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Einstein@Home discovery of the gamma-ray millisecond pulsar PSR J2039–5617 confirms its predicted redback nature

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Clarke, C. J., Nieder, L., Voisin, G., Allen, B., Aulbert, C., Behnke, O., Breton, R. P, Choquet, C., Corongiu, A., Dhillon, V. S. et al.
(2021) Einstein@Home discovery of the gamma-ray millisecond pulsar PSR J2039–5617 confirms its predicted redback nature. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 502 (1). pp. 915-934. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa3484 ISSN 1365-2966.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3484

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Abstract

The Fermi Large Area Telescope gamma-ray source 3FGL J2039.6–5618 contains a periodic optical and X-ray source that was predicted to be a ‘redback’ millisecond pulsar (MSP) binary system. However, the conclusive identification required the detection of pulsations from the putative MSP. To better constrain the orbital parameters for a directed search for gamma-ray pulsations, we obtained new optical light curves in 2017 and 2018, which revealed long-term variability from the companion star. The resulting orbital parameter constraints were used to perform a targeted gamma-ray pulsation search using the Einstein@Home-distributed volunteer computing system. This search discovered pulsations with a period of 2.65 ms, confirming the source as a binary MSP now known as PSR J2039–5617. Optical light-curve modelling is complicated, and likely biased, by asymmetric heating on the companion star and long-term variability, but we find an inclination i ≳ 60°, for a low pulsar mass between $1.1\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot } \lt M_{\rm psr} \lt $ 1.6 M⊙, and a companion mass of 0.15–$0.22\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$, confirming the redback classification. Timing the gamma-ray pulsations also revealed significant variability in the orbital period, which we find to be consistent with quadrupole moment variations in the companion star, suggestive of convective activity. We also find that the pulsed flux is modulated at the orbital period, potentially due to inverse Compton scattering between high-energy leptons in the pulsar wind and the companion star’s optical photon field.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics
SWORD Depositor: Library Publications Router
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Neutron stars , Pulsars, Gamma rays , Double stars
Journal or Publication Title: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
ISSN: 1365-2966
Official Date: March 2021
Dates:
DateEvent
March 2021Published
23 November 2020Available
27 September 2020Accepted
Volume: 502
Number: 1
Page Range: pp. 915-934
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa3484
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access (Creative Commons)
Copyright Holders: © 2020 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Date of first compliant deposit: 5 August 2021
Date of first compliant Open Access: 5 August 2021
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
715051 (Spiders)Horizon 2020 Framework Programmehttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010661
UNSPECIFIED[STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271
1104902 National Science Foundationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008982
1816904National Science Foundationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008982
UNSPECIFIED[NASA] National Aeronautics and Space Administrationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000104
Is Part Of: 1
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