Pulsed gamma rays from the original millisecond and black widow pulsars: A case for caustic radio emission?

L. Guillemot; T. J. Johnson; C. Venter; M. Kerr; B. Pancrazi; M. Livingstone; G. H. Janssen; P. Jaroenjittichai; M. Kramer; I. Cognard; B. W. Stappers; A. K. Harding; F. Camilo; C. M. Espinoza; P. C C Freire; F. Gargano; J. E. Grove; S. Johnston; P. F. Michelson; A. Noutsos; D. Parent; S. M. Ransom; P. S. Ray; R. Shannon; D. A. Smith; G. Theureau; S. E. Thorsett; N. Webb

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/744/1/33

Pulsed gamma rays from the original millisecond and black widow pulsars: A case for caustic radio emission?

L. Guillemot, T. J. Johnson, C. Venter, M. Kerr, B. Pancrazi, M. Livingstone, G. H. Janssen, P. Jaroenjittichai, M. Kramer, I. Cognard, B. W. Stappers, A. K. Harding, F. Camilo, C. M. Espinoza, P. C C Freire, F. Gargano, J. E. Grove, S. Johnston, P. F. Michelson, A. NoutsosD. Parent, S. M. Ransom, P. S. Ray, R. Shannon, D. A. Smith, G. Theureau, S. E. Thorsett, N. Webb

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We report the detection of pulsed gamma-ray emission from the fast millisecond pulsars (MSPs) B1937+21 (also known as J1939+2134) and B1957+20 (J1959+2048) using 18 months of survey data recorded by the Fermi Large Area Telescope and timing solutions based on radio observations conducted at the Westerbork and Nançay radio telescopes. In addition, we analyzed archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and XMM-Newton X-ray data for the two MSPs, confirming the X-ray emission properties of PSRB1937+21 and finding evidence (∼4σ) for pulsed emission from PSRB1957+20 for the first time. In both cases the gamma-ray emission profile is characterized by two peaks separated by half a rotation and are in close alignment with components observed in radio and X-rays. These two pulsars join PSRsJ0034-0534 and J2214+3000 to form an emerging class of gamma-ray MSPs with phase-aligned peaks in different energy bands. The modeling of the radio and gamma-ray emission profiles suggests co-located emission regions in the outer magnetosphere.

Original language	English
Article number	33
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	744
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/744/1/33
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2012

Keywords

gamma rays: general
pulsars: general
pulsars: individual (PSR B1937+21, PSR B1957+20)
radiation mechanisms: non-thermal

Access to Document

10.1088/0004-637X/744/1/33

Cite this

Guillemot, L., Johnson, T. J., Venter, C., Kerr, M., Pancrazi, B., Livingstone, M., Janssen, G. H., Jaroenjittichai, P., Kramer, M., Cognard, I., Stappers, B. W., Harding, A. K., Camilo, F., Espinoza, C. M., Freire, P. C. C., Gargano, F., Grove, J. E., Johnston, S., Michelson, P. F., ... Webb, N. (2012). Pulsed gamma rays from the original millisecond and black widow pulsars: A case for caustic radio emission? Astrophysical Journal, 744(1), Article 33. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/744/1/33

@article{6dbaeba5baa84cb987f5647186c01604,

title = "Pulsed gamma rays from the original millisecond and black widow pulsars: A case for caustic radio emission?",

abstract = "We report the detection of pulsed gamma-ray emission from the fast millisecond pulsars (MSPs) B1937+21 (also known as J1939+2134) and B1957+20 (J1959+2048) using 18 months of survey data recorded by the Fermi Large Area Telescope and timing solutions based on radio observations conducted at the Westerbork and Nan{\c c}ay radio telescopes. In addition, we analyzed archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and XMM-Newton X-ray data for the two MSPs, confirming the X-ray emission properties of PSRB1937+21 and finding evidence (∼4σ) for pulsed emission from PSRB1957+20 for the first time. In both cases the gamma-ray emission profile is characterized by two peaks separated by half a rotation and are in close alignment with components observed in radio and X-rays. These two pulsars join PSRsJ0034-0534 and J2214+3000 to form an emerging class of gamma-ray MSPs with phase-aligned peaks in different energy bands. The modeling of the radio and gamma-ray emission profiles suggests co-located emission regions in the outer magnetosphere.",

keywords = "gamma rays: general, pulsars: general, pulsars: individual (PSR B1937+21, PSR B1957+20), radiation mechanisms: non-thermal",

author = "L. Guillemot and Johnson, {T. J.} and C. Venter and M. Kerr and B. Pancrazi and M. Livingstone and Janssen, {G. H.} and P. Jaroenjittichai and M. Kramer and I. Cognard and Stappers, {B. W.} and Harding, {A. K.} and F. Camilo and Espinoza, {C. M.} and Freire, {P. C C} and F. Gargano and Grove, {J. E.} and S. Johnston and Michelson, {P. F.} and A. Noutsos and D. Parent and Ransom, {S. M.} and Ray, {P. S.} and R. Shannon and Smith, {D. A.} and G. Theureau and Thorsett, {S. E.} and N. Webb",

year = "2012",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1088/0004-637X/744/1/33",

language = "English",

volume = "744",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "1538-4357",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",