A Search for Optical Pulsations from Two Young Southern Pulsars

Abstract

We report on high-speed optical photometry of the radio positions of two young rotation-powered pulsars. No pulsations were detected from the optical counterpart proposed by Caraveo et al. for PSR B1509-58, with a 2 σ upper limit on the pulsed fraction of less than 12%, significantly lower than that measured in the five known optical pulsars. Given its low pulsed fraction, high optical luminosity, and significant (8%) chance coincidence probability, we suggest that this candidate is not associated with the pulsar. We also find that the still unidentified optical counterpart of PSR B1706-44 has R18 and lies within 3'' of an R=16.6 star.