131 research outputs found
On the peculiarities in the rotational frequency evolution of isolated neutron stars
The measurements of pulsar frequency second derivatives have shown that they
are times larger than expected for standard pulsar spin-down law,
and are even negative for about half of pulsars. We explain these paradoxical
results on the basis of the statistical analysis of the rotational parameters
, and of the subset of 295 pulsars taken mostly
from the ATNF database. We have found a strong correlation between
and for both and , as well as between
and . We interpret these dependencies as evolutionary ones due
to being nearly proportional to the pulsars' age. The derived
statistical relations as well as "anomalous" values of are well
described by assuming the long-time variations of the spin-down rate. The
pulsar frequency evolution, therefore, consists of secular change of
, and according to the power
law with , the irregularities, observed within a timespan as a
timing noise, and the variations on the timescale larger than that timespan --
several tens of years.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApSS, in the
proceedings of the conference "Isolated Neutron Stars: from the Interior to
the Surface", London, April 2006; eds. S. Zane, R. Turolla and D. Pag
The Contribution of Fermi Gamma-Ray Pulsars to the local Flux of Cosmic-Ray Electrons and Positrons
We analyze the contribution of gamma-ray pulsars from the first Fermi-Large
Area Telescope (LAT) catalogue to the local flux of cosmic-ray electrons and
positrons (e+e-). We present new distance estimates for all Fermi gamma-ray
pulsars, based on the measured gamma-ray flux and pulse shape. We then estimate
the contribution of gamma-ray pulsars to the local e+e- flux, in the context of
a simple model for the pulsar e+e- emission. We find that 10 of the Fermi
pulsars potentially contribute significantly to the measured e+e- flux in the
energy range between 100 GeV and 1 TeV. Of the 10 pulsars, 2 are old EGRET
gamma-ray pulsars, 2 pulsars were discovered with radio ephemerides, and 6 were
discovered with the Fermi pulsar blind-search campaign. We argue that known
radio pulsars fall in regions of parameter space where the e+e- contribution is
predicted to be typically much smaller than from those regions where Fermi-LAT
pulsars exist. However, comparing the Fermi gamma-ray flux sensitivity to the
regions of pulsar parameter space where a significant e+e- contribution is
predicted, we find that a few known radio pulsars that have not yet been
detected by Fermi can also significantly contribute to the local e+e- flux if
(i) they are closer than 2 kpc, and if (ii) they have a characteristic age on
the order of one mega-year.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in JCA
Rotation measure variations for 20 millisecond pulsars
We report on variations in the mean position angle of the 20 millisecond
pulsars being observed as part of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA)
project. It is found that the observed variations are dominated by changes in
the Faraday rotation occurring in the Earth's ionosphere. Two ionospheric
models are used to correct for the ionospheric contribution and it is found
that one based on the International Reference Ionosphere gave the best results.
Little or no significant long-term variation in interstellar RM was found with
limits typically about 0.1 rad m yr in absolute value. In a few
cases, apparently significant RM variations over timescales of a few 100 days
or more were seen. These are unlikely to be due to localised magnetised regions
crossing the line of sight since the implied magnetic fields are too high. Most
probably they are statistical fluctuations due to random spatial and temporal
variations in the interstellar electron density and magnetic field along the
line of sight.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc
Pulsar Timing at Urumqi Astronomical Observatory: Observing System and Results
A pulsar timing system has been operating in the 18-cm band at the Urumqi
Astronomical Observatory 25-m telescope since mid-1999. Frequency resolution
allowing dedispersion of the pulsar signals is provided by a 2X128X2.5 MHz
filterbank/digitiser system. Observations of 74 pulsars over more than 12
months have resulted in updated pulsar periods and period derivatives, as well
as improved positions. Comparison with previous measurements showed that the
changes in period and period derivative tend to have the same sign and to be
correlated in amplitude. A model based on unseen glitches gives a good
explanation of the observed changes, suggesting that long-term fluctuations in
period and period derivatives are dominated by glitches. In 2000 July, we
detected a glitch of relative amplitude Delta_nu/nu~24X1e-9 in the Crab pulsar.
The post-glitch decay appears similar to other large Crab glitches.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, accepted by MNRA
Pulsars as Fantastic Objects and Probes
Pulsars are fantastic objects, which show the extreme states of matters and
plasma physics not understood yet. Pulsars can be used as probes for the
detection of interstellar medium and even the gravitational waves. Here I
review the basic facts of pulsars which should attract students to choose
pulsar studies as their future projects.Comment: Invited Lecture on the "First Kodai-Trieste Workshop on Plasma
Astrophysics", Kodaikanal Obs, India. Aug.27-Sept.7th, 2007. In: "Turbulence,
Dynamos, Accretion Disks, Pulsars and Collective Plasma Processes". Get a
copy from: http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-1-4020-8867-
New Phase-coherent Measurements of Pulsar Braking Indices
Pulsar braking indices offer insight into the physics that underlies pulsar
spin-down. Only five braking indices have been measured via phase-coherent
timing; all measured values are less than 3, the value expected from magnetic
dipole radiation. Here we present new measurements for three of the five pulsar
braking indices, obtained with phase-coherent timing for PSRs J1846-0258
(n=2.65+/-0.01), B1509-58 (n=2.839+/-0.001) and B0540-69 (n=2.140+/-0.009). We
discuss the implications of these results and possible physical explanations
for them.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. To be published in the proceedings of the
conference "Isolated Neutron Stars: from the Interior to the Surface" (April
24-28, 2006, London, UK), eds. D. Page, R. Turolla, & S. Zan
Are the magnetic fields of millisecond pulsars ~ 10^8 G?
It is generally assumed that the magnetic fields of millisecond pulsars
(MSPs) are G. We argue that this may not be true and the fields
may be appreciably greater. We present six evidences for this: (1) The G field estimate is based on magnetic dipole emission losses which is
shown to be questionable; (2) The MSPs in low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are
claimed to have G on the basis of a Rayleygh-Taylor instability
accretion argument. We show that the accretion argument is questionable and the
upper limit G may be much higher; (3) Low magnetic field neutron
stars have difficulty being produced in LMXBs; (4) MSPs may still be accreting
indicating a much higher magnetic field; (5) The data that predict G for MSPs also predict ages on the order of, and greater than, ten
billion years, which is much greater than normal pulsars. If the predicted ages
are wrong, most likely the predicted G fields of MSPs are wrong;
(6) When magnetic fields are measured directly with cyclotron lines in X-ray
binaries, fields G are indicated. Other scenarios should be
investigated. One such scenario is the following. Over 85% of MSPs are
confirmed members of a binary. It is possible that all MSPs are in large
separation binaries having magnetic fields G with their magnetic
dipole emission being balanced by low level accretion from their companions.Comment: 16 pages, accept for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc
INTEGRAL observations of TeV plerions
Amongst the sources seen in very high gamma-rays several are associated with
Pulsar Wind Nebulae (``TeV plerions''). The study of hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray
emission is providing an important insight into the energetic particle
population present in these objects. The unpulsed emission from pulsar/pulsar
wind nebula systems in the energy range accessible to the INTEGRAL satellite is
mainly synchrotron emission from energetic and fast cooling electrons close to
their acceleration site. Our analyses of public INTEGRAL data of known TeV
plerions detected by ground based Cherenkov telescopes indicate a deeper link
between these TeV plerions and INTEGRAL detected pulsar wind nebulae. The newly
discovered TeV plerion in the northern wing of the Kookaburra region
(G313.3+0.6 powered by the middle aged PSR J1420-6048) is found to have a
previously unknown INTEGRAL counterpart which is besides the Vela pulsar the
only middle aged pulsar detected with INTEGRAL. We do not find an INTEGRAL
counterpart of the TeV plerion associated with the X-ray PWN ``Rabbit''
G313.3+0.1 which is possibly powered by a young pulsar.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, proceedings of conference "The Multi-Messenger
Approach to High-Energy Gamma-ray Sources" Barcelona/Spain (2006
Optical spectroscopy of the radio pulsar PSR B0656+14
We have obtained the spectrum of a middle-aged PSR B0656+14 in the 4300-9000
AA range with the ESO/VLT/FORS2. Preliminary results show that at 4600-7000 AA
the spectrum is almost featureless and flat with a spectral index $\alpha_nu ~
-0.2 that undergoes a change to a positive value at longer wavelengths.
Combining with available multiwavelength data suggests two wide, red and blue,
flux depressions whose frequency ratio is about 2 and which could be the 1st
and 2nd harmonics of electron/positron cyclotron absorption formed at magnetic
fields ~10^8G in upper magnetosphere of the pulsar.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, To appear in Astrophysics and Space Science,
Proceedings of "Isolated Neutron Stars: from the Interior to the Surface",
eds. D. Page, R. Turolla and S. Zan
On Hoyle-Narlikar-Wheeler mechanism of vibration energy powered magneto-dipole emission of neutron stars
We revisit the well-known Hoyle-Narlikar-Wheeler proposition that neutron
star emerging in the magnetic-flux-conserving process of core-collapse
supernova can convert the stored energy of Alfven vibrations into power of
magneto-dipole radiation. We show that the necessary requirement for the energy
conversion is the decay of internal magnetic field. In this case the loss of
vibration energy of the star causes its vibration period, equal to period of
pulsating emission, to lengthen at a rate proportional to the rate of magnetic
field decay. These prediction of the model of vibration powered neutron star
are discussed in juxtaposition with data on pulsating emission of magnetars
whose radiative activity is generally associated with the decay of ultra strong
magnetic field.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc
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