Nancay Radio Telescope Research Articles

The kinematics in the large-scale environment of Betelgeuse from radio HI-line observations

The observations of mass losing stellar sources in the H i line at 21 cm allow us to study in detail the kinematics in their large size circumstellar shells. We report on the results that have been obtained on Betelgeuse with the Nancay Radiotelescope (NRT) and with the Very Large Array (VLA). On the stellar position, we find a double-horn line profile characteristic of a freely expanding wind at a velocity of ~ 14 km s -1 . We find also that the stellar outflow is slowed down by the pressure from the ambient medium, and forms a quasi-stationary detached shell of ~ 4′ in diameter (0.24 pc at a distance of 200 pc). The H i line profile from this detached shell has a width of 3 km s -1 , and is centered at a velocity close to the star radial velocity ( V lsr = +3 km s -1 ). The bulk of the material detected in H i ( ~ 0.05 M ⊙ ) has been heated at a temperature ~ 6000 K, and is cooling down to ~ 200 K. Furthermore, due to the motion relative to the local interstellar medium, the detached shell is distorted and elongated in a direction close to the space motion. Finally, we have detected H i emission associated with the 6′ radius far-infrared arc seen by IRAS, and with a counterpart to this arc that we have recently discovered in the far-ultraviolet. This H i emission is found in a velocity range (from +6 to +10 km s -1 ) which matches that of the interstellar medium observed on the same line-of-sight.

Discovery of a detached H i gas shell surrounding α Orionis

We report the detection of the HI line at 21 cm in the direction of alpha Ori with the Nancay Radiotelescope and with the Very Large Array. The observations confirm the previous detection of HI emission centered on alpha Ori, but additionally reveal for the first time a quasi-stationary detached shell of neutral atomic hydrogen ~4 arcmin. in diameter (0.24 pc at a distance of 200 pc). The detached shell appears elongated in a direction opposite to the star's space motion. A simple model shows that this detached atomic gas shell can result from the collision of the stellar wind from alpha Ori with the local interstellar medium (ISM). It implies that alpha Ori has been losing matter at a rate of ~ 1.2x10^-6 solar masses per year for the past 8x10^4 years. In addition, we report the detection of atomic hydrogen associated with the far-infrared arc located 6 arcmin. north-east of alpha Ori, that has been suggested to trace the bow shock resulting from the motion of the star through the ISM. We report also the detection by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) of a far-UV counterpart to this arc.

Discovery of the millisecond pulsar PSR J2043+1711 in a Fermi source with the Nançay Radio Telescope

We report the discovery of the millisecond pulsar PSR J2043+1711 in a search of a Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) source with no known associations, with the Nancay Radio Telescope. The new pulsar, confirmed with the Green Bank Telescope, has a spin period of 2.38 ms, is relatively nearby (d <~ 2 kpc), and is in a 1.48 day orbit around a low mass companion, probably a He-type white dwarf. Pulsed gamma-ray emission was detected in the data recorded by the Fermi LAT. The gamma-ray light curve and spectral properties are typical of other gamma-ray millisecond pulsars seen with Fermi. X-ray observations of the pulsar with Suzaku and the Swift/XRT yielded no detection. At 1.4 GHz we observe strong flux density variations because of interstellar diffractive scintillation, however a sharp peak can be observed at this frequency during bright scintillation states. At 327 MHz the pulsar is detected with a much higher signal-to-noise ratio and its flux density is far more steady. However, at that frequency the Arecibo instrumentation cannot yet fully resolve the pulse profile. Despite that, our pulse time-of-arrival measurements have a post-fit residual rms of 2 \mus. This and the expected stability of this system has made PSR J2043+1711 one of the first new Fermi-selected millisecond pulsars to be added to pulsar gravitational wave timing arrays. It has also allowed a significant measurement of relativistic delays in the times of arrival of the pulses due to the curvature of space-time near the companion, but not yet with enough precision to derive useful masses for the pulsar and the companion. A mass for the pulsar between 1.7 and 2.0 solar masses can be derived if a standard millisecond pulsar formation model is assumed. In this article we also present a comprehensive summary of pulsar searches in Fermi LAT sources with the Nancay Radio Telescope to date.

Long-term monitoring of the W44C (G 34.3+0.15) maser in the 1.35 cm water vapor and 18 cm hydroxyl lines

Results of monitoring the H2O and OH masers in W44C, located near the cometary HII region G34.3+0.15, are reported. Observations in the water-vapor line at λ = 1.35 cm were carried out on the 22-meter radio telescope of the Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory (Russia) from November 1979 to March 2011, and in the hydroxyl lines at λ = 18 cm on the large Nancay radio telescope (France). Activity maxima and minima of the water maser alternated. The average period of the activity is ∼ 14 years, consistent with results obtained earlier for a number of other sources associated with regions of active star formation. In periods of enhanced maser activity, two series of strong H2O maser flares were observed, which were related to two different clusters of maser spots located at the front of a shock at the periphery of the ultracompact region UH II. These series of flares may be associated with cyclic activity of the protostellar object in UH II. In the remaining time intervals, there were mainly short-lived flares of single features. The Stokes parameters for the observations in the hydroxyl lines were determined. Zeeman splitting was observed in the profile of the 1667 MHz OH main line at a velocity of 58.5 km/s, and was used to estimate the intensity of the line-of-sight component of the magnetic field (1.2 mG).

Flares and proper motions of ground-state OH masers in W75N

The star-forming region W75N hosts bright OH masers that are observed to be variable. We present observations taken in 2008 of the ground-state OH maser transitions with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and the Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) and with the Nancay Radio Telescope in 2011. Several of the masers in W75N were observed to be flaring, with the brightest 1720-MHz maser in excess of 400 Jy. The 1720-MHz masers appear to be associated with the continuum source VLA 1, unlike the bright flaring 1665- and 1667-MHz masers, which are associated with VLA 2. The 1720-MHz masers are located in an outflow traced by water masers and are indicative of very dense molecular material near the H II region. The magnetic field strengths are larger in the 1720-MHz maser region than in most regions hosting only main-line OH masers. The density falls off along the outflow, and the order of appearance of different transitions of OH masers is consistent with theoretical models. The 1665- and 1667-MHz VLBA data are compared against previous epochs over a time baseline of over 7 years. The median maser motion is 3.5 km/s, with a scatter that is comparable to thermal turbulence. The general pattern of maser proper motions observed in the 1665- and 1667-MHz transitions is consistent with previous observations.

HESS J1943+213: a candidate extreme BL Lacertae object

We report on a newly detected point-like source, HESS J1943+213 located in the Galactic plane. This source coincides with an unidentified hard X-ray source IGR J19443+2117, which was proposed to have radio and infrared counterparts. HESS J1943+213 is detected at the significance level of 7.9 \sigma (post-trials) at RA(J2000)=19h 43m 55s +- 1s (stat) +- 1s (sys), DEC(J2000) = +21deg 18' 8" +- 17" (stat) +- 20" (sys). The source has a soft spectrum with photon index Gamma = 3.1 +- 0.3 (stat) +- 0.2 (sys) and a flux above 470 GeV of 1.3 +- 0.2 (stat) +- 0.3 (sys) x 10^{-12} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. There is no Fermi/LAT counterpart down to a flux limit of 6 x 10^{-9} cm^{-2} s^{-1} in the 0.1-100 GeV energy range (95% confidence upper limit calculated for an assumed power-law model with a photon index Gamma=2.0). The data from radio to VHE gamma-rays do not show any significant variability. We combine new H.E.S.S., Fermi/LAT and Nancay Radio Telescope observations with pre-existing non-simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of IGR J19443+2117 and discuss the likely source associations as well as the interpretation as an active galactic nucleus, a gamma-ray binary or a pulsar wind nebula. The lack of a massive stellar counterpart disfavors the binary hypothesis, while the soft VHE spectrum would be very unusual in case of a pulsar wind nebula. In addition, the distance estimates for Galactic counterparts places them outside of the Milky Way. All available observations favor an interpretation as an extreme, high-frequency peaked BL Lac object with a redshift z>0.14. This would be the first time a blazar is detected serendipitously from ground-based VHE observations, and the first VHE AGN detected in the Galactic Plane.

PSRs J0248+6021 and J2240+5832: young pulsars in the northern Galactic plane

Pulsars PSR J0248+6021 (rotation period P=217 ms and spin-down power Edot = 2.13E35 erg/s) and PSR J2240+5832 (P=140 ms, Edot = 2.12E35 erg/s) were discovered in 1997 with the Nancay radio telescope during a northern Galactic plane survey, using the Navy-Berkeley Pulsar Processor (NBPP) filter bank. GeV gamma-ray pulsations from both were discovered using the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Twelve years of radio and polarization data allow detailed investigations. The two pulsars resemble each other both in radio and in gamma-ray data. Both are rare in having a single gamma-ray pulse offset far from the radio peak. The high dispersion measure for PSR J0248+6021 (DM = 370 pc cm^-3) is most likely due to its being within the dense, giant HII region W5 in the Perseus arm at a distance of 2 kpc, not beyond the edge of the Galaxy as obtained from models of average electron distributions. Its high transverse velocity and the low magnetic field along the line-of-sight favor this small distance. Neither gamma-ray, X-ray, nor optical data yield evidence for a pulsar wind nebula surrounding PSR J0248+6021. The gamma-ray luminosity for PSR J0248+6021 is L_ gamma = (1.4 \pm 0.3)\times 10^34 erg/s. For PSR J2240+5832, we find either L_gamma = (7.9 \pm 5.2) \times 10^34 erg/s if the pulsar is in the Outer arm, or L_gamma = (2.2 \pm 1.7) \times 10^34 erg/s for the Perseus arm. These luminosities are consistent with an L_gamma ~ sqrt(Edot) rule. Comparison of the gamma-ray pulse profiles with model predictions, including the constraints obtained from radio polarization data, favor emission in the far magnetosphere. These two pulsars differ mainly in their inclination angles and acceleration gap widths, which in turn explains the observed differences in the gamma-ray peak widths.

Outburst OH maser activity in the envelopes of S Persei and VX Sagittarii

Context. OH masers from the envelopes of M-type supergiants show a significant degree of polarization, implying magnetic fields of a few mG. Nothing is known about the temporal characteristics of the magnetic fields or how such changes may affect stellar mass loss. Aims. We therefore observed two supergiant stars in order to quantify the long-term polarization behaviour of the maser emission. Methods. Full-polarization spectra at 1612 and 1667 MHz were obtained with the Nancay radio telescope at intervals over periods of 4 and 6 years for S Per and VX Sgr, respectively. Results. Time series of OH maser full polarization spectra are presented. Semiregular variations of the integrated flux densities generally follow the visual light curves as expected for radiative pumping cycles. For both sources the variability indices of individual features are higher at 1667 MHz than at 1612 MHz and their extreme values occur for the blue-shifted emission. The degrees of polarization at 1667 MHz show diverse behaviours usually uncorrelated with the total flux, whereas those at 1612 MHz are commonly stable on time scales of 4-6 yr. Several outbursts of the 1667 MHz emission on time scales of 0.5-2 yr were found in both targets. The bursting features are highly polarized and show drifts in velocity. Small changes of the degrees of polarization and smooth variations of position angle of linear polarization during the bursts were observed in S Per but they are more dramatic in VX Sgr. Conclusions. The OH outbursts do not seem to have any direct link to stellar events, but seem to be localized in the wind.

Long-term timing of four millisecond pulsars

We have timed four millisecond pulses, PSRs J1721-2457, J1745-0952, J1810-2005, and J1918-0642, for up to a total of 10.5 years each using multiple telescopes in the European Pulsar Timing Array network: the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope in The Netherlands, the Nancay Radio Telescope in France and the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank in the UK. The long time span has enabled us to measure the proper motions of J1745-0952 and J1918-0642, indicating that they have transverse velocities of 200(50) and 54(7) km/s respectively. We have obtained upper limits on the proper motion of J1721-2457 and J1810-2005, which imply that they have transverse velocities less than 140 and 400 km/s respectively. In all cases, the velocities lie in the range typical of millisecond pulsars. We present pulse profiles for each pulsar taken from observations at multiple frequencies in the range of 350 to 2600 MHz, and show that J1810-2005 shows significant profile evolution in this range. Using our multi-frequency observations, we measured the spectral indices for all four pulsars, and for J1810-2005 it appears to be very flat. The flux density of J1918-0642 shows extensive modulation which we attribute to the combined effects of refractive and diffractive scintillation. We discuss the possible use of including J1721-2457 or J1918-0642 in a pulsar timing array, and find that J1918-0642 will be useful to include when the timing precision of this pulsar is improved over the next few years. We have searched archival optical observations to detect companions of the binary pulsars, but none were detected. However, we provide lower limits on the masses of the white dwarf companions of PSRs J1745-0952 and J1918-0642.

SDSS J092609.45+334304.1: a nearby unevolved galaxy

We present the results of observations of the very low surface brightness (VLSB) dwarf galaxy SDSS J092609.45+334304.1 with extreme parameters which indicate its unevolved status. Namely, its value of O/H, derived as an average of that in two adjacent HII regions at the NE edge of the disc, corresponds to the parameter 12+log(O/H)=7.12+-0.02, which is amongst two lowest known. The total HI flux measurement obtained with the Nancay Radio Telescope and the photometric results imply that the galaxy ratio M(HI)/L_B ~3.0, is among the top known in the Local Volume. The galaxy is situated in the region of a nearby underdense region known as the Lynx-Cancer void, where other, unevolved galaxies, including DDO 68, HS 0832+3542 and SAO 0822+3545, are known to be present. The total mass of this almost edge-on VLSB galaxy is ~8.3 times larger than its baryonic mass, implying the dynamical dominance of Dark Matter (DM) halo. The (u-g), (g-r) colours of outer parts of this galaxy are consistent with the ages of its main stellar population of 1--3 Gyr. Thanks to the galaxy isolation, the small effect of current or recent star formation (SF), its proximity and rather large HI flux (~2.5 Jy km/s), this VLSB dwarf is a good laboratory for the detailed study of DM halo properties through HI kinematics and the star formation processes in very metal-poor low surface density environment. This finding, along with the discovery of other unusual dwarf galaxies in this void, provides evidence for the relation between galaxy evolution and its very low-density environment for the baryonic mass range of 10^{8} to 10^{9} Mo. This relation seems to be consistent with that expected in the LambdaCDM models of galaxy and structure formation.

H I line observations of 2MASS galaxies in the zone of avoidance

A pilot survey has been made to obtain 21cm HI emission line profiles for 197 objects in the Zone of Avoidance (ZoA) that were classified as galaxies in the 2MASS all-sky near-infrared Extended Source Catalog (2MASX). 116 of the sources were observed using the Nancay radio telescope, in the 325 to 11,825 km/s range, and the other 81 sources were observed at Arecibo in the -500 to 11,000 km/s range, and for 9 also in the 9,500 to 21,000 km/s range. Global HI line parameters are presented for the 22 and 29 2MASX objects that were detected at Nancay and Arecibo, respectively, as well as upper limits for the undetected 2MASX objects. Whereas object 2MASX J08170147-3410277 appears to be a very massive galaxy with an HI mass of 4.6 x 10E10 Msun, it is clear that only radio synthesis HI imaging observations will allow a firm conclusion on this. Overall, the global properties of the detected galaxies match those of other ZoA HI surveys. Although the detections are as yet too sparse to give further insight into suspected or unknown large-scale structures in the ZoA, they already indicate that an extension of the present pilot survey is bound to quantify filaments, clusters, and voids behind this part of the Milky Way. It is shown that the number of candidate 2MASS-selected ZoA galaxies to be observed in HI could have been reduced by about 15% through examination of composite near-infrared images and the application of extinction-corrected near-infrared colour limits. Present results confirm that the Galactic extinction values from Schlegel et al. (1998) are valid for latitudes above |b|=5 degrees, but increasingly less so for lower latitudes.

The fast variable maser source IRAS 05338-0624

A new OH maser was detected in January 2008 toward the infrared source IRAS 05338-0624 in the dark cloud L1641N. The observations were carried out on the Nan cay Radio Telescope (France) in the 1667 and 1665 MHz OH lines. In the spectra of both lines, thermal OH emission from the surrounding molecular cloud is present at radial velocities V LSR = 6–9 km/s. In addition, a narrow maser feature is present in both lines at V LSR = 2 km/s in the profiles obtained on January 7, 2008; the peak flux densities at 1667 and 1665 MHz are 1.5 and 0.4 Jy, respectively. No OH maser emission was detected in February–July 2008. Then, a maser feature was again observed in the 1665 MHz line on August 20, 2008, at the same velocity as in January, V LSR = 2 km/s, with a peak flux density of 0.4 Jy. No 1667 MHz counterpart was observed with an upper limit of ∼0.1 Jy. Emission in both OH lines was again absent on September 18. The source was also observed in the H2O line at λ = 1.35 cm on the 22-m radio telescope of the Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory (Russia) on February 7 and 13, 2008. In both cases, a maser feature was detected at V LSR = 9 km/s, with peak flux densities of 35 and 15 Jy, respectively. After the its apparent absence in April, H2O maser emission reappeared on May 14, 2008, at V LSR = 7 km/s with a flux density of about 15 Jy. The history of previous observations of the object in the OH and H2O lines is traced. The maser displays strong and rapid flux variability in the lines of both molecules, as is typical of young low-luminosity stellar objects at early stages of their evolution.

CO and H I observations of an enigmatic interstellar cloud

An isolated HI cloud with peculiar properties has recently been discovered by Dedes, Dedes, & Kalberla (2008, A&A, 491, L45) with the 300-m Arecibo telescope, and subsequently imaged with the VLA. It has an angular size of ~6', and the HI emission has a narrow line profile of width ~ 3 km/s. We explore the possibility that this cloud could be associated with a circumstellar envelope ejected by an evolved star. Observations were made in the rotational lines of CO with the IRAM-30m telescope, on three positions in the cloud, and a total-power mapping in the HI line was obtained with the Nancay Radio Telescope. CO was not detected and seems too underabundant in this cloud to be a classical late-type star circumstellar envelope. On the other hand, the HI emission is compatible with the detached-shell model that we developed for representing the external environments of AGB stars. We propose that this cloud could be a fossil circumstellar shell left over from a system that is now in a post-planetary-nebula phase. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out that it is a Galactic cloud or a member of the Local Group, although the narrow line profile would be atypical in both cases.

Sub-hour modulation of non-Io Jovian decametric emission

The variability of Jovian decametric emission (DAM), which is not controlled by the Io satellite (non-Io), was studied of timescales of between 1 min and 1 h with DAM records of 1991–2007 from the archive of Nancay Radio Observatory. We found that the internal structure of the non-Io radio storms has the dominating periodicity on of average 21 ± 2 min . This estimate is in close agreement with the periodicity of Io-related emission and with fundamental eigenoscillations of transversal magnetic pulsations in the Io’s plasma torus. The average duration of an arc in non-Io DAM dynamic spectra was estimated to be 7.0 ± 0.3 min, although the most probable value was 5.3± 0.7 min, which corresponds to Io-related arcs and 3rd and 4th harmonics of torus proper-oscillations. Our results could be interpreted in terms of electron acceleration in parallel electric fields of standing Alfven waves generated by Io and trapped in the Io torus. This interpretation agrees with previous arguments that the location of some sources of non-Io emission are in the magnetic shell of the Io plasma torus. However, the aurora component of non-Io DAM is not excluded, since the suggested DAM modulation by the fundamental mode of eigenoscillations inherent in aurora magnetic-lines is undetectable in our analysis because of the short duration of non-Io radio storms.

Neutral hydrogen in nearby 3C radio galaxies

Observations of three nearby 3C radio galaxies, 3C430, 3C449, and 3C465, with the Nancay radio telescope (France) reveal for the first time the 21 cm absorption line of neutral hydrogen. The line is blue shifted by several hundred km/s in all three objects. This can probably be explained by an outflow of neutral hydrogen from the parent galaxies.

Discovery of an HiCounterpart to the Extended Tail of Mira

We report the detection of an HI counterpart to the extended, far-ultraviolet-emitting tail associated with the asymptotic giant branch star Mira (o Ceti). Using the Nancay Radio Telescope (NRT), we have detected emission as far as 88' north of the star, confirming that the tail contains a significant atomic component (M_HI ~ 4x10e-3 M_sun). The NRT spectra reveal a deceleration of the tail gas caused by interaction with the local interstellar medium. We estimate an age for the tail of ~1.2x10e5 years, suggesting that the mass-loss history of Mira has been more prolonged than previous observational estimates. Using the Very Large Array (VLA) we have also imaged the HI tail out to ~12' (0.4 pc) from the star. The detected emission shows a ``head-tail'' morphology, but with complex substructure. Regions with detected HI emission correlate with far-ultraviolet-luminous regions on large scales, but the two tracers are not closely correlated on smaller scales (<1'). We propose that detectable tails of HI are likely to be a common feature of red giants undergoing mass-loss.

Simultaneous absolute timing of the Crab pulsar at radio and optical wavelengths

Context. The Crab pulsar emits across a large part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Determining the time delay between the emission at different wavelengths will allow to better constrain the site and mechanism of the emission. We have simultaneously observed the Crab Pulsar in the optical with S-Cam, an instrument based on Superconducting Tunneling Junctions (STJs) with μs time resolution and at 2 GHz using the Nancay radio telescope with an instrument doing coherent dedispersion and able to record giant pulses data. Aims. We have studied the delay between the radio and optical pulse using simultaneously obtained data therefore reducing possible uncertainties present in previous observations. Methods. We determined the arrival times of the (mean) optical and radio pulse and compared them using the tempo2 software package. Results. We present the most accurate value for the optical-radio lag of 255±21 μs and suggest the likelihood of a spectral dependence to the excess optical emission asociated with giant radio pulses.

Sub-hour modulation of L-component of Io-related Jovian decametric emission

The variability of Jovian decametric emission (DAM) is studied at time scales from 1 min to 1 h with DAM records of 1991–2007 from the archive of Nancay Radio Observatory. We found that the internal structure of the Io-related radio storms has the dominating periodicity of 23±2 min on average. This estimate practically coincides with the fundamental eigenoscillations of transversal magnetic pulsations in the Io plasma torus. Our autocorrelation analysis confirms the excess of DAM variations with the time scale of the fundamental and first harmonic periods of the Io torus. Moreover, the time scale of arc pattern in DAM dynamic spectra is estimated to be 5.4 min, which corresponds to Io’s Alfven wing diameter or to the 3rd and 4th harmonics of torus proper oscillations. These results could be interpreted in terms of electron acceleration in field-aligned electric fields of standing Alfven waves trapped in the Io torus. There is an analogous modulation of auroral kilometric radiation of the Earth by magnetic pulsations at field line resonances in the terrestrial magnetosphere (Hanasz et al. 2006, J. Geophys. Res., 111, A03209).

The formation of a detached shell around the carbon star Y CVn

Y CVn is a carbon star surrounded by a detached dust shell that has been imaged by the Infrared Space Observatory at 90 microns. With the Nancay Radio Telescope we have studied the gaseous counterpart in the 21-cm HI emission line. New data have been acquired and allow to improve the signal to noise ratio on this line. The high spectral resolution line profiles obtained at the position of the star and at several offset positions set strong constraints on the gas temperature and kinematics within the detached shell; the bulk of the material should be at ~ 100-200 K and in expansion at ~ 1-2 km/s. In addition, the line profile at the central position shows a quasi-rectangular pedestal that traces an 8 km/s outflow of ~ 1.0 10^-7 Msol/yr, stable for about 2 10^4 years, which corresponds to the central outflow already studied with CO rotational lines. We present a model in which the detached shell results from the slowing-down of the stellar wind by surrounding matter. The inner radius corresponds to the location where the stellar outflow is abruptly slowed down from ~ 8 km/s to 2 km/s (termination shock). The outer radius corresponds to the location where external matter is compressed by the expanding shell (bow shock). In this model the mass loss rate of Y CVn has been set constant, at the same level of 1.0 10^-7 Msol/yr, for ~ 4.5 10^5 years. The gas temperature varies from ~ 1800 K at the inner limit to 165 K at the interface between circumstellar matter and external matter. Our modelling shows that the presence of a detached shell around an AGB star may not mean that a drastic reduction of the mass loss rate has occurred in the past. The inner radius of such a shell might only be the effect of a termination shock rather than of an interruption of the mass loss process.

Simulation of the interstellar scintillation and the extreme scattering events of pulsars

The rare and conspicuous flux density variations of some radio sources (extragalactic and pulsars) for periods of weeks to months have been denoted Extreme Scattering Events (ESE's) by Fiedler et al. (1987). Presently, there is no astrophysical mechanism that satisfactorily produces this phenomenon. In this paper, we conjecture that inhomogeneities of the electronic density in the turbulent interstellar medium might be the origin of this phenomenon. We have tested this conjecture by a simulation of the scintillation of the pulsar B1937+21 at 1.4 GHz and 1.7 GHz for a period of six months. To this end, we have constructed a large square Kolmogorov phase screen made of 131k x 131k pixels with electron inhomogeneity scales ranging from 6 x $10^6$ m to $10^{12}$ m and used the Kirchhoff-Fresnel integral to simulate dynamic spectra of a pulsar within the framework of Physical Optics. The simulated light curves exhibit a 10 day long variation simultaneously at 1.41 and 1.7 GHz that is alike the ``ESE'' observed with the Nancay radiotelescope toward the pulsar B1937+21 in October 1989. Consequently, we conclude that ``ESE'' toward pulsars can be caused naturally by the turbulence in the ionized interstellar medium instead of invoking the crossing of discrete over pressured ionized clouds on the line of sight as in the model of Fiedler et al. (1987). We suggest that longer events could occur in a simulation of scintillation, if larger electron inhomogeneities > $10^{12}$ m were included in the construction of the Kolmogorov phase screen. This next step requires a supercomputer.