Proper Motions of PSRs B1757−24 and B1951+32: Implications for Ages and Associations

Abstract

Over the last decade, considerable effort has been made to measure the proper motions of the pulsars B1757–24 and B1951+32 in order to establish or refute associations with nearby supernova remnants and to understand better the complicated geometries of their surrounding nebulae. We present proper motion measurements of both pulsars with the Very Large Array, increasing the time baselines of the measurements from 3.9 yr to 6.5 yr and from 12.0 yr to 14.5 yr, respectively, compared to previous observations. We confirm the nondetection of proper motion of PSR B1757–24, and our measurement of (μα,μδ) = (− 11 ± 9, − 1 ± 15) mas yr−1 confirms that the association of PSR B1757–24 with SNR G5.4–1.2 is unlikely for the pulsar characteristic age of 15.5 kyr, although an association cannot be excluded for a significantly larger age. For PSR B1951+32, we measure a proper motion of (μα,μδ) = (− 28.8 ± 0.9, − 14.7 ± 0.9) mas yr−1, reducing the uncertainty in the proper motion by a factor of 2 compared to previous results. After correcting to the local standard of rest, the proper motion indicates a kinetic age of ~51 kyr for the pulsar, assuming it was born near the geometric center of the supernova remnant. The radio-bright arc of emission along the pulsar proper motion vector shows time-variable structure, but moves with the pulsar at an approximately constant separation ~2.5'', lending weight to its interpretation as a shock structure driven by the pulsar.