PSR J2021+4026 IN THE GAMMA CYGNI REGION: THE FIRST VARIABLE γ-RAY PULSAR SEEN BY THE Fermi LAT

Allafort, A.; Bottacini, E.; Cameron, R. A.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Chaves, R. C.G.; Barbiellini, G.; Baring, M. G.; Bastieri, D.; Buson, S.; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J.; Bonamente, E.; Cecchi, C.; Brandt, T. J.; Bruel, P.; Buehler, R.; Caliandro, G. A.; Caraveo, P. A.; others, and

doi:10.1088/2041-8205/777/1/L2

Title: PSR J2021+4026 IN THE GAMMA CYGNI REGION: THE FIRST VARIABLE γ-RAY PULSAR SEEN BY THE Fermi LAT

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/777/1/L2· OSTI ID:22215397

Allafort, A.; Bottacini, E.; Cameron, R. A. ^[1]; Baldini, L. ^[2]; Ballet, J.; Chaves, R. C.G. ^[3]; Barbiellini, G. ^[4]; Baring, M. G. ^[5]; Bastieri, D.; Buson, S. ^[6]; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J. ^[7]; Bonamente, E.; Cecchi, C. ^[8]; Brandt, T. J. ^[9]; Bruel, P. ^[10]; Buehler, R. ^[11]; Caliandro, G. A. ^[12]; Caraveo, P. A. ^[13]; others, and

W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)
Università di Pisa and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa I-56127 Pisa (Italy)
Laboratoire AIM, CEA-IRFU/CNRS/Université Paris Diderot, Service d'Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette (France)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste, I-34127 Trieste (Italy)
Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, MS-108, P. O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251 (United States)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova, I-35131 Padova (Italy)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia, I-06123 Perugia (Italy)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, École polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91128 Palaiseau (France)
Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany)
Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (IEEE-CSIC), Campus UAB, E-08193 Barcelona (Spain)
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, I-20133 Milano (Italy)

Long-term monitoring of PSR J2021+4026 in the heart of the Cygnus region with the Fermi Large Area Telescope unveiled a sudden decrease in flux above 100 MeV over a timescale shorter than a week. The 'jump' was near MJD 55850 (2011 October 16), with the flux decreasing from (8.33 ± 0.08) × 10{sup –10} erg cm{sup –2} s{sup –1} to (6.86 ± 0.13) × 10{sup –10} erg cm{sup –2} s{sup –1}. Simultaneously, the frequency spindown rate increased from (7.8 ± 0.1) × 10{sup –13} Hz s{sup –1} to (8.1 ± 0.1) × 10{sup –13} Hz s{sup –1}. Significant (>5σ) changes in the pulse profile and marginal (<3σ) changes in the emission spectrum occurred at the same time. There is also evidence for a small, steady flux increase over the 3 yr preceding MJD 55850. This is the first observation at γ-ray energies of mode changes and intermittent behavior, observed at radio wavelengths for other pulsars. We argue that the change in pulsed γ-ray emission is due to a change in emission beaming and we speculate that it is precipitated by a shift in the magnetic field structure, leading to a change of either effective magnetic inclination or effective current.

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OSTI ID:: 22215397

Journal Information:: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 777, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: PSR J2021+4026 IN THE GAMMA CYGNI REGION: THE FIRST VARIABLE γ-RAY PULSAR SEEN BY THE Fermi LAT

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