Pulsar Research Articles

Stability of a realistic astrophysical pulsar and its mass–radius relation in higher-order curvature gravity

The objective of this research is to explore compact celestial objects while considering the framework of an extended gravitational theory known as R+f(G) gravity. The notations R and G denote the Ricci scalar and the Gauss–Bonnet invariant, respectively. Radio pulsars, which are neutron stars with masses greater than 1.8 times that of the Sun (M⊙), provide exceptional opportunities for delving into fundamental physics in extraordinary environments unparalleled in the observable universe and surpassing the capabilities of experiments conducted on Earth. Through the utilization of both the linear and quadratic expressions of the function f(G)=α1G2, where α1 (with dimensional units of [length6]) are incorporated, we have achieved an accurate analytical solution for anisotropic perfect-fluid spheres in a state of hydrostatic equilibrium. By integrating the dimensional parameters α1 and the compactness factor, defined as C=2GMRc2, we showcase our capacity to encompass and depict all physical characteristics within the stellar structure. We illustrate that the model is capable of producing a stable arrangement for the pulsar PSR J0740+6620, encompassing its geometric and physical properties. We illustrate that by utilizing the quadratic form of G in the R+f(G) framework, the Krori-Barua ansatz establishes semi-analytical relationships between radial pressure (pr), tangential pressure (pt), and density (ρ). Remarkably, in the context of the positive/negative α1 quadratic R+f(G) gravity framework, the maximum compactness is inherently restricted to values fail below the Buchdahl limit when the surface density exceeds 4×1014 g/cm3. This differs from General Relativity (GR) in which the compactness is unlikely to approach the black hole limit. The model predicts a core density that is multiple times greater than the saturation nuclear density, represented as ρnuc=4×1014 g/cm3, and a surface density ρs that surpasses the nuclear saturation density. We offer the mass–radius diagram associated with the boundary density we have determined, and this diagram has been shown to be consistent with other observational discoveries.

Searching for X-ray counterparts of unassociated Fermi-LAT sources and rotation-powered pulsars with SRG/eROSITA

Context. The latest source catalog of the Fermi-LAT telescope contains more than 7000 γ-ray sources at giga-electronvolt energies, with the two dominant source classes thought to be blazars and rotation-powered pulsars. Despite continuous follow-up efforts, around 2600 sources have no known multiwavelength association. Aims. Our target is the identification of possible (young and recycled) pulsar candidates in the sample of unassociated γ-ray sources via their characteristic X-ray and γ-ray emission. To achieve this, we cross-matched the Fermi-LAT catalog with the catalog of X-ray sources in the western Galactic hemisphere from the first four all-sky surveys of eROSITA on the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission. We complement this by identifying X-ray counterparts of known pulsars detected at γ-ray and radio energies in the eROSITA data. Methods. We used a Bayesian cross-matching scheme to construct a probabilistic catalog of possible pulsar-type X-ray counterparts to Fermi-LAT sources. Our method combines the overlap of X-ray and γ-ray source positions with a probabilistic classification (into pulsar and blazar candidates) of each source based on its γ-ray properties and a prediction on the X-ray flux of pulsar- or blazar-type counterparts. Finally, an optical and infrared counterpart search was performed to exclude coronally emitting stars and active galactic nuclei from our catalog. Results. We provide a catalog of our prior γ-ray-based classifications of all 2600 unassociated sources in the Fermi-LAT catalog, with around equal numbers of pulsar and blazar candidates. Our final list of candidate X-ray counterparts to suspected new high-energy pulsars, cleaned for spurious detections and sources with obvious non-pulsar counterparts, contains around 900 X-ray sources, the vast majority of which lie in the 95% γ-ray error ellipse. We predict between 30 and 40 new pulsars among our top 200 candidates, with around equal numbers of young and recycled pulsars. This candidate list may serve as input to future follow-up campaigns, looking directly for pulsations or for the orbital modulation of possible binary companions, where it may allow for a drastic reduction in the number of candidate locations to search. We furthermore detect the X-ray counterparts of 15 known rotation-powered pulsars, which were not seen in X-rays before.

A stacked search for spatial coincidences between IceCube neutrinos and radio pulsars

We carry out a stacked search for spatial coincidences between all the known radio pulsars and TeV neutrinos from the IceCube 10 year (2008–2018) muon track data, as a followup to our previous work on searching for spatial coincidences with individual pulsars. We consider three different weighting schemes to stack the contributions from each pulsar. We do not find a statistically significant excess using this method. We report the 95% c.l. neutrino flux upper limit as a function of the neutrino energy. We have also made our analysis codes publicly available.

On the transition radiation interpretation of anomalous ANITA events

The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) detector has observed several radio pulses coming from the surface of the ice cap at the South Pole. These pulses were attributed to upward-going atmospheric particle showers instead of the downward-going showers induced by cosmic rays that exhibit a characteristic polarity inversion of the radio signal due to reflection in the ice. Coherent transition radiation from cosmic-ray showers developing in the atmosphere and intercepting the ice surface has been suggested as a possible and alternative explanation of these so-called “anomalous” events. To test this interpretation, we have developed an extension of ZHS, a program to calculate coherent pulses from electromagnetic showers, to deal with showers that transit a planar interface between two homogeneous and dielectric media, including transition radiation. By considering different geometries, it is found that all pulses from air showers intercepting the ice surface and detected at the height of ANITA, display the same polarity as pulses emitted by ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray showers that fully develop in the atmosphere and are reflected on the ice. We find that transition radiation is disfavored as a possible explanation of the anomalous ANITA events.

Measurements of nematic susceptibility with phase sensitive nuclear magnetic resonance in pulsed strain fields.

We present nuclear magnetic resonance data in BaFe2As2 in the presence of pulsed strain fields that are interleaved in time with the radio frequency excitation pulses. In this approach, the preceding nuclear magnetization acquires a phase shift that is proportional to the strain and pulse time. The sensitivity of this approach is limited by the homogeneous decoherence time, T2, rather than the inhomogeneous linewidth. We measure the nematic susceptibility as a function of temperature and demonstrate a three orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity. This approach will enable studies of the strain response in a broad range of materials that previously were inaccessible due to inhomogeneous broadening.

Ab initio simulations of neutron stars’ oblique electrospheres with realistic neutron star parameters

Context. Electrospheres are environments with the same origin as pulsars; a highly magnetized rotating neutron star. In pulsars, a cascade of electron-positron pair creation enriches the plasma. The plasma surrounding an electrosphere consists only of particles that have escaped from the neutron star’s surface. Electrospheres with a magnetic axis aligned with the rotation axis have been well described for decades. Models of electrospheres with an oblique magnetic axis relative to the rotation axis have resisted most theoretical investigations. Some electrospheres and pulsars have been simulated using particle-in-cell codes, but the numerical constraints did not allow the use of realistic neutron star parameters. Aims. We aimed to develop a numerical simulation code optimized for understanding the physics of electrospheres and pulsars, with realistic neutron star parameters. As a first step, presented in this paper, we focused on the simulation of oblique electrospheres with realistic physical parameters. Methods. A specific code was developed for the computation of stationary solutions. The resolution of Maxwell’s equations was based on spectral methods. Particle motions included their finite inertia. No hypothesis was made in relation to the force-free behavior of the electrospheric plasma. The numerical code is called Pulsar ARoMa (pulsar asymmetric rotating magnetosphere). Results. Various numerical simulations were conducted using realistic neutron star parameters. We find that oblique electrospheres possess the same global structure as aligned force-free electrospheres, with two domes of electrons and a torus of positively charged particles. The domes are not centered on the magnetic axis; nor are they symmetric. Yet, the solutions do not exhibit a force-free behavior. Conclusions. The simulations performed with the Pulsar ARoMa code require modest resources and little computing time. This code will be upgraded for more ambitious investigations into pulsar physics.

Modeling the Morphology of Fast Radio Bursts and Radio Pulsars with fitburst

We present a framework for modeling astrophysical pulses from radio pulsars and fast radio bursts (FRBs). This framework, called fitburst, generates synthetic representations of dynamic spectra that are functions of several physical and heuristic parameters; the heuristic parameters can nonetheless accommodate a vast range of distributions in spectral energy. fitburst is designed to optimize the modeling of features induced by effects that are intrinsic and extrinsic to the emission mechanism, including the magnitude and frequency dependence of pulse dispersion and scatter broadening. fitburst removes intrachannel smearing through two-dimensional upsampling, and can account for phase-wrapping of “folded” signals that are typically acquired during pulsar-timing observations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of fitburst in modeling data containing pulsars and FRBs observed with the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment telescope.

On the Transition Stage of Pulsar Pulsed Radio Emission and Its Potential Association with Radio Pulsar Nulling

While the precise mechanism of generating pulsed coherent radio emission from pulsars remains elusive, certain gap-invoking models (especially, the inner gap model) offer a comprehensive and plausible explanation for the genesis and termination of such emissions. However, the transition stage between the period of persistent radio emission and the period of radio-quiet emission remains poorly understood, despite observations indicating that a radio pulsar in the pulse-nulling state is undergoing the transition stage. In this study, we present a qualitative explanation for the elusive transition stage by modeling pulsar magnetospheres analytically as equivalent resistive–capacitive circuits based on the inner gap model. Our result indicates that, due to lengthy spin-down, older radio pulsars will gradually shift from the state of persistent radio emission to a certain type of pulse-nulling state by delayed sparks within their inner gaps.

Characteristics of Emission Non-nulling Pulsars Through Simulation

We investigate the population and several properties of radio pulsars whose emission does not null (non-nulling) through simulation of a large pulsar sample. Emission from a pulsar is identified as non-nulling if (i) the emission does not cease across the whole pulse profile, and (ii) the emission is detectable. For (i), we adopt a model for switching in the plasma charge density, and emission persists if the charge density is non-zero. For (ii), we assume that detectable emission originates from source points where it is emitted tangentially to the magnetic field-line and parallel to the line-of-sight. We find that pulsars exhibiting non-nulling emission possess obliquity angles with an average of 42.°5, and almost half the samples maintain a duty cycle between 0.05 and 0.2. Furthermore, the pulsar population is not fixed but dependent on the obliquity angle, with the population peaking at 20°. In addition, three evolutionary phases are identified in the pulsar population as the obliquity angle evolves, with the majority of samples having an obliquity angle between 20° and 65°. Our results also suggest that emission from a pulsar may evolve between nulling and non-nulling during its lifetime.

A targeted radio pulsar survey of redback candidates with MeerKAT

ABSTRACT Redbacks are millisecond pulsar binaries with low-mass, irradiated companions. These systems have a rich phenomenology that can be used to probe binary evolution models, pulsar wind physics, and the neutron star mass distribution. A number of high-confidence redback candidates have been identified through searches for variable optical and X-ray sources within the localization regions of unidentified but pulsar-like Fermi-LAT gamma-ray sources. However, these candidates remain unconfirmed until pulsations are detected. As part of the TRAPUM project, we searched for radio pulsations from six of these redback candidates with MeerKAT. We discovered three new radio millisecond pulsars, PSRs J0838−2827, J0955−3947, and J2333−5526, confirming their redback nature. PSR J0838−2827 remained undetected for 2 yr after our discovery despite repeated observations, likely due to evaporated material absorbing the radio emission for long periods of time. While, to our knowledge, this system has not undergone a transition to an accreting state, the disappearance, likely caused by extreme eclipses, illustrates the transient nature of spider pulsars and the heavy selection bias in uncovering their radio population. Radio timing enabled the detection of gamma-ray pulsations from all three pulsars, from which we obtained 15-yr timing solutions. All of these sources exhibit complex orbital period variations consistent with gravitational quadrupole moment variations in the companion stars. These timing solutions also constrain the binary mass ratios, allowing us to narrow down the pulsar masses. We find that PSR J2333−5526 may have a neutron star mass in excess of 2 M⊙.

Analysing radio pulsar timing noise with a Kalman filter: a demonstration involving PSR J1359−6038

ABSTRACT In the standard two-component crust-superfluid model of a neutron star, timing noise can arise when the two components are perturbed by stochastic torques. Here it is demonstrated how to analyse fluctuations in radio pulse times of arrival with a Kalman filter to measure physical properties of the two-component model, including the crust-superfluid coupling time-scale and the variances of the crust and superfluid torques. The analysis technique, validated previously on synthetic data, is applied to observations with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope of the representative pulsar PSR J1359−6038. It is shown that the two-component model is preferred to a one-component model, with log Bayes factor 6.81 ± 0.02. The coupling time-scale and the torque variances on the crust and superfluid are measured with 90 per cent confidence to be $10^{7.1^{+0.8}_{-0.5}}$$\rm {s}$ and $10^{-24.0^{+0.4}_{-5.6}}$$\rm {rad^2~s^{-3}}$ and $10^{-21.7^{+3.5}_{-0.9}}$$\rm {rad^2~s^{-3}}$, respectively.

Periodicity of sub-pulses in a radio pulsar

Pulsars are known to manifest complex phenomena, such as nulling, sub-pulse drifting, and periodicity. Within the purview of this investigation, we have harnessed the wavelet analysis technique to scrutinize the multifaceted periodicities and sub-pulse drifting characteristics exhibited by PSR J1926-0652, discovered by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Our analysis draws upon the rich dataset acquired from the FAST ultra-wide-bandwidth receiver (UWB), meticulously examining pulse attributes encompassing an entire pulse. It is notable that the pulse apex recurrently manifests approximately every 17.11 times the pulsar's period P, individual sub-pulses exhibit a drifting phenomenon, with a phase decrement of approximately 1.04∘ over each P. Intriguingly, the central phase of each sub-pulse track gradually increments over temporal evolution. Furthermore, the relative offset distribution between successive sub-pulse tracks emanating from the trailing and leading components remains comparatively stable, with a central tendency of approximately ∼6.87±2.56 P. Most notably, derived from the outcomes of wavelet analysis, we ascertain a negative correlation of -0.98 between the periods of sub-pulses and their drifting rates, alongside the intrinsic period of sub-pulses identified at 28.14 seconds.

Upper Limits on the Radio Pulses from Magnetars and a Central Compact Object with FAST

Magnetars and central compact objects (CCOs) are subgroups of neutron stars that show a number of properties distinguished from canonical radio pulsars. We performed radio observations of three magnetars, SGR 0418+5729, 1E 2259+586, and 4U 0142+61, and a CCO, PSR J1852+0040, with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope at 1.25 GHz, aiming to search for radio pulsations in their quiescent states. During two observation epochs, no radio pulses have been detected toward any target above a significance of signal-to-noise ratio = 7 from either the direct folding or blind search. We provided the most stringent upper limit of radio flux (≲2–4 μJy) for the magnetars and the CCO. For the magnetars with long periods, the real upper limits are likely 1 order of magnitude larger due to the red noise. The deep radio observations suggest that these magnetars and the CCO are indeed radio-quiet sources or unfavorably beamed.

Searching for X-ray counterparts of degree-wide TeV halos around middle-aged pulsars with SRG/eROSITA

Context. Extended gamma-ray TeV emission (TeV halos) has been detected around middle-aged pulsars. A proposed model to explain these TeV halos is that electrons from a degree-wide pulsar wind nebula (PWN) get up-scattered by cosmic microwave background photons through inverse Compton processes. However, no X-ray degree-wide faint diffuse PWNe have been found around these middle-aged pulsars in previous X-ray observations. Aims. We performed a search for degree-wide PWNe around Geminga, PSR B0656+14, B0540+23, J0633+0632, and J0631+1036 using data from the first four consecutive Spectrum Roentgen Gamma/eROSITA all-sky surveys. In order to better understand the mechanisms underlying the formation of TeV halos, we investigated the magnetic field strength within an area of 1° in radius centred on those pulsars. Methods. To achieve our goals, we selected a list of suitable candidate pulsars in the eROSITA-DE part of the sky and applied data reduction techniques to process the eROSITA data. We then performed a spatial analysis of the regions around selected pulsars. Results. We do not detect any degree-wide diffuse emission driven by rotation-powered pulsars around Geminga, PSR B0656+14, B0540+23, J0633+0632, or J0631+1036. Indeed, close inspection of the data shows that the pulsars of interest are all embedded in diffuse emission from supernova remnants such as the Monogem Ring or the Rosetta Nebula, while PSR B0540+23 is located ~2.5° away from the Crab pulsar, which is exceptionally bright, causing its X-ray emission to spread over a significant area up to the position of PSR B0540+23 and therefore strongly diminishes our capacity to search for degree-wide bright diffuse X-ray emission. Conclusions. Despite the non-detection of any degree-wide PWN surrounding the analysed pulsars, we set flux upper limits to provide useful information on magnetic field strength and its spatial distribution around those pulsars, providing additional constraints on the proposed theory for the formation of TeV halos around pulsars.

Erratum to: The Method of Periodic Principal Components for the Dynamic Spectrum of Radio Pulsars and Faraday Rotation of Nine Pulse Components of PSR B0329+54

Erratum to: The Method of Periodic Principal Components for the Dynamic Spectrum of Radio Pulsars and Faraday Rotation of Nine Pulse Components of PSR B0329+54

Media educational strategies for a personality aesthetic development (using the example of the Radio Pulse of Moscow Pedagogical State University projects)

Media educational strategies for a personality aesthetic development (using the example of the Radio Pulse of Moscow Pedagogical State University projects)

The AO327 Drift Survey Catalog and Data Release of Pulsar Detections

The AO327 drift survey for radio pulsars and transients used the Arecibo telescope from 2010 until its collapse in 2020. AO327 collected ∼3100 hr of data at 327 MHz with a time resolution of 82 μs and a frequency resolution of 24 kHz. While the main motivation for such surveys is the discovery of new pulsars and new, even unforeseen, types of radio transients, they also serendipitously collect a wealth of data on known pulsars. We present an electronic catalog of data and data products of 206 pulsars whose periodic emission was detected by AO327 and are listed in the Australia Telescope National Facility catalog of all published pulsars. The AO327 data products include dedispersed time series at full time resolution, average (“folded”) pulse profiles, Gaussian pulse profile templates, and an absolute phase reference that allows phase aligning the AO327 pulse profiles in a physically meaningful manner with profiles from data taken with other instruments. We also provide machine-readable tables with uncalibrated flux measurements at 327 MHz and pulse widths at 50% and 10% of the pulse peak determined from the fitted Gaussian profile templates. The AO327 catalog data set can be used in applications like population analysis of radio pulsars, pulse profile evolution studies in time and frequency, cone and core emission of the pulsar beam, scintillation, pulse intensity distributions, and others. It also constitutes a ready-made resource for teaching signal-processing and pulsar astronomy techniques.

Spin period evolution of Vela pulsar based on the wind emission: Application to the long period radio pulsars GPM J1839‐10 (P = 21 min) and GLEAM‐X J1627 (P = 18 min)

AbstractThe Vela pulsar is a young neutron star with spin period of P = 89 ms and a measured low braking index (˜1.4) that is much less than the standard value of 3 predicted by the magnetic dipole radiation (MDR) model; however, its spin period evolution has been a mystery. In this article, we assume that the spin‐down of the Vela pulsar is attributed to both MDR and wind flow (hereafter MDRW), and find that the ratio of wind flow to the magnetic dipole radiation is about 80%, which is higher than that of the Crab pulsar (25%). In other words, the spin‐down torque of the Vela pulsar is dominated by the wind flow. The spin period (P) evolution of the Vela pulsar depends on its real age, where its supernova remnant age is assumed to be an indicator of its true age, estimated from 10 to 20 kyr, and then we obtain their initial spin periods of ˜53.89 and ˜20.90 ms, respectively, which are consistent with the observed initial spin period ranges of young pulsars. Furthermore, we find that the Vela‐like pulsar by MDRW can evolve to the long spin period of a thousand of seconds in less than million years, which can conveniently help the astronomers understand the recently observed ultra‐long period radio pulsars like GPM J1839‐10 (P = 21 min), GLEAM‐X J1627 (P = 18 min), as well as PSR J0901+4046 (P = 76 s).

The invisible black widow PSR J1720-0534: implications for the electron density towards the North Polar Spur

Abstract Radio emission from pulsars can be used to map out their distances through dispersion measure (DM), which quantifies the amount of radio pulse dispersion. However, this method relies on accurately modeling the free electron density in the line of sight. Here, we present a detailed study of the multi-wavelength emission from PSR J1720-0534, a black widow compact binary millisecond pulsar discovered in 2021, which the latest electron density model of the Galaxy (YMW16; Yao et al. 2017) places at only 191 pc. We obtained and analyzed deep multi-wavelength observations in the γ-ray (Fermi-LAT, 2008-2022), optical (LCO, 2.7-h), near-infrared (NOT, 3.5-h) and X-ray (Swift-XRT, 10 ksec) bands. We found no significant detection of γ-ray, optical, near-infrared, or X-ray counterparts around the radio-timing position of PSR J1720-0534, which we thus nickname ‘the invisible black widow’. Employing the most constraining near-infrared limit (J > 23.4 mag), we established a lower limit on the source distance, d > 1.1 kpc, assuming conservative properties for the black widow companion star. This distance lower limit differs drastically (by a factor of more than five) from the YMW16 DM distance estimate. We attribute this difference to the inclusion in the YMW16 model of a large and dense component towards the North Polar Spur. Considering our results and recent parallax distances to other pulsars in this direction, we argue that such a local and large component in the electron density model of the Galaxy is unnecessary.

Spin Evolution of Neutron Stars

In this paper we review the basics of magneto-rotational properties of neutron stars focusing on spin-up/spin-down behavior at different evolutionary stages. The main goal is to provide equations for the spin frequency changes in various regimes (radio pulsar, propeller, accretor, etc.). Since presently the spin behavior of neutron stars at all stages remains a subject of many uncertainties, we review different suggestions made over the years in the literature.