Identification of the Optical Counterpart of Fermi Black Widow Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1544+4937

Rene Breton; S {Tang}; D L {Kaplan}; E S {Phinney}; T A {Prince}; E {Bellm}; L {Bildsten}; Y {Cao}; A K H {Kong}; D A {Perley}; B {Sesar}; W M {Wolf}; T-C {Yen}

doi:10.1088/2041-8205/791/1/L5

Identification of the Optical Counterpart of Fermi Black Widow Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1544+4937

Rene Breton, S {Tang}, D L {Kaplan}, E S {Phinney}, T A {Prince}, E {Bellm}, L {Bildsten}, Y {Cao}, A K H {Kong}, D A {Perley}, B {Sesar}, W M {Wolf}, T-C {Yen}

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Abstract

We report the optical identification of the companion to the Fermi black widow millisecond pulsar PSR J1544+4937. We find a highly variable source on Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer images at the nominal pulsar position, with 2 mag variations over orbital period in the B, g, R, and I bands. The nearly achromatic light curves are difficult to explain with a simply irradiated hemisphere model, and suggest that the optical emission is dominated by a nearly isothermal hot patch on the surface of the companion facing the pulsar. We roughly constrain the distance to PSR J1544+4937 to be between 2 and 5 kpc. A more reliable distance measurement is needed in order to constrain the composition of the companion.

Original language	English
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	791
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/791/1/L5
Publication status	Published - Aug 2014

Keywords

binaries: general
gamma rays: stars
pulsars: individual: PSR J1544+4937
white dwarfs

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10.1088/2041-8205/791/1/L5

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Breton, R., {Tang}, S., {Kaplan}, D. L., {Phinney}, E. S., {Prince}, T. A., {Bellm}, E., {Bildsten}, L., {Cao}, Y., {Kong}, A. K. H., {Perley}, D. A., {Sesar}, B., {Wolf}, W. M., & {Yen}, T-C. (2014). Identification of the Optical Counterpart of Fermi Black Widow Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1544+4937. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 791. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/791/1/L5

@article{a4630b0d992a45c883d2d9d5cab367e6,

title = "Identification of the Optical Counterpart of Fermi Black Widow Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1544+4937",

abstract = "We report the optical identification of the companion to the Fermi black widow millisecond pulsar PSR J1544+4937. We find a highly variable source on Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer images at the nominal pulsar position, with 2 mag variations over orbital period in the B, g, R, and I bands. The nearly achromatic light curves are difficult to explain with a simply irradiated hemisphere model, and suggest that the optical emission is dominated by a nearly isothermal hot patch on the surface of the companion facing the pulsar. We roughly constrain the distance to PSR J1544+4937 to be between 2 and 5 kpc. A more reliable distance measurement is needed in order to constrain the composition of the companion.",

keywords = "binaries: general, gamma rays: stars, pulsars: individual: PSR J1544+4937, white dwarfs",

author = "Rene Breton and S {Tang} and {Kaplan}, {D L} and {Phinney}, {E S} and {Prince}, {T A} and E {Bellm} and L {Bildsten} and Y {Cao} and {Kong}, {A K H} and {Perley}, {D A} and B {Sesar} and {Wolf}, {W M} and T-C {Yen}",

year = "2014",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1088/2041-8205/791/1/L5",

language = "English",

volume = "791",

journal = "The Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identification of the Optical Counterpart of Fermi Black Widow Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1544+4937

AU - Breton, Rene

AU - {Tang}, S

AU - {Kaplan}, D L

AU - {Phinney}, E S

AU - {Prince}, T A

AU - {Bellm}, E

AU - {Bildsten}, L

AU - {Cao}, Y

AU - {Kong}, A K H

AU - {Perley}, D A

AU - {Sesar}, B

AU - {Wolf}, W M

AU - {Yen}, T-C

PY - 2014/8

Y1 - 2014/8

N2 - We report the optical identification of the companion to the Fermi black widow millisecond pulsar PSR J1544+4937. We find a highly variable source on Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer images at the nominal pulsar position, with 2 mag variations over orbital period in the B, g, R, and I bands. The nearly achromatic light curves are difficult to explain with a simply irradiated hemisphere model, and suggest that the optical emission is dominated by a nearly isothermal hot patch on the surface of the companion facing the pulsar. We roughly constrain the distance to PSR J1544+4937 to be between 2 and 5 kpc. A more reliable distance measurement is needed in order to constrain the composition of the companion.

AB - We report the optical identification of the companion to the Fermi black widow millisecond pulsar PSR J1544+4937. We find a highly variable source on Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer images at the nominal pulsar position, with 2 mag variations over orbital period in the B, g, R, and I bands. The nearly achromatic light curves are difficult to explain with a simply irradiated hemisphere model, and suggest that the optical emission is dominated by a nearly isothermal hot patch on the surface of the companion facing the pulsar. We roughly constrain the distance to PSR J1544+4937 to be between 2 and 5 kpc. A more reliable distance measurement is needed in order to constrain the composition of the companion.

KW - binaries: general

KW - gamma rays: stars

KW - pulsars: individual: PSR J1544+4937

KW - white dwarfs

U2 - 10.1088/2041-8205/791/1/L5

DO - 10.1088/2041-8205/791/1/L5

M3 - Article

VL - 791

JO - The Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - The Astrophysical Journal Letters

SN - 2041-8205

ER -

Identification of the Optical Counterpart of Fermi Black Widow Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1544+4937

Abstract

Keywords

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