide key information on the emission altitude in radio quiet pulsars that do not possess double-peaked pulse profiles. The bound for the Crab pulsar is at a much higher altitude, with the putative detection

  2. From FERMI-LAT observations to the blind pulsar survey SPAN512 with the Nançay Radio Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Octau, F.; Desvignes, G.; Cognard, I.; Champion, D.; Lazarus, P.; Smith, D.; Theureau, G.

    2016-12-01

    Since the discovery of the first pulsar in 1967, we know over 2500 pulsars today. Pulsars offer a broad range of studies: from the study of the properties of interstellar medium and of pulsar magnetospheres up to test of gravity in the strong-field regime and the characterisation of the cosmological Gravitation Wave Background. This explains why we keep searching for pulsars nowadays. Such focus was initiated at the Nançay Radio Telescope (NRT) with the observation of unidentified Fermi-LAT sources, which led to the quick discovery of three new millisecond pulsars. In 2012, a blind pulsar survey called SPAN512 (in reference to the large bandwidth of 512 MHz) was initiated and the NRT began to observe the low galactic latitude sky at 1.4 GHz. This survey is still in progress (≈90% of the observations have been made) and, up to now, it has led to the discovery of three pulsars, two of them with millisecond spin periods.

  3. A periodically active pulsar giving insight into magnetospheric physics.

    PubMed

    Kramer, M; Lyne, A G; O'Brien, J T; Jordan, C A; Lorimer, D R

    2006-04-28

    PSR B1931+24 (J1933+2421) behaves as an ordinary isolated radio pulsar during active phases that are 5 to 10 days long. However, when the radio emission ceases, it switches off in less than 10 seconds and remains undetectable for the next 25 to 35 days, then switches on again. This pattern repeats quasi-periodically. The origin of this behavior is unclear. Even more remarkably, the pulsar rotation slows down 50% faster when it is on than when it is off. This indicates a massive increase in magnetospheric currents when the pulsar switches on, proving that pulsar wind plays a substantial role in pulsar spin-down. This allows us, for the first time, to estimate the magnetospheric currents in a pulsar magnetosphere during the occurrence of radio emission.

  4. Predicting pulsar scintillation from refractive plasma sheets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simard, Dana; Pen, Ue-Li

    2018-07-01

    The dynamic and secondary spectra of many pulsars show evidence for long-lived, aligned images of the pulsar that are stationary on a thin scattering sheet. One explanation for this phenomenon considers the effects of wave crests along sheets in the ionized interstellar medium, such as those due to Alfvén waves propagating along current sheets. If these sheets are closely aligned to our line of sight to the pulsar, high bending angles arise at the wave crests and a selection effect causes alignment of images produced at different crests, similar to grazing reflection off of a lake. Using geometric optics, we develop a simple parametrized model of these corrugated sheets that can be constrained with a single observation and that makes observable predictions for variations in the scintillation of the pulsar over time and frequency. This model reveals qualitative differences between lensing from overdense and underdense corrugated sheets: only if the sheet is overdense compared to the surrounding interstellar medium can the lensed images be brighter than the line-of-sight image to the pulsar, and the faint lensed images are closer to the pulsar at higher frequencies if the sheet is underdense, but at lower frequencies if the sheet is overdense.

  5. Predicting Pulsar Scintillation from Refractive Plasma Sheets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simard, Dana; Pen, Ue-Li

    2018-05-01

    The dynamic and secondary spectra of many pulsars show evidence for long-lived, aligned images of the pulsar that are stationary on a thin scattering sheet. One explanation for this phenomenon considers the effects of wave crests along sheets in the ionized interstellar medium, such as those due to Alfvén waves propagating along current sheets. If these sheets are closely aligned to our line-of-sight to the pulsar, high bending angles arise at the wave crests and a selection effect causes alignment of images produced at different crests, similar to grazing reflection off of a lake. Using geometric optics, we develop a simple parameterized model of these corrugated sheets that can be constrained with a single observation and that makes observable predictions for variations in the scintillation of the pulsar over time and frequency. This model reveals qualitative differences between lensing from overdense and underdense corrugated sheets: Only if the sheet is overdense compared to the surrounding interstellar medium can the lensed images be brighter than the line-of-sight image to the pulsar, and the faint lensed images are closer to the pulsar at higher frequencies if the sheet is underdense, but at lower frequencies if the sheet is overdense.

  6. a Surprise from the Pulsar in the Crab Nebula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1995-11-01

    classical atomic-line spectra. The matter is further complicated by the presence of a strong gravitational field near the surface of the pulsar which introduces a wavelength shift of an unknown size. This is the so called `gravitational redshift', a relativistic effect that may be observed in intense gravitational fields. The size of the wavelength shift is proportionate, at least to a first approximation, to the strength of the gravitational field to which the emitting atoms are subjected. But the strength of the pulsar's gravitational field decreases with the altitude above the surface and as we do not know at which altitude the ions that produce the observed `dip' are located, the induced shift is of unknown size. The presence of this feature is an unexpected bonus for the study of the physics of neutron stars. Following a preliminary investigation of the possible causes, the astronomers are now of the opinion that it may have to do with light being absorbed due to the peculiar motion of atoms in the superintense magnetic field around the pulsar [4]. To cast more light on this problem, the group is now planning to obtain spectroscopic observations with an even higher spectral resolution. If not before, this will in any case become possible when the first 8.2-metre VLT Unit Telescope enters into operation in about two years' time. Notes: [1] The group consists of Giovanni Bignami, Patrizia Caraveo, Roberto Mignani and Francesco Nasuti from Istituto di Fisica Cosmica e Tecnologie Relative in Milan, Italy. [2] Named after Franco Pacini, Director of the Florence observatory and former President of the ESO Council. [3] Much of this work is due to Lodewijk Woltjer, a Dutch astronomer, who was ESO Director General from 1975 to 1987. [4] However, better data are needed to understand the nature of the absorption. While Iron has some lines in this spectral range, it could as well be cyclotron absorption for Hydrogen.

  7. Accretion Discs Around Black Holes: Developement of Theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bisnovatyi-Kogan, G. S.

    Standard accretion disk theory is formulated which is based on the local heat balance. The energy produced by a turbulent viscous heating is supposed to be emitted to the sides of the disc. Sources of turbulence in the accretion disc are connected with nonlinear hydrodynamic instability, convection, and magnetic field. In standard theory there are two branches of solution, optically thick, and optically thin. Advection in accretion disks is described by the differential equations what makes the theory nonlocal. Low-luminous optically thin accretion disc model with advection at some suggestions may become advectively dominated, carrying almost all the energy inside the black hole. The proper account of magnetic filed in the process of accretion limits the energy advected into a black hole, efficiency of accretion should exceed ˜ 1/4 of the standard accretion disk model efficiency.

  8. Spectral and Temporal Properties of the Ultra-Luminous X-Ray Pulsar in M82 from 15 Years of Chandra Observations and Analysis of the Pulsed Emission Using NuSTAR

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brightman, Murray; Harrison, Fiona; Walton, Dominic J.; Fuerst, Felis; Zezas, Andreas; Bachetti, Matteo; Grefenstette, Brian; Ptak, Andrew; Tendulkar, Shriharsh; Yukita, Mihoko

    2016-01-01

    The recent discovery by Bachetti et al. of a pulsar in M82 that can reach luminosities of up to 10(exp 40) erg s(exp -1), a factor of approximately 100 times the Eddington luminosity for a 1.4 solar mass compact object, poses a challenge for accretion physics. In order to better understand the nature of this source and its duty cycle, and in light of several physical models that have been subsequently published, we conduct a spectral and temporal analysis of the 0.58 keV X-ray emission from this source from 15 years of Chandra observations. We analyze 19 ACIS observations where the point-spread function (PSF) of the pulsar is not contaminated by nearby sources. We fit the Chandra spectra of the pulsar with a power-law model and a disk blackbody model, subjected to interstellar absorption in M82. We carefully assess for the effect of pile-up in our observations, where four observations have a pile-up fraction of 10, which we account for during spectral modeling with a convolution model. When fitted with a power-law model, the average photon index when the source is at high luminosity (LX greater than 10(exp 39) erg s(exp -1) is equal to gamma 1.33 +/-.0.15. For the disk blackbody model, the average temperature is T(sub in) 3.24 +/- 0.65 keV, the spectral shape being consistent with other luminous X-ray pulsars. We also investigated the inclusion of a soft excess component and spectral break, finding that the spectra are also consistent with these features common to luminous X-ray pulsars. In addition, we present spectral analysis from NuSTAR over the 3-50 keV range where we have isolated the pulsed component. We find that the pulsed emission in this band is best fit by a power-law with a high-energy cutoff, where gamma is equal to 0.6 +/- 0.3 and E(sub C) is equal to 14(exp +5) (sub -3)) keV. While the pulsar has previously been identified as a transient, we find from our longer-baseline study that it has been remarkably active over the 15-year period, where for 9

  9. Analysis of Scattering from Archival Pulsar Data using a CLEAN-based Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsai, -Wei, Jr.; Simonetti, John H.; Kavic, Michael

    2017-02-01

    In this work, we adopted a CLEAN-based method to determine the scatter time, τ, from archived pulsar profiles under both the thin screen and uniform medium scattering models and to calculate the scatter time frequency scale index α, where τ \\propto {ν }α . The value of α is -4.4, if a Kolmogorov spectrum of the interstellar medium turbulence is assumed. We deconvolved 1342 profiles from 347 pulsars over a broad range of frequencies and dispersion measures. In our survey, in the majority of cases the scattering effect was not significant compared to pulse profile widths. For a subset of 21 pulsars scattering at the lowest frequencies was large enough to be measured. Because reliable scatter time measurements were determined only for the lowest frequency, we were limited to using upper limits on scatter times at higher frequencies for the purpose of our scatter time frequency slope estimation. We scaled the deconvolved scatter time to 1 GHz assuming α =-4.4 and considered our results in the context of other observations which yielded a broad relation between scatter time and dispersion measure.

  10. Arecibo pulsar survey using ALFA. III. Precursor survey and population synthesis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Swiggum, J. K.; Lorimer, D. R.; McLaughlin, M. A.

    The Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array (PALFA) Survey uses the ALFA 7-beam receiver to search both inner and outer Galactic sectors visible from Arecibo (32° ≲ ℓ ≲ 77° and 168° ≲ ℓ ≲ 214°) close to the Galactic plane (|b| ≲ 5°) for pulsars. The PALFA survey is sensitive to sources fainter and more distant than have previously been seen because of Arecibo's unrivaled sensitivity. In this paper we detail a precursor survey of this region with PALFA, which observed a subset of the full region (slightly more restrictive in ℓ and |b| ≲ 1°) and detected 45 pulsars.more » Detections included 1 known millisecond pulsar and 11 previously unknown, long-period pulsars. In the surveyed part of the sky that overlaps with the Parkes Multibeam Pulsar Survey (36° ≲ ℓ ≲ 50°), PALFA is probing deeper than the Parkes survey, with four discoveries in this region. For both Galactic millisecond and normal pulsar populations, we compare the survey's detections with simulations to model these populations and, in particular, to estimate the number of observable pulsars in the Galaxy. We place 95% confidence intervals of 82,000 to 143,000 on the number of detectable normal pulsars and 9000 to 100,000 on the number of detectable millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disk. These are consistent with previous estimates. Given the most likely population size in each case (107,000 and 15,000 for normal and millisecond pulsars, respectively), we extend survey detection simulations to predict that, when complete, the full PALFA survey should have detected 1000{sub −230}{sup +330} normal pulsars and 30{sub −20}{sup +200} millisecond pulsars. Identical estimation techniques predict that 490{sub −115}{sup +160} normal pulsars and 12{sub −5}{sup +70} millisecond pulsars would be detected by the beginning of 2014; at the time, the PALFA survey had detected 283 normal pulsars and 31 millisecond pulsars, respectively. We attribute the deficiency in normal pulsar

  11. Black Hole Mass Determination In the X-Ray Binary 4U 1630-47: Scaling of Spectral and Variability Characteristics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Seifina, Elena; Titarchuk, Lev; Shaposhnikov, Nikolai

    2014-01-01

    We present the results of a comprehensive investigation on the evolution of spectral and timing properties of the Galactic black hole candidate 4U 1630-47 during its spectral transitions. In particular, we show how a scaling of the correlation of the photon index of the Comptonized spectral component gamma with low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), ?(sub L), and mass accretion rate, M, can be applied to the black hole mass and the inclination angle estimates.We analyze the transition episodes observed with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer and BeppoSAX satellites.We find that the broadband X-ray energy spectra of 4U 1630-47 during all spectral states can be modeled by a combination of a thermal component, a Comptonized component, and a red-skewed iron-line component. We also establish that gamma monotonically increases during transition from the low-hard state to the high-soft state and then saturates for high mass accretion rates. The index saturation levels vary for different transition episodes. Correlations of gamma versus ?(sub L) also show saturation at gamma (is) approximately 3. Gamma -M and gamma -?(sub L) correlations with their index saturation revealed in 4U 1630-47 are similar to those established in a number of other black hole candidates and can be considered as an observational evidence for the presence of a black hole in these sources. The scaling technique, which relies on XTE J1550-564, GRO 1655-40, and H1743-322 as reference sources, allows us to evaluate a black hole mass in 4U 1630-47 yielding M(sub BH) (is) approximately 10 +/- 0.1 solar masses and to constrain the inclination angle of i (is) approximately less than 70 deg.

  12. Gigahertz-peaked Spectra Pulsars and Thermal Absorption Model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kijak, J.; Basu, R.; Lewandowski, W.

    2017-05-10

    We present the results of our radio interferometric observations of pulsars at 325 and 610 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. We used the imaging method to estimate the flux densities of several pulsars at these radio frequencies. The analysis of the shapes of the pulsar spectra allowed us to identify five new gigahertz-peaked spectra (GPS) pulsars. Using the hypothesis that the spectral turnovers are caused by thermal free–free absorption in the interstellar medium, we modeled the spectra of all known objects of this kind. Using the model, we were able to put some observational constraints on the physicalmore » parameters of the absorbing matter, which allows us to distinguish between the possible sources of absorption. We also discuss the possible effects of the existence of GPS pulsars on future search surveys, showing that the optimal frequency range for finding such objects would be from a few GHz (for regular GPS sources) to possibly 10 GHz for pulsars and radio magnetars exhibiting very strong absorption.« less

  13. The Binary Pulsar: Gravity Waves Exist.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Will, Clifford

    1987-01-01

    Reviews the history of pulsars generally and the 1974 discovery of the binary pulsar by Joe Taylor and Russell Hulse specifically. Details the data collection and analysis used by Taylor and Hulse. Uses this discussion as support for Albert Einstein's theory of gravitational waves. (CW)

  14. Discovery of radio emission from the symbiotic X-ray binary system GX 1+4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van den Eijnden, J.; Degenaar, N.; Russell, T. D.; Miller-Jones, J. C. A.; Wijnands, R.; Miller, J. M.; King, A. L.; Rupen, M. P.

    2018-02-01

    We report the discovery of radio emission from the accreting X-ray pulsar and symbiotic X-ray binary GX 1+4 with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. This is the first radio detection of such a system, wherein a strongly magnetized neutron star accretes from the stellar wind of an M-type giant companion. We measure a 9 GHz radio flux density of 105.3 ± 7.3 μJy, but cannot place meaningful constraints on the spectral index due to a limited frequency range. We consider several emission mechanisms that could be responsible for the observed radio source. We conclude that the observed properties are consistent with shocks in the interaction of the accretion flow with the magnetosphere, a synchrotron-emitting jet, or a propeller-driven outflow. The stellar wind from the companion is unlikely to be the origin of the radio emission. If the detected radio emission originates from a jet, it would show that strong magnetic fields (≥1012 G) do not necessarily suppress jet formation.

  15. Search for a Radio Pulsar in the Remnant of Supernova 1987A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, S.-B.; Dai, S.; Hobbs, G.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Manchester, R. N.; Russell, C. J.; Zanardo, G.; Wu, X.-F.

    2018-06-01

    We have observed the remnant of supernova SN 1987A (SNR 1987A), located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), to search for periodic and/or transient radio emission with the Parkes 64 m-diameter radio telescope. We found no evidence of a radio pulsar in our periodicity search and derived 8σ upper bounds on the flux density of any such source of 31 μJy at 1.4 GHz and 21 μJy at 3 GHz. Four candidate transient events were detected with greater than 7σ significance, with dispersion measures (DMs) in the range 150 to 840 cm-3 pc. For two of them, we found a second pulse at slightly lower significance. However, we cannot at present conclude that any of these are associated with a pulsar in SNR 1987A. As a check on the system, we also observed PSR B0540-69, a young pulsar which also lies in the LMC. We found eight giant pulses at the DM of this pulsar. We discuss the implications of these results for models of the supernova remnant, neutron star formation and pulsar evolution.

  16. Gamma-ray Pulsars: Models and Predictions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding Alice K.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Pulsed emission from gamma-ray pulsars originates inside the magnetosphere, from radiation by charged particles accelerated near the magnetic poles or in the outer gaps. In polar cap models, the high energy spectrum is cut off by magnetic pair production above an energy that is, dependent on the local magnetic field strength. While most young pulsars with surface fields in the range B = 10(exp 12) - 10(exp 13) G are expected to have high energy cutoffs around several GeV, the gamma-ray spectra of old pulsars having lower surface fields may extend to 50 GeV. Although the gamma-ray emission of older pulsars is weaker, detecting pulsed emission at high energies from nearby sources would be an important confirmation of polar cap models. Outer gap models predict more gradual high-energy turnovers of the primary curvature emission around 10 GeV, but also predict an inverse Compton component extending to TeV energies. Detection of pulsed TeV emission, which would not survive attenuation at the polar caps, is thus an important test of outer gap models. Next-generation gamma-ray telescopes sensitive to GeV-TeV emission will provide critical tests of pulsar acceleration and emission mechanisms.

  17. Marsh vertical accretion in a Southern California Estuary, U.S.A

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cahoon, D.R.; Lynch, J.C.; Powell, A.N.

    1996-01-01

    Vertical accretion was measured between October 1992 and March 1994 in low and high saltmarsh zones in the north arm of Tijuana estuary from feldspar market horizons and soil corings. Accretion in the Spartina foliosa low marsh (2-8.5 cm) was related almost entirely to episodic storm-induced river flows between January and March 1993, with daily tidal flooding contributing little or no sediment during the subsequent 12 month period of no river flow. Accretion in the Salicornia subterminalis high marsh was low (~1-2 mm) throughout the 17-month measuring period. High water levels in the salt marsh associated with the storm flows were enhanced in early January 1993 by the monthly extreme high sea level, when the low and high marshes were flooded about 0.5 m above normal high tide levels. Storm flows in January-March 1993 mobilized about 5 million tons of sediment, of which the low salt marsh trapped an estimated 31,941 tonnes, including 971 tonnes of carbon and 77 tonnes of nitrogen. Sediment trapping by the salt marsh during episodic winter floods plays an important role in the long-term maintenance of productivity of Tijuana estuary through nutrient retention and maintenance of marsh surface elevation. The potential exists, however, for predicted accelerated rates of sea-level rise to out-pace marsh surface elevation gain during extended periods of drought (i.e. low sediment inputs) which are not uncommon for this arid region.

  18. Marsh Vertical Accretion in a Southern California Estuary, U.S.A.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cahoon, Donald R.; Lynch, James C.; Powell, Abby N.

    1996-07-01

    Vertical accretion was measured between October 1992 and March 1994 in low and high saltmarsh zones in the north arm of Tijuana estuary from feldspar market horizons and soil corings. Accretion in the Spartina foliosalow marsh (2-8·5 cm) was related almost entirely to episodic storm-induced river flows between January and March 1993, with daily tidal flooding contributing little or no sediment during the subsequent 12-month period of no river flow. Accretion in the Salicornia subterminalishigh marsh was low (≈1-2 mm) throughout the 17-month measuring period. High water levels in the salt marsh associated with the storm flows were enhanced in early January 1993 by the monthly extreme high sea level, when the low and high marshes were flooded about 0·5 m above normal high tide levels. Storm flows in January-March 1993 mobilized about 5 million tonnes of sediment, of which the low salt marsh trapped an estimated 31 941 tonnes, including 971 tonnes of carbon and 77 tonnes of nitrogen. Sediment trapping by the salt marsh during episodic winter floods plays an important role in the long-term maintenance of productivity of Tijuana estuary through nutrient retention and maintenance of marsh surface elevation. The potential exists, however, for predicted accelerated rates of sea-level rise to out-pace marsh surface elevation gain during extended periods of drought (i.e. low sediment inputs) which are not uncommon for this arid region.

  19. Gamma rays from pulsar wind shock acceleration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, Alice K.

    1990-01-01

    A shock forming in the wind of relativistic electron-positron pairs from a pulsar, as a result of confinement by surrounding material, could convert part of the pulsar spin-down luminosity to high energy particles through first order Fermi acceleration. High energy protons could be produced by this mechanism both in supernova remnants and in binary systems containing pulsars. The pion-decay gamma-rays resulting from interaction of accelerated protons with surrounding target material in such sources might be observable above 70 MeV with EGRET (Energetic Gamma-Ray Experimental Telescope) and above 100 GeV with ground-based detectors. Acceleration of protons and expected gamma-ray fluxes from SN1987A, Cyg X-3 type sources and binary pulsars are discussed.

  20. A NICER View of the Accretion Disk in GX 339-4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steiner, James Francis; Bulbul, Esra; Cackett, Ed; Fabian, Andy; Gendreau, Keith C.; Neilsen, Joseph; Ranga Reddy Pasham, Dheeraj; Remillard, Ron; Uttley, Phil; Wood, Kent S.

    2018-01-01

    The poster-child black hole transient GX 339-4 has gone into outburst once again. With no pileup, low-background, and high fidelity in the soft X-ray bandpass, NICER is uniquely positioned to detect emergent thermal disk emission from an optically thick accretion flow approaching the innermost-stable circular orbit. We present NICER's results on the 2017 outburst, and detail its implications for the disk-truncation controversy. We also investigate the X-ray state evolution, as seen in NICER's spectral range of 0.2 to 12 keV.

  1. On the Nature of Part-Time Radio Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiang-Dong

    2006-08-01

    The recent discovery of rotating radio transients and the quasi-periodicity of pulsar activity in the radio pulsar PSR B1931+24 has challenged the conventional theory of radio pulsar emission. Here we suggest that these phenomena could be due to the interaction between the neutron star magnetosphere and the surrounding debris disk. The pattern of pulsar emission depends on whether the disk can penetrate the light cylinder and efficiently quench the processes of particle production and acceleration inside the magnetospheric gap. A precessing disk may naturally account for the switch-on/off behavior in PSR B1931+24.

  2. Multiwavelength Observations of the Redback Millisecond Pulsar J1048+2339

    DOE PAGES

    Deneva, J. S.; Ray, P. S.; Camilo, F.; ...

    2016-05-26

    In this paper, we report on radio timing and multiwavelength observations of the 4.66 ms redback pulsar J1048+2339, which was discovered in an Arecibo search targeting the Fermi-Large Area Telescope source 3FGL J1048.6+2338. Two years of timing allowed us to derive precise astrometric and orbital parameters for the pulsar. PSR J1048+2339 is in a 6 hr binary and exhibits radio eclipses over half the orbital period and rapid orbital period variations. The companion has a minimum mass of 0.3 M ⊙, and we have identified a V ~ 20 variable optical counterpart in data from several surveys. The phasing ofmore » its ~1 mag modulation at the orbital period suggests highly efficient and asymmetric heating by the pulsar wind, which may be due to an intrabinary shock that is distorted near the companion, or to the companion's magnetic field channeling the pulsar wind to specific locations on its surface. Finally, we also present gamma-ray spectral analysis of the source and preliminary results from searches for gamma-ray pulsations using the radio ephemeris.« less

  3. The long-term evolution of the X-ray pulsar XTE J1814-338: A receding jet contribution to the quiescent optical emission?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baglio, M. C.; D'Avanzo, P.; Muñoz-Darias, T.; Breton, R. P.; Campana, S.

    2013-11-01

    Aims: We present a study of the quiescent optical counterpart of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar XTE J1814-338 that is aimed at unveiling the different components, which contribute to the quiescent optical emission of the system. Methods: We carried out multiband (BVR) orbital phase-resolved photometry of the system using the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) that is equipped with the FORS2 camera, covering about 70% of the 4.3 hour orbital period. Results: The optical light curves are consistent with a sinusoidal variability that are modulated with an orbital period with a semi-amplitude of 0.5-0.7 mag. They show evidence of a strongly irradiated companion star, which agrees with previous findings for this system. However, the observed colours cannot be accounted for by the companion star alone, suggesting the presence of an accretion disc during quiescence. The system seems to be fainter in all analysed bands compared to previous observations. The R band light curve displays a possible phase offset with respect to the B and V band. Through a combined fit of the multi-band light curve performed with a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique, we derive constraints on the companion star, disc fluxes, system distance, and companion star mass. Conclusions: The irradiation luminosity required to account for the observed day-side temperature of the companion star is consistent with the spin-down luminosity of a millisecond radio pulsar. Compared to our data with previous observations, which were collected over 5 years, the flux decrease and spectral evolution of the observed quiescent optical emission cannot be satisfactorily explained with the combined contribution of an irradiated companion star and of an accretion disc alone. The observed progressive flux decrease as the system gets bluer could be due to a continuum component that evolves towards a lower, bluer spectrum. While most of the continuum component is likely due to the disc, we do not expect it to become

  4. The High Time Resolution Universe Pulsar Survey - XIII. PSR J1757-1854, the most accelerated binary pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cameron, A. D.; Champion, D. J.; Kramer, M.; Bailes, M.; Barr, E. D.; Bassa, C. G.; Bhandari, S.; Bhat, N. D. R.; Burgay, M.; Burke-Spolaor, S.; Eatough, R. P.; Flynn, C. M. L.; Freire, P. C. C.; Jameson, A.; Johnston, S.; Karuppusamy, R.; Keith, M. J.; Levin, L.; Lorimer, D. R.; Lyne, A. G.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Ng, C.; Petroff, E.; Possenti, A.; Ridolfi, A.; Stappers, B. W.; van Straten, W.; Tauris, T. M.; Tiburzi, C.; Wex, N.

    2018-03-01

    We report the discovery of PSR J1757-1854, a 21.5-ms pulsar in a highly-eccentric, 4.4-h orbit with a neutron star (NS) companion. PSR J1757-1854 exhibits some of the most extreme relativistic parameters of any known pulsar, including the strongest relativistic effects due to gravitational-wave damping, with a merger time of 76 Myr. Following a 1.6-yr timing campaign, we have measured five post-Keplerian parameters, yielding the two component masses (mp = 1.3384(9) M⊙ and mc = 1.3946(9) M⊙) plus three tests of general relativity, which the theory passes. The larger mass of the NS companion provides important clues regarding the binary formation of PSR J1757-1854. With simulations suggesting 3-σ measurements of both the contribution of Lense-Thirring precession to the rate of change of the semimajor axis and the relativistic deformation of the orbit within ˜7-9 yr, PSR J1757-1854 stands out as a unique laboratory for new tests of gravitational theories.

  5. Pulsar-driven Jets In Supernovae, LMXBs, SS 433, And The Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Middleditch, John

    2011-01-01

    The model of pulsar emission through superluminally induced polarization currents (SLIP) predicts that pulsations produced by such currents, induced at many light cylinder radii by a rotating, magnetized body, as would be the case for a neutron star born within any star of more than 1.4 solar masses, will drive pulsations close to the axis of rotation. In SN 1987A, such highly collimated (<1 in 10,000) 2.14 ms pulsations, and the similarly collimated jets of particles which they drove, including 1e-6 solar masses with velocities of up to 0.95 c, were responsible for the features of its very early light (days 3 - 20), its "Mystery Spot," observed slightly later (0.5 to 0.3 c, at days 30 - 50 and after), and still later, in less collimated form, its bipolarity. The kinematics of the jets in Sco X-1 are nearly identical, while those for SS 433 are lower (0.26 c), because of the absence of velocity "boosting" via collisions of heavy elements with lighter ones, due to the nearly pure hydrogen content of the supercritical accretion. SLIP also predicts that almost all pulsars with very sharp single pulses have been detected because the Earth is in a favored direction where their fluxes diminish only as 1/distance, and this has been verified in the laboratory as well as for the Parkes Multibeam Survey. The axially driven pulsations enforce a toroidal geometry onto all early SNRs, rendering even SNe Ia unsuitable as standard candles. SLIP also specifically predicts that gamma-ray-burst afterglows will be essentially 100% pulsed at 500 Hz in their proper frame. Finally, SLIP jets from SNe of the first stars may allow galaxies to form without the need for dark matter. This work was supported in part by the Department of Energy through the Los Alamos Directed Research Grant DR20080085.

  6. High-Energy Emission From Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, Alice K.; Usov, Vladimir V.; Muslimov, Alex G.

    2004-01-01

    The X-ray and gamma-ray spectrum of rotation-powered millisecond pulsars is investigated in a model for acceleration and pair cascades on open field lines above the polar caps. Although these pulsars have low surface magnetic fields, their short periods allow them to have large magnetospheric potential drops, but the majority do not produce sufficient pairs to completely screen the accelerating electric field. In these sources, the primary and secondary electrons continue to accelerate to high altitude and their Lorentz factors are limited by curvature and synchrotron radiation reaction. The accelerating particles maintain high Lorentz factors and undergo cyclotron resonant absorption of radio emission, that produces and maintains a large pitch angle, resulting in a strong synchrotron component. The resulting spectra consist of several distinct components: curvature radiation from primary electrons dominating from 1 - 100 GeV, synchrotron radiation from primary and secondary electrons dominating up to about 100 MeV, and much weaker inverse-Compton radiation from primary electrons a t 0.1 - 1 TeV. We find that the relative size of these components depends on pulsar period, period derivative, and neutron star mass and radius with the level of the synchrotron component also depending sensitively on the radio emission properties. This model is successful in describing the observed X-ray and gamma-ray spectrum of PSR J0218+4232 as synchrotron radiation, peaking around 100 MeV and extending up to a turnover around several GeV. The predicted curvature radiation components from a number of millisecond pulsars, as well as the collective emission from the millisecond pulsars in globular clusters, should be detectable with AGILE and GLAST. We also discuss a hidden population of X-ray-quiet and radio-quiet millisecond pulsars which have evolved below the pair death line, some of which may be detectable by telescopes sensitive above 1 GeV. Subject headings: pulsars: general

  7. Detecting dark matter with imploding pulsars in the galactic center.

    PubMed

    Bramante, Joseph; Linden, Tim

    2014-11-07

    The paucity of old millisecond pulsars observed at the galactic center of the Milky Way could be the result of dark matter accumulating in and destroying neutron stars. In regions of high dark matter density, dark matter clumped in a pulsar can exceed the Schwarzschild limit and collapse into a natal black hole which destroys the pulsar. We examine what dark matter models are consistent with this hypothesis and find regions of parameter space where dark matter accumulation can significantly degrade the neutron star population within the galactic center while remaining consistent with observations of old millisecond pulsars in globular clusters and near the solar position. We identify what dark matter couplings and masses might cause a young pulsar at the galactic center to unexpectedly extinguish. Finally, we find that pulsar collapse age scales inversely with the dark matter density and linearly with the dark matter velocity dispersion. This implies that maximum pulsar age is spatially dependent on position within the dark matter halo of the Milky Way. In turn, this pulsar age spatial dependence will be dark matter model dependent.

  8. Pair Creation Transparency in Gamma-Ray Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Story, Sarah A.

    Pulsars are rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars that produce photon pulses in energies from radio to gamma-rays. The population of known gamma-ray pulsars has been increased nearly twenty-fold in the past six years since the launch of the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope; it now exceeds 145 sources and has defined an important part of Fermi's science legacy. In order to understand the detectability of pulsars in gamma-rays, it is important to consider not only the radiative mechanisms that produce gamma-rays, but the processes that can attenuate photons before they can leave the pulsar magnetosphere. Here I explore two such processes, one-photon magnetic pair creation and two-photon pair creation. Magnetic pair creation has been at the core of radio pulsar paradigms and central to polar cap models of gamma-ray pulsars for over three decades. Among the population characteristics well established for Fermi pulsars is the common occurrence of exponential turnovers in the spectra in the 1-10 GeV range. These turnovers are too gradual to arise from magnetic pair creation in the strong magnetic fields of pulsar inner magnetospheres. By demanding insignificant photon attenuation precipitated by such single-photon pair creation, the energies of these turnovers for Fermi pulsars can be used to compute lower bounds for the typical altitude of GeV band emission. In this thesis, I explore such pair transparency constraints below the turnover energy and update earlier altitude bound determinations that have been deployed in various gamma-ray pulsar papers by the Fermi-LAT collaboration. For low altitude emission locales, general relativistic influences are found to be important, increasing cumulative opacity, shortening the photon attenuation lengths, and also reducing the maximum energy that permits escape of photons from a neutron star magnetosphere. Rotational aberration influences are also explored, and are found to be small at low altitudes, except near the

  9. Magnetic pair creation transparency in gamma-ray pulsars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Story, Sarah A.; Baring, Matthew G., E-mail: ss16@rice.edu, E-mail: baring@rice.edu

    2014-07-20

    Magnetic pair creation, γ → e {sup +} e {sup –}, has been at the core of radio pulsar paradigms and central to polar cap models of gamma-ray pulsars for over three decades. The Fermi gamma-ray pulsar population now exceeds 140 sources and has defined an important part of Fermi's science legacy, providing rich information for the interpretation of young energetic pulsars and old millisecond pulsars. Among the population characteristics well established is the common occurrence of exponential turnovers in their spectra in the 1-10 GeV range. These turnovers are too gradual to arise from magnetic pair creation in themore » strong magnetic fields of pulsar inner magnetospheres. By demanding insignificant photon attenuation precipitated by such single-photon pair creation, the energies of these turnovers for Fermi pulsars can be used to compute lower bounds for the typical altitude of GeV band emission. This paper explores such pair transparency constraints below the turnover energy and updates earlier altitude bound determinations that have been deployed in various Fermi pulsar papers. For low altitude emission locales, general relativistic influences are found to be important, increasing cumulative opacity, shortening the photon attenuation lengths, and also reducing the maximum energy that permits escape of photons from a neutron star magnetosphere. Rotational aberration influences are also explored, and are found to be small at low altitudes, except near the magnetic pole. The analysis presented in this paper clearly demonstrates that including near-threshold physics in the pair creation rate is essential to deriving accurate attenuation lengths and escape energies. The altitude bounds are typically in the range of 2-7 stellar radii for the young Fermi pulsar population, and provide key information on the emission altitude in radio quiet pulsars that do not possess double-peaked pulse profiles. The bound for the Crab pulsar is at a much higher altitude, with

  10. Exposing Drifting Subpulses From The Slowest To The Fastest Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Leeuwen, Joeri

    2006-08-01

    Pulsar emission is surprisingly similar over a vast range of periods and magnetic fields: all the way from the 2-millisecond 10^8 G recycled pulsars to the 6-second 10^14 G magnetar-like regular pulsars. We investigate how the curious instabilities called 'drifting subpulses' we observe can discern between different mechanisms for pulsar emission.

  11. The First Continuous Optical Monitoring of the Transitional Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1023+0038 with Kepler

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papitto, A.; Rea, N.; Coti Zelati, F.; de Martino, D.; Scaringi, S.; Campana, S.; de Ońa Wilhelmi, E.; Knigge, C.; Serenelli, A.; Stella, L.; Torres, D. F.; D’Avanzo, P.; Israel, G. L.

    2018-05-01

    We report on the first continuous, 80-day optical monitoring of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 carried out in mid 2017 with Kepler in the K2 configuration, when an X-ray subluminous accretion disk was present in the binary. Flares lasting from minutes to 14 hr were observed for 15.6% of the time, which is a larger fraction than previously reported on the basis of X-ray and past optical observations, and more frequently when the companion was at superior conjunction of the orbit. A sinusoidal modulation at the binary orbital period was also present with an amplitude of ≃16%, which varied by a few percent over timescales of days, and with a maximum that took place 890 ± 85 s earlier than the superior conjunction of the donor. We interpret this phenomena in terms of reprocessing of the X-ray emission by an asymmetrically heated companion star surface and/or a non-axisymmetric outflow possibly launched close to the inner Lagrangian point. Furthermore, the non-flaring average emission varied by up to ≈40% over a timescale of days in the absence of correspondingly large variations of the irradiating X-ray flux. The latter suggests that the observed changes in the average optical luminosity might be due to variations of the geometry, size, and/or mass accretion rate in the outer regions of the accretion disk.

  12. Radiative Efficiency of Collisionless Accretion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gruzinov, Andrei V.

    1998-07-01

    The radiative efficiency, η≡L/Ṁc2, of a slowly accreting black hole is estimated using a two-temperature model of accretion. The radiative efficiency depends on the magnetic field strength near the Schwarzschild radius. For weak magnetic fields, i.e., β-1 ≡ B2/8πp <~ 10-3, the low efficiency η ~ 10-4 that is assumed in some theoretical models is achieved. For β-1 > 10-3, a significant fraction of viscous heat is dissipated by electrons and radiated away resulting in η > 10-4. At equipartition magnetic fields, β-1 ~ 1, we estimate η ~ 10-1.

  13. Pulsar Emission Geometry and Accelerating Field Strength

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-11-01

    ar X iv :1 11 1. 03 25 v1 [ as tr o- ph .H E ] 1 N ov 2 01 1 2011 Fermi Symposium, Roma., May. 9-12 1 Pulsar Emission Geometry and Accelerating...observations of gamma-ray pulsars have opened a new window to understanding the generation mechanisms of high-energy emission from these systems. The high...the Vela and CTA 1 pulsars with simulated high-energy light curves generated from geometrical representations of the outer gap and slot gap emission

  14. Evolution of Post-accretion-induced Collapse Binaries: The Effect of Evaporation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Wei-Min; Li, Xiang-Dong

    2017-12-01

    Accretion-induced collapse (AIC) is widely accepted to be one of the formation channels for millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Since the MSPs have high spin-down luminosities, they can immediately start to evaporate their companion stars after birth. In this paper, we present a detailed investigation on the evolution of the post-AIC binaries, taking into account the effect of evaporation both before and during the Roche-lobe overflow process. We discuss the possible influence of the input parameters including the evaporation efficiency, the initial spin period, and the initial surface magnetic field of the newborn neutron star. We compare the calculated results with the traditional low-mass X-ray binary evolution and suggest that they may reproduce at least part of the observed redbacks and black widows in the companion mass–orbital period plane depending on the mechanisms of angular momentum loss associated with evaporation.

  15. Gamma Ray Pulsars: Multiwavelength Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, David J.

    2004-01-01

    High-energy gamma rays are a valuable tool for studying particle acceleration and radiation in the magnetospheres of energetic pulsars. The seven or more pulsars seen by instruments on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) show that: the light curves usually have double-peak structures (suggesting a broad cone of emission); gamma rays are frequently the dominant component of the radiated power; and all the spectra show evidence of a high-energy turnover. For all the known gamma-ray pulsars, multiwavelength observations and theoretical models based on such observations offer the prospect of gaining a broad understanding of these rotating neutron stars. The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), now in planning for a launch in 2006, will provide a major advance in sensitivity, energy range, and sky coverage.

  16. Pulsar-driven Jets In Sne, Grbs, Lmxbs, Ss 433, And The Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Middleditch, John

    2011-05-01

    The model of pulsar emission through superluminally induced polarization currents, (SLIP), predicts that pulsations produced by such currents at many light cylinder radii by a rotating, magnetized body, will drive pulsations close to the axis of rotation. In SN 1987A, the possible Rosetta Stone for 99% of SNe, GRBs, ms pulsars, and SS 433, such highly collimated (>1 in 10,000) 2.14 ms pulsations, and the similarly collimated jets of particles which they drove, including 1e-6 solar masses with velocities 0.95 c, were responsible for its very early light curve (days 3-20), its "Mystery Spot," observed slightly later (0.5 to 0.3 c, at days 30-50 and after), and still later, in less collimated form, its bipolarity. The axially driven pulsations enforce a toroidal geometry onto all early SNRs, rendering even SNe Ia unsuitable as standard candles. The numbers for Sco X-1's jet are identical, while those for SS 433 are lower (0.26 c), because of the absence of velocity "boosting" via collisions of heavy elements with lighter ones, due to the nearly pure hydrogen content of the supercritical accretion. SLIP also drives positrons from SNe to high energies, possibly accounting for the excess seen by PAMELA at scores of GeV, and predicts that almost all pulsars with very sharp single pulses have been detected because the Earth is in a favored direction where their fluxes diminish only as 1/distance, and this has been verified in the laboratory as well as for the Parkes Multibeam Survey. SLIP also predicts that GRB afterglows will be 100% pulsed at 500 Hz in their proper frame. Finally, SLIP jets from SNe of the first stars may allow galaxies to form without the need for dark matter. This work was supported in part by the Department of Energy through the Los Alamos Directed Research Grant DR20080085.

  17. Outer magnetospheric fluctuations and pulsar timing noise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cheng, K. S.

    1987-01-01

    The Cheng, Ho, and Ruderman (1986) outer-magnetosphere gap model was used to investigate the stability of Crab-type outer magnetosphere gaps for pulsars having the parameter (Omega-square B) similar to that of the Crab pulsar. The Lamb, Pines, and Shaham (1978) fluctuating magnetosphere noise model was applied to the Crab pulsar to examine the type of the equation of state that best describes the structure of the neutron star. The noise model was also applied to other pulsars, and the theoretical results were compared with observational data. The results of the comparison are consistent with the stiff equation of state, as suggested by the vortex creep model of the neutron star interior. The timing-noise observations also contribute to the evidence for the existence of superfluid in the core of the neutron star.

  18. Bondi-Hoyle accretion in an isothermal magnetized plasma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Aaron T.; McKee, Christopher F.; Klein, Richard I.

    2014-03-01

    In regions of star formation, protostars and newborn stars will accrete mass from their natal clouds. These clouds are threaded by magnetic fields with a strength characterized by the plasma β—the ratio of thermal and magnetic pressures. Observations show that molecular clouds have β ≲ 1, so magnetic fields have the potential to play a significant role in the accretion process. We have carried out a numerical study of the effect of large-scale magnetic fields on the rate of accretion onto a uniformly moving point particle from a uniform, non-self-gravitating, isothermal gas. We consider gas moving with sonic Mach numbersmore » of up to M≈45; magnetic fields that are either parallel, perpendicular, or oriented 45° to the flow; and β as low as 0.01. Our simulations utilize adaptive mesh refinement in order to obtain high spatial resolution where it is needed; this also allows the boundaries to be far from the accreting object to avoid unphysical effects arising from boundary conditions. Additionally, we show that our results are independent of our exact prescription for accreting mass in the sink particle. We give simple expressions for the steady-state accretion rate as a function of β and M for the parallel and perpendicular orientations. Using typical molecular cloud values of M∼5 and β ∼ 0.04 from the literature, our fits suggest that a 0.4 M {sub ☉} star accretes4 × 10{sup –9} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}, almost a factor of two less than accretion rates predicted by hydrodynamic models. This disparity can grow to orders of magnitude for stronger fields and lower Mach numbers. We also discuss the applicability of these accretion rates versus accretion rates expected from gravitational collapse, and under what conditions a steady state is possible. The reduction in the accretion rate in a magnetized medium leads to an increase in the time required to form stars in competitive accretion models, making such models less efficient than

  19. Search for Pulsations from a Nearby Millisecond Pulsar and Wasilewski 49: Mirror for a Hidden Seyfert 1 Nucleus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halpern, Jules P.

    1999-01-01

    Five studies are reported in this final report. The recently discovered 5.3 ms pulsar J1012+5307 at a distance of 520 pc is in an area of the sky which is particularly deficient in absorbing gas. The column density along the line of sight is less than 7.5 x 10(exp 19) CM(exp -2) which facilitates soft X-ray observations. Halpern reported a possible ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) detection of the pulsar in a serendipitous, off-axis observation. We have now confirmed the X-ray emission of PSR J1012+,5307 in a 23 ksec observation with the ROSAT High Resolution Imager (HRI). A point source is detected within 3" of the radio position. Its count rate of 1.6 +/- 0.3 x 10(exp -3) s(exp -1) corresponds to an unabsorbed 0. 1-2.4 keV flux of 6.4 x 10(exp -14) ergs cm(exp -2) s(exp -1), similar to that reported previously. This counts-to-flux conversion is valid for N(sub H) = 5 x 10(exp 19) cm(exp -2), and either a power-law spectrum of photon index 2.5 or a blackbody of kT = 0.1 keV. The implied X-ray luminosity of 2.0 x 10(exp 30) ergs s(exp -1) is 5 X 10(exp -4) of the pulsar's spin-down power dot-E, and similar to that of the nearest millisecond pulsar J0437-4715, which is nearly a twin of J1012+5307 in P dot-E. We subjected the 37 photons (and 13 background counts) within the source region to a pulsar search, but no evidence for pulsation was found. The pulsar apparently emits over a large fraction of its rotation cycle, and the absence of sharp modulation can be taken as evidence for surface thermal emission, as is favored for PSR J0437-4715, rather than magnetospheric X-ray emission which is apparent in the sharp pulses of the much more energetic millisecond pulsar B1821-24. A further test of this interpretation will be made with a longer ROSAT observation, which will increase the number of photons collected by a factor of 5, and permit a more sensitive examination of the light curve for modulation due to emission from heated polar caps. If found

  20. 1974: the discovery of the first binary pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Damour, Thibault

    2015-06-01

    The 1974 discovery, by Russell A Hulse and Joseph H Taylor, of the first binary pulsar, PSR B1913+16, opened up new possibilities for the study of relativistic gravity. PSR B1913+16, as well as several other binary pulsars, provided direct observational proof that gravity propagates at the velocity of light and has a quadrupolar structure. Binary pulsars also provided accurate tests of the strong-field regime of relativistic gravity. General relativity has passed all of the binary pulsar tests with flying colors. The discovery of binary pulsars also had very important consequences for astrophysics, leading to accurate measurement of neutron star masses, improved understanding of the possible evolution scenarios for the co-evolution of binary stars, and proof of the existence of binary neutron stars emitting gravitational waves for hundreds of millions of years, before coalescing in catastrophic events radiating intense gravitational wave signals, and probably also leading to important emissions of electromagnetic radiation and neutrinos. This article reviews the history of the discovery of the first binary pulsar, and describes both its immediate impact and its longer-term effect on theoretical and experimental studies of relativistic gravity.

  1. PINT, A Modern Software Package for Pulsar Timing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Jing; Ransom, Scott M.; Demorest, Paul; Ray, Paul S.; Stovall, Kevin; Jenet, Fredrick; Ellis, Justin; van Haasteren, Rutger; Bachetti, Matteo; NANOGrav PINT developer team

    2018-01-01

    Pulsar timing, first developed decades ago, has provided an extremely wide range of knowledge about our universe. It has been responsible for many important discoveries, such as the discovery of the first exoplanet and the orbital period decay of double neutron star systems. Currently pulsar timing is the leading technique for detecting low frequency (about 10^-9 Hertz) gravitational waves (GW) using an array of pulsars as the detectors. To achieve this goal, high precision pulsar timing data, at about nanoseconds level, is required. Most high precision pulsar timing data are analyzed using the widely adopted software TEMPO/TEMPO2. But for a robust and believable GW detection, it is important to have independent software that can cross-check the result. In this poster we present the new generation pulsar timing software PINT. This package will provide a robust system to cross check high-precision timing results, completely independent of TEMPO and TEMPO2. In addition, PINT is designed to be a package that is easy to extend and modify, through use of flexible code architecture and a modern programming language, Python, with modern technology and libraries.

  2. The magnetic fields, ages, and original spin periods of millisecond pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Camilo, F.; Thorsett, S. E.; Kulkarni, S. R.

    1994-01-01

    Accurate determination of the spin-down rates of millisecond pulsars requires consideration of the apparent acceleration of the pulsars due to their high transverse velocities. We show that for several nearby pulsars the neglect of this effect leads to substantial errors in inferred pulsar ages and magnetic fields. Two important ramifications follow. (1) The intrinsic magnetic field strengths of all millisecond pulsars lie below 5 x 10(exp 8) G, strengthening an earlier suggestion of a 'gap' between the magnetic field strengths of millisecond pulsars and of high-mass binary pulsars such as PSR B1913+16, which are thought to have been formed by mass transfer in low-mass and high-mass X-ray binaries, respectively. This result suggests that the magnetic field strengths of recycled pulsars are related to their formation and evolution in binary systems. (2) The corrected characteristic ages of several millisecond pulsars appear to be greater than the age of the Galactic disk. We reconcile this apparent paradox by suggesting that some millisecond pulsars were born with periods close to their current periods. This conclusion has important implications for the interpretation of the cooling ages of white dwarf companions, the birthrate discrepancy between millisecond pulsars and their X-ray binary progenitors, and the possible existence of a class of weakly magnetized (B much less than 10(exp 8)G), rapidly rotating neutron stars.

  3. Gas Cloud Accretion onto the SMBH SgrA* and Formation of Jet 4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishiyama, Shogo

    2015-06-01

    A dense gas cloud was detected to be rapidly approaching the Galactic supermassive black hole (SMBH) Sgr A*, and was 1,600 Schwarzschild radii from the SMBH at the pericenter of its eccentric orbit in Mar 2014. Ongoing tidal disruption has been observed, and cloud fragments are expected to accrete onto the SMBH on dynamical timescales, suggesting a jet formation in the following years. So we are carrying out daily monitoring observations of Sgr A* in near-infrared and radio wavelengths, and we propose quick follow-up observations with Subaru/Gemini. Br-gamma line emission maps obtained with Gemini/NIFS will be used to fine tune our 3D simulation to estimate how much mass accretes, and when the fragments accrete onto the SMBH. Polarimetric and astrometric signals from a jet taken with Subaru/HiCIAO and KaVA will be compared with the finely tuned simulation to understand the timescale of jet formation, and to investigate the correlation between the accreted mass of the cloud fragments and a luminosity of the newly-formed jet. Spectroscopic and imaging observations from 1.6 - 11 mum (Subaru/IRCS, COMICS) will also be conducted to understand processes responsible for near to mid-infrared emission during the accretion event.

  4. Development of Pulsar Detection Methods for a Galactic Center Search

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thornton, Stephen; Wharton, Robert; Cordes, James; Chatterjee, Shami

    2018-01-01

    Finding pulsars within the inner parsec of the galactic center would be incredibly beneficial: for pulsars sufficiently close to Sagittarius A*, extremely precise tests of general relativity in the strong field regime could be performed through measurement of post-Keplerian parameters. Binary pulsar systems with sufficiently short orbital periods could provide the same laboratories with which to test existing theories. Fast and efficient methods are needed to parse large sets of time-domain data from different telescopes to search for periodicity in signals and differentiate radio frequency interference (RFI) from pulsar signals. Here we demonstrate several techniques to reduce red noise (low-frequency interference), generate signals from pulsars in binary orbits, and create plots that allow for fast detection of both RFI and pulsars.

  5. X-Ray and Optical Study of the Gamma-ray Source 3FGL J0838.8–2829: Identification of a Candidate Millisecond Pulsar Binary and an Asynchronous Polar

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Halpern, Jules P.; Bogdanov, Slavko; Thorstensen, John R., E-mail: jules@astro.columbia.edu

    2017-04-01

    We observed the field of the Fermi source 3FGL J0838.8−2829 in optical and X-rays, initially motivated by the cataclysmic variable (CV) 1RXS J083842.1−282723 that lies within its error circle. Several X-ray sources first classified as CVs have turned out to be γ -ray emitting millisecond pulsars (MSPs). We find that 1RXS J083842.1−282723 is in fact an unusual CV, a stream-fed asynchronous polar in which accretion switches between magnetic poles (that are ≈120° apart) when the accretion rate is at minimum. High-amplitude X-ray modulation at periods of 94.8 ± 0.4 minutes and 14.7 ± 1.2 hr are seen. The former appearsmore » to be the spin period, while the latter is inferred to be one-third of the beat period between the spin and the orbit, implying an orbital period of 98.3 ± 0.5 minutes. We also measure an optical emission-line spectroscopic period of 98.413 ± 0.004 minutes, which is consistent with the orbital period inferred from the X-rays. In any case, this system is unlikely to be the γ -ray source. Instead, we find a fainter variable X-ray and optical source, XMMU J083850.38−282756.8, that is modulated on a timescale of hours in addition to exhibiting occasional sharp flares. It resembles the black widow or redback pulsars that have been discovered as counterparts of Fermi sources, with the optical modulation due to heating of the photosphere of a low-mass companion star by, in this case, an as-yet undetected MSP. We propose XMMU J083850.38−282756.8 as the MSP counterpart of 3FGL J0838.8−2829.« less

  6. Soft x-ray properties of the binary millisecond pulsar J0437-4715

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halpern, Jules P.; Martin, Christopher; Marshall, Herman L.

    1995-01-01

    We obtained a light curve for the 5.75 ms pulsar J0437-4715 in the 65-120 A range with 0.5 ms time resolution using the Deep Survey instrument on the EUVE satellite. The single-peaked profile has a pulsed fraction of 0. 27 +/- 0.05, similar to the ROSAT data in the overlapping energy band. A combined analysis of the EUVE and ROSAT data is consistent with a power-law spectrum of energy index alpha = 1.2-1.5, intervening column density NH = (5-8) x 10(exp 19)/sq cm, and luminosity 5.0 x 10(exp 30) ergs/s in the 0.1-2. 4 keV band. We also use a bright EUVE/ROSAT source only 4.3 deg from the pulsar, the Seyfert galaxy RX J0437.4-4711 (= EUVE J0437-471 = lES 0435-472), to obtain an independent upper limit on the intervening absorption to the pulsar, NH less than 1.2 x 10(exp 20)/sq cm. Although a blackbody spectrum fails to fit the ROSAT data, two-component spectral fits to the combined EUVE/ROSAT data are used to limit the temperatures and surface areas of thermal emission that might make partial contributions to the flux. A hot polar cap of radius 50-600 m and temperature (1.0-3.3) x 10(exp 6) K could be present. Alternatively, a larger region with T = (4-12) x 10(exp 5) K and area less than 200 sq km, might contribute most of the EUVE and soft X-ray flux, but only if a hotter component were present as well. Any of these temperatures would require some mechanism(s) of surface reheating to be operating in this old pulsar, the most plausible being the impact of accelerated electrons and positrons onto the polar caps. The kinematically corrected spin-down power of PSR J0437-4715 is only 4 x 10(exp 33) ergs/s, which is an order of magnitude less than that of the lowest-luminosity gamma-ray pulsars Geminga and PSR B1055-52. The absence of high-energy gamma-rays from PSR J0437-4715 might signify an inefficient or dead outer gap accelerator, which in turn accounts for the lack of a more luminous reheated surface such as those intermediate-age gamma-ray pulsars may have.

  7. Soft X-Ray Properties of the Binary Millisecond Pulsar J0437-4715

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halpern, Jules P.; Martin, Christopher; Marshall, Herman, L.; Oliversen, Ronald (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    We obtained a light curve for the 5.75 ms pulsar J0437-4715 in the 65-120 A range with 0.5 ms time resolution using the Deep Survey instrument on the EUVE satellite. The single-peaked profile has a pulsed fraction of 0.27 +/- 0.05, similar to the ROSAT data in the overlapping energy band. A combined analysis of the EUVE and ROSAT data is consistent with a power-law spectrum of energy index alpha = 1.2 - 1.5, intervening column density N(sub H) = (5 - 8) x 10(exp 19)/sq cm, and luminosity 5.0 x 10(exp 30) ergs/s in the 0.1 - 2.4 keV band. We also use a bright EUVE/ROSAT source only 4.2 min. from the pulsar, the Seyfert galaxy RX J0437.4-4711 (= EUVE J0437-471 = IES 0435-472), to obtain an independent upper limit on the intervening absorption to the pulsar, N(sub H) less than 1.2 x 10(exp 20)/sq cm. Although a blackbody spectrum fails to fit the ROSAT data, two-component spectral fits to the combined EUVE/ROSAT data are used to limit the temperatures and surface areas of thermal emission that might make partial contributions to the flux. A hot polar cap of radius 50 - 600 m and temperature (1.0 - 3.3) x 10(exp 6) K could be present. Alternatively, a larger region with T = (4 - 12) x 10(exp 5) K and area less than 200 sq km, might contribute most of the EUVE and soft X-ray flux, but only if a hotter component were present as well. Any of these temperatures would require some mechanism(s) of surface reheating to be operating in this old pulsar, the most plausible being the impact of accelerated electrons and positrons onto the polar caps. The kinematically corrected spin-down power of PSR J0437-4715 is only 4 x 10(exp 33) ergs/s, which is an order of magnitude less than that of the lowest-luminosity gamma-ray pulsars Geminga and PSR B1055-52. The absence of high-energy gamma-rays from PSR J0437-4715 might signify an inefficient or dead outer gap accelerator, which in turn accounts for the lack of a more luminous reheated surface such as those intermediate-age gamma

  8. Pulsars Magnetospheres

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Timokhin, Andrey

    2012-01-01

    Current density determines the plasma flow regime. Cascades are non-stationary. ALWAYS. All flow regimes look different: multiple components (?) Return current regions should have particle accelerating zones in the outer magnetosphere: y-ray pulsars (?) Plasma oscillations in discharges: direct radio emission (?)

  9. Pulsar-aided SETI experimental observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heidmann, J.; Biraud, F.; Tarter, J.

    1989-01-01

    The rotational frequencies of pulsars are used to select preferred radio frequencies for SETI. Pulsar rotational frequencies are converted into SETI frequencies in the 1-10 GHz Galactic radio window. Experimental observations using the frequencies are conducted for target stars closer than 25 parsecs, unknown targets in a globular cluster, and unknown targets in the Galaxy closer than 2.5 kpc. The status of these observations is discussed.

  10. LUMINOSITY EVOLUTION OF GAMMA-RAY PULSARS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hirotani, Kouichi, E-mail: hirotani@tiara.sinica.edu.tw

    2013-04-01

    We investigate the electrodynamic structure of a pulsar outer-magnetospheric particle accelerator and the resulting gamma-ray emission. By considering the condition for the accelerator to be self-sustained, we derive how the trans-magnetic-field thickness of the accelerator evolves with the pulsar age. It is found that the thickness is small but increases steadily if the neutron-star envelope is contaminated by sufficient light elements. For such a light element envelope, the gamma-ray luminosity of the accelerator is kept approximately constant as a function of age in the initial 10,000 yr, forming the lower bound of the observed distribution of the gamma-ray luminosity ofmore » rotation-powered pulsars. If the envelope consists of only heavy elements, on the other hand, the thickness is greater, but it increases less rapidly than a light element envelope. For such a heavy element envelope, the gamma-ray luminosity decreases relatively rapidly, forming the upper bound of the observed distribution. The gamma-ray luminosity of a general pulsar resides between these two extreme cases, reflecting the envelope composition and the magnetic inclination angle with respect to the rotation axis. The cutoff energy of the primary curvature emission is regulated below several GeV even for young pulsars because the gap thickness, and hence the acceleration electric field, is suppressed by the polarization of the produced pairs.« less

  11. Gamma-ray pulsars: Radiation processes in the outer magnetosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Romani, Roger W.

    1996-01-01

    We describe an emission model for gamma ray pulsars based on curvature radiation-reaction limited charges in the outer magnetosphere. We show how pair production on thermal surface flux can limit the acceleration zones. Estimates for the efficiency of GeV photon production eta gamma and the gamma-ray beaming fraction are derived, including their dependence on pulsar parameters. In general eta gamma increases with pulsar age, but is decreased for low magnetic fields and for small magnetic inclinations. We argue that this produces GeV pulse profiles, curvature spectra and detection statistics consistent with the observations. We also describe the optical through X-ray pulsar synchrotron spectrum and the spectral variations with pulsar phase. A test computation for Vela-like parameters reproduces phase-resolved GeV spectra consistent with those observed by EGRET. Finally we comment on very high energy pulsed emission and particle production and note extensions needed to allow a more complete pulsar model.

  12. Interaction of a pulsar with interstellar matter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Istomin, Ya. N.

    1994-03-01

    An increase of the rate of spin-down dot-P and emergence of a Magnus force acting on the star is connected with the appearance of a dense hydrogen plasma in the region of light surface. These effects are proportional to the permittivity epsilon = 1 + c2/(VA)2, where vA is the Alfven velocity in the vicinity of the light cylinder. During its lifetime, a pulsar can change the direction of its proper velocity and leave the Galactic plane. For the pulsar PSR 1757-24 located in the nebula G5.4-1.2, it is shown that due to the changing value of dot-P its characteristic age increases up to 7.5 x 104 years and the proper velocity decreases in magnitude to the order of 400km/s.

  13. PSR J1740+1000: A Young Pulsar Well Out of the Galactic Plane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McLaughlin, M. A.; Arzoumanian, Z.; Cordes, J. M.; Backer, D. C.; Lommen, A. N.; Lorimer, D. R.; Zepka, A. F.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    We discuss PSR J1740 + 1000, one of five pulsars recently discovered in a search of 470 deg at 430 MHz during the upgrade of the 305 m Arecibo Telescope. The period P = 154 ms and period derivative P = 2.1 x 10(exp -14) s s(exp -1) imply a spin-down age tau(sub s) = P/2P = 114 kyr that is smaller than 95% of all known pulsars. The youth and proximity of this pulsar make it a good candidate for detection at X-ray and gamma-ray energies. Its high Galactic latitude (b = 20.4 deg) suggests a very high velocity if the pulsar was born in the midplane of the Galaxy and if its kinematic age equals its spin-down age. Interstellar scintillations, however, suggest a much lower velocity. We discuss possible explanations for this discrepancy, taking into account (1) possible birth sites away from the midplane; (2) contributions from the unmeasured radial velocity; (3) a kinematic age different from the spin-down age; and (4) biasing of the scintillation velocity by enhanced scattering from the North Polar Spur.

  14. To accrete or not accrete, that is the question

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    von Huene, Roland E.

    1986-01-01

    Along modern convergent margins tectonic processes span a spectrum from accretion to erosion. The process of accretion is generally recognized because it leaves a geologic record, whereas the process of erosion is generally hypothetical because it produces a geologic hiatus. Major conditions that determine the dominance of accretion or erosion at modern convergent margins are: 1) rate and direction of plate convergence, 2) sediment supply and type in the trench, and 3) topography of the subducting ocean floor. Most change in structure has been ascribed to plate motion, but both erosion and accretion are observed along the same convergence margin. Thus sediment supply and topography are probably of equivalent importance to plate motion because both erosion and accretion are observed under constant conditions of plate convergence. The dominance of accretion or erosion at a margin varies with the thickness of trench sediment. In a sediment flooded trench, the proportions of subducted and accreted sediment are commonly established by the position of a decollement along a weak horizon in the sediment section. Thus, the vertical variation of sediment strength and the distribution of horizontal stress are important factors. Once deformation begins, the original sediment strength is decreased by sediment remolding and where sediment thickens rapidly, increases in pore fluid pressure can be pronounced. In sediment-starved trenches, where the relief of the subducting ocean floor is not smoothed over, the front of the margin must respond to the topography subducted as well as that accreted. The hypothesized erosion by the drag of positive features against the underside of the upper plate (a high stress environment) may alternate with erosion due to the collapse of a margin front into voids such as graben (a low stress environment). ?? 1986 Ferdinand Enke Verlag Stuttgart.

  15. The noise properties of 42 millisecond pulsars from the European Pulsar Timing Array and their impact on gravitational-wave searches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caballero, R. N.; Lee, K. J.; Lentati, L.; Desvignes, G.; Champion, D. J.; Verbiest, J. P. W.; Janssen, G. H.; Stappers, B. W.; Kramer, M.; Lazarus, P.; Possenti, A.; Tiburzi, C.; Perrodin, D.; Osłowski, S.; Babak, S.; Bassa, C. G.; Brem, P.; Burgay, M.; Cognard, I.; Gair, J. R.; Graikou, E.; Guillemot, L.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Karuppusamy, R.; Lassus, A.; Liu, K.; McKee, J.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Petiteau, A.; Purver, M. B.; Rosado, P. A.; Sanidas, S.; Sesana, A.; Shaifullah, G.; Smits, R.; Taylor, S. R.; Theureau, G.; van Haasteren, R.; Vecchio, A.

    2016-04-01

    The sensitivity of Pulsar Timing Arrays to gravitational waves (GWs) depends on the noise present in the individual pulsar timing data. Noise may be either intrinsic or extrinsic to the pulsar. Intrinsic sources of noise will include rotational instabilities, for example. Extrinsic sources of noise include contributions from physical processes which are not sufficiently well modelled, for example, dispersion and scattering effects, analysis errors and instrumental instabilities. We present the results from a noise analysis for 42 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) observed with the European Pulsar Timing Array. For characterizing the low-frequency, stochastic and achromatic noise component, or `timing noise', we employ two methods, based on Bayesian and frequentist statistics. For 25 MSPs, we achieve statistically significant measurements of their timing noise parameters and find that the two methods give consistent results. For the remaining 17 MSPs, we place upper limits on the timing noise amplitude at the 95 per cent confidence level. We additionally place an upper limit on the contribution to the pulsar noise budget from errors in the reference terrestrial time standards (below 1 per cent), and we find evidence for a noise component which is present only in the data of one of the four used telescopes. Finally, we estimate that the timing noise of individual pulsars reduces the sensitivity of this data set to an isotropic, stochastic GW background by a factor of >9.1 and by a factor of >2.3 for continuous GWs from resolvable, inspiralling supermassive black hole binaries with circular orbits.

  16. SPECTRAL STATE EVOLUTION OF 4U 1820-30: THE STABILITY OF THE SPECTRAL INDEX OF THE COMPTONIZATION TAIL

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Titarchuk, Lev; Frontera, Filippo; Seifina, Elena, E-mail: titarchuk@fe.infn.it, E-mail: lev@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov, E-mail: frontera@fe.infn.it, E-mail: seif@sai.msu.ru

    We analyze the X-ray spectra and their timing properties of the compact X-ray binary 4U 1820-30. We establish spectral transitions in this source seen with BeppoSAX and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). During the RXTE observations (1996-2009), the source was in the soft state approximately {approx}75% of the time making the lower banana and upper banana transitions combined with long-term low-high state transitions. We reveal that all of the X-ray spectra of 4U 1820-30 are fit by a combination of a thermal (Blackbody) component, a Comptonization component (COMPTB), and a Gaussian-line component. Thus, using this spectral analysis, we findmore » that the photon power-law index {Gamma} of the Comptonization component is almost unchangeable ({Gamma} {approx} 2), while the electron temperature kT{sub e} changes from 2.9 to 21 keV during these spectral events. We also establish that for these spectral events the normalization of the COMPTB component (which is proportional to the mass accretion rate M-dot ) increases by a factor of eight when kT{sub e} decreases from 21 keV to 2.9 keV. Previously, this index stability effect was also found analyzing X-ray data for the Z-source GX 340+0 and for the atolls 4U 1728-34 and GX 3+1. Thus, we can suggest that this spectral stability property is a spectral signature of an accreting neutron star source. On the other hand, in a black hole binary {Gamma} monotonically increases with M-dot and ultimately its value saturates at large M-dot .« less

  17. Prospects for discovering pulsars in future continuum surveys using variance imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dai, S.; Johnston, S.; Hobbs, G.

    2017-12-01

    In our previous paper, we developed a formalism for computing variance images from standard, interferometric radio images containing time and frequency information. Variance imaging with future radio continuum surveys allows us to identify radio pulsars and serves as a complement to conventional pulsar searches that are most sensitive to strictly periodic signals. Here, we carry out simulations to predict the number of pulsars that we can uncover with variance imaging in future continuum surveys. We show that the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey can find ∼30 normal pulsars and ∼40 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) over and above the number known today, and similarly an all-sky continuum survey with SKA-MID can discover ∼140 normal pulsars and ∼110 MSPs with this technique. Variance imaging with EMU and SKA-MID will detect pulsars with large duty cycles and is therefore a potential tool for finding MSPs and pulsars in relativistic binary systems. Compared with current pulsar surveys at high Galactic latitudes in the Southern hemisphere, variance imaging with EMU and SKA-MID will be more sensitive, and will enable detection of pulsars with dispersion measures between ∼10 and 100 cm-3 pc.

  18. An algorithm for determining the rotation count of pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Freire, Paulo C. C.; Ridolfi, Alessandro

    2018-06-01

    We present here a simple, systematic method for determining the correct global rotation count of a radio pulsar; an essential step for the derivation of an accurate phase-coherent ephemeris. We then build on this method by developing a new algorithm for determining the global rotational count for pulsars with sparse timing data sets. This makes it possible to obtain phase-coherent ephemerides for pulsars for which this has been impossible until now. As an example, we do this for PSR J0024-7205aa, an extremely faint Millisecond pulsar (MSP) recently discovered in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae. This algorithm has the potential to significantly reduce the number of observations and the amount of telescope time needed to follow up on new pulsar discoveries.

  19. Magnetically gated accretion in an accreting ‘non-magnetic’ white dwarf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scaringi, S.; Maccarone, T. J.; D’Angelo, C.; Knigge, C.; Groot, P. J.

    2017-12-01

    White dwarfs are often found in binary systems with orbital periods ranging from tens of minutes to hours in which they can accrete gas from their companion stars. In about 15 per cent of these binaries, the magnetic field of the white dwarf is strong enough (at 106 gauss or more) to channel the accreted matter along field lines onto the magnetic poles. The remaining systems are referred to as ‘non-magnetic’, because until now there has been no evidence that they have a magnetic field that is strong enough to affect the accretion dynamics. Here we report an analysis of archival optical observations of the ‘non-magnetic’ accreting white dwarf in the binary system MV Lyrae, whose light curve displays quasi-periodic bursts of about 30 minutes duration roughly every 2 hours. The timescale and amplitude of these bursts indicate the presence of an unstable, magnetically regulated accretion mode, which in turn implies the existence of magnetically gated accretion, in which disk material builds up around the magnetospheric boundary (at the co-rotation radius) and then accretes onto the white dwarf, producing bursts powered by the release of gravitational potential energy. We infer a surface magnetic field strength for the white dwarf in MV Lyrae of between 2 × 104 gauss and 1 × 105 gauss, too low to be detectable by other current methods. Our discovery provides a new way of studying the strength and evolution of magnetic fields in accreting white dwarfs and extends the connections between accretion onto white dwarfs, young stellar objects and neutron stars, for which similar magnetically gated accretion cycles have been identified.

  20. TOWARD AN EMPIRICAL THEORY OF PULSAR EMISSION. XI. UNDERSTANDING THE ORIENTATIONS OF PULSAR RADIATION AND SUPERNOVA “KICKS”

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rankin, Joanna M., E-mail: Joanna.Rankin@uvm.edu

    Two entwined problems have remained unresolved since pulsars were discovered nearly 50 yr ago: the orientation of their polarized emission relative to the emitting magnetic field and the direction of putative supernova “kicks” relative to their rotation axes. The rotational orientation of most pulsars can be inferred only from the (“fiducial”) polarization angle of their radiation, when their beam points directly at the Earth and the emitting polar fluxtube field is ∥ to the rotation axis. Earlier studies have been unrevealing owing to the admixture of different types of radiation (core and conal, two polarization modes), producing both ∥ ormore » ⊥ alignments. In this paper we analyze some 50 pulsars having three characteristics: core radiation beams, reliable absolute polarimetry, and accurate proper motions (PMs). The “fiducial” polarization angle of the core emission, we then find, is usually oriented ⊥ to the PM direction on the sky. The primary core emission is polarized ⊥ to the projected magnetic field in Vela and other pulsars where X-ray imaging reveals the orientation. This shows that the PMs usually lie ∥ to the rotation axes on the sky. Two key physical consequences then follow: first, to the extent that supernova “kicks” are responsible for pulsar PMs, they are mostly ∥ to the rotation axis; and, second, most pulsar radiation is heavily processed by the magnetospheric plasma such that the lowest altitude “parent” core emission is polarized ⊥ to the emitting field, propagating as the extraordinary (X) mode.« less