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Title: A PARALLAX DISTANCE AND MASS ESTIMATE FOR THE TRANSITIONAL MILLISECOND PULSAR SYSTEM J1023+0038

Abstract

The recently discovered transitional millisecond pulsar system J1023+0038 exposes a crucial evolutionary phase of recycled neutron stars for multiwavelength study. The system, comprising the neutron star itself, its stellar companion, and the surrounding medium, is visible across the electromagnetic spectrum from the radio to X-ray/gamma-ray regimes and offers insight into the recycling phase of millisecond pulsar evolution. Here, we report on multiple-epoch astrometric observations with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) which give a system parallax of 0.731 {+-} 0.022 milliarcseconds (mas) and a proper motion of 17.98 {+-} 0.05 mas yr{sup -1}. By combining our results with previous optical observations, we are able to use the parallax distance of 1368{sup +42}{sub -{sub 39}} pc to estimate the mass of the pulsar to be 1.71 {+-} 0.16 M{sub Sun }, and we are also able to measure the three-dimensional space velocity of the system to be 126 {+-} 5 km s{sup -1}. Despite the precise nature of the VLBA measurements, the remaining {approx}3% distance uncertainty dominates the 0.16 M{sub Sun} error on our mass estimate.

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3];  [4]; ; ;  [5]; ;  [6];  [7];  [8]
  1. Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), 7990-AA Dwingeloo (Netherlands)
  2. Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada)
  3. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States)
  4. Astronomy Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)
  5. Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)
  6. Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 (United States)
  7. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States)
  8. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 (Canada)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22078566
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 756; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; DISTANCE; ERRORS; GALACTIC EVOLUTION; GAMMA RADIATION; MASS; NEUTRON STARS; PROPER MOTION; PULSARS; SPECTRA; THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; X RADIATION

Citation Formats

Deller, A T, Archibald, A M, Kaspi, V M, Brisken, W F, Chatterjee, S, Janssen, G H, Lyne, A G, Stappers, B, Lorimer, D, McLaughlin, M A, Ransom, S, and Stairs, I H. A PARALLAX DISTANCE AND MASS ESTIMATE FOR THE TRANSITIONAL MILLISECOND PULSAR SYSTEM J1023+0038. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/756/2/L25.
Deller, A T, Archibald, A M, Kaspi, V M, Brisken, W F, Chatterjee, S, Janssen, G H, Lyne, A G, Stappers, B, Lorimer, D, McLaughlin, M A, Ransom, S, & Stairs, I H. A PARALLAX DISTANCE AND MASS ESTIMATE FOR THE TRANSITIONAL MILLISECOND PULSAR SYSTEM J1023+0038. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/756/2/L25
Deller, A T, Archibald, A M, Kaspi, V M, Brisken, W F, Chatterjee, S, Janssen, G H, Lyne, A G, Stappers, B, Lorimer, D, McLaughlin, M A, Ransom, S, and Stairs, I H. 2012. "A PARALLAX DISTANCE AND MASS ESTIMATE FOR THE TRANSITIONAL MILLISECOND PULSAR SYSTEM J1023+0038". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/756/2/L25.
@article{osti_22078566,
title = {A PARALLAX DISTANCE AND MASS ESTIMATE FOR THE TRANSITIONAL MILLISECOND PULSAR SYSTEM J1023+0038},
author = {Deller, A T and Archibald, A M and Kaspi, V M and Brisken, W F and Chatterjee, S and Janssen, G H and Lyne, A G and Stappers, B and Lorimer, D and McLaughlin, M A and Ransom, S and Stairs, I H},
abstractNote = {The recently discovered transitional millisecond pulsar system J1023+0038 exposes a crucial evolutionary phase of recycled neutron stars for multiwavelength study. The system, comprising the neutron star itself, its stellar companion, and the surrounding medium, is visible across the electromagnetic spectrum from the radio to X-ray/gamma-ray regimes and offers insight into the recycling phase of millisecond pulsar evolution. Here, we report on multiple-epoch astrometric observations with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) which give a system parallax of 0.731 {+-} 0.022 milliarcseconds (mas) and a proper motion of 17.98 {+-} 0.05 mas yr{sup -1}. By combining our results with previous optical observations, we are able to use the parallax distance of 1368{sup +42}{sub -{sub 39}} pc to estimate the mass of the pulsar to be 1.71 {+-} 0.16 M{sub Sun }, and we are also able to measure the three-dimensional space velocity of the system to be 126 {+-} 5 km s{sup -1}. Despite the precise nature of the VLBA measurements, the remaining {approx}3% distance uncertainty dominates the 0.16 M{sub Sun} error on our mass estimate.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/756/2/L25},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22078566}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 2,
volume = 756,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Mon Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}