26 research outputs found
2FGL J0846.0+2820: A new neutron star binary with a giant secondary and variable -ray emission
We present optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the likely
stellar counterpart to the unassociated \emph{Fermi}-Large Area Telescope (LAT)
-ray source 2FGL J0846.0+2820, selected for study based on positional
coincidences of optical variables with unassociated LAT sources. Using optical
spectroscopy from the SOAR telescope, we have identified a late-G giant in an
eccentric ( = 0.06) 8.133 day orbit with an invisible primary. Modeling the
spectroscopy and photometry together lead us to infer a heavy neutron star
primary of and a partially stripped giant secondary of . H emission is observed in some of the spectra, perhaps
consistent with the presence of a faint accretion disk. We find the
-ray flux of 2FGL J0846.0+2820 dropped substantially in mid-2009,
accompanied by an increased variation in the optical brightness, and since then
it has not been detected by \emph{Fermi}. The long period and giant secondary
are reminiscent of the -ray bright binary 1FGL J1417.7--4407, which
hosts a millisecond pulsar apparently in the final stages of the pulsar
recycling process. The discovery of 2FGL J0846.0+2820 suggests the
identification of a new subclass of millisecond pulsar binaries that are the
likely progenitors of typical field millisecond pulsars.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap
Multi-Wavelength Observations Of A New Redback Millisecond Pulsar 4FGL J1910.7-5320
We present the study of multi-wavelength observations of an unidentified
Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) source, 4FGL J1910.7-5320, a new candidate
redback millisecond pulsar binary. In the 4FGL 95% error region of 4FGL
J1910.7-5320, we find a possible binary with a 8.36-hr orbital period from the
Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey (CRTS), confirmed by optical spectroscopy
using the SOAR telescope. This optical source was recently independently
discovered as a redback pulsar by the TRAPUM project, confirming our
prediction. We fit the optical spectral energy distributions of 4FGL
J1910.7-5320 with a blackbody model, inferring a maximum distance of 4.1 kpc by
assuming that the companion fills its Roche-lobe with a radius of R = 0.7R_sun.
Using a 12.6 ks Chandra X-ray observation, we identified an X-ray counterpart
for 4FGL J1910.7-5320, with a spectrum that can be described by an absorbed
power-law with a photon index of 1.0+/-0.4. The spectrally hard X-ray emission
shows tentative evidence for orbital variability. Using more than 12 years of
Fermi-LAT data, we refined the position of the {\gamma}-ray source, and the
optical candidate still lies within the 68% positional error circle. In
addition to 4FGL J1910.7-5320, we find a variable optical source with a
periodic signal of 4.28-hr inside the 4FGL catalog 95% error region of another
unidentified Fermi source, 4FGL J2029.5-4237. However, the {\gamma}-ray source
does not have a significant X-ray counterpart in a 11.7 ks Chandra observation,
with a 3-{\sigma} flux upper limit of 2.4*10^-14 erg cm^-2 s^-1 (0.3-7 keV).
Moreover, the optical source is outside our updated Fermi-LAT 95% error circle.
These observational facts all suggest that this new redback millisecond pulsar
powers the {\gamma}-ray source 4FGL J1910.7-5320 while 4FGL J2029.5-4237 is
unlikely the {\gamma}-ray counterpart to the 4.28-hr variable.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Discovery, Timing, and Multiwavelength Observations of the Black Widow Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1555-2908
We report the discovery of PSR J1555-2908, a 1.79 ms radio and gamma-ray pulsar in a 5.6 hr binary system with a minimum companion mass of 0.052 M ⊙. This fast and energetic ( Ė=3×1035 erg s-1) millisecond pulsar was first detected as a gamma-ray point source in Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) sky survey observations. Guided by a steep-spectrum radio point source in the Fermi error region, we performed a search at 820 MHz with the Green Bank Telescope that first discovered the pulsations. The initial radio pulse timing observations provided enough information to seed a search for gamma-ray pulsations in the LAT data, from which we derive a timing solution valid for the full Fermi mission. In addition to the discovery and timing of radio and gamma-ray pulsations, we searched for X-ray pulsations using NICER but no significant pulsations were detected. We also obtained time-series r-band photometry that indicates strong heating of the companion star by the pulsar wind. Material blown off the heated companion eclipses the 820 MHz radio pulse during inferior conjunction of the companion for ≈10% of the orbit, which is twice the angle subtended by its Roche lobe in an edge-on system. © 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society
Discovery, Timing, and Multiwavelength Observations of the Black Widow Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1555-2908
We report the discovery of PSR J1555-2908, a 1.79 ms radio and gamma-ray
pulsar in a 5.6 hr binary system with a minimum companion mass of 0.052
. This fast and energetic ( erg/s)
millisecond pulsar was first detected as a gamma-ray point source in Fermi LAT
sky survey observations. Guided by a steep spectrum radio point source in the
Fermi error region, we performed a search at 820 MHz with the Green Bank
Telescope that first discovered the pulsations. The initial radio pulse timing
observations provided enough information to seed a search for gamma-ray
pulsations in the LAT data, from which we derive a timing solution valid for
the full Fermi mission. In addition to the radio and gamma-ray pulsation
discovery and timing, we searched for X-ray pulsations using NICER but no
significant pulsations were detected. We also obtained time-series r-band
photometry that indicates strong heating of the companion star by the pulsar
wind. Material blown off the heated companion eclipses the 820 MHz radio pulse
during inferior conjunction of the companion for ~10% of the orbit, which is
twice the angle subtended by its Roche lobe in an edge-on system.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Ap
Multiwavelength Evidence for a New Flare-mode Transitional Millisecond Pulsar
International audienceWe report the discovery of a new low-mass X-ray binary near the center of the unassociated Fermi GeV γ-ray source 4FGL J0540.0–7552. The source shows the persistent presence of an optical accretion disk and exhibits extreme X-ray and optical variability. It also has an X-ray spectrum well-fit by a hard power law with Γ = 1.8 and a high ratio of X-ray to γ-ray flux. Together, these properties are consistent with the classification of the binary as a transitional millisecond pulsar (tMSP) in the subluminous disk state. Uniquely among the candidate tMSPs, 4FGL J0540.0–7552 shows consistent optical, X-ray, and γ-ray evidence for having undergone a state change, becoming substantially brighter in the optical and X-rays and fainter in GeV γ-rays sometime in mid-2013. In its current subluminous disk state, and like one other candidate tMSP in the Galactic field, 4FGL J0540.0–7552 appears to always be in an X-ray “flare mode,” indicating that this could be common phenomenology for tMSPs