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Title: Optical counterparts of two Fermi millisecond pulsars: PSR J1301+0833 and PSR J1628–3205

Abstract

Using the 1.3 m and 2.4 m Telescopes of the MDM Observatory, we identified the close companions of two eclipsing millisecond radio pulsars that were discovered by the Green Bank Telescope in searches of Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope sources, and measured their light curves. PSR J1301+0833 is a black widow pulsar in a 6.5 hr orbit whose companion star is strongly heated on the side facing the pulsar. It varies from R = 21.8 to R > 24 around the orbit. PSR J1628–3205 is a 'redback', a nearly Roche-lobe-filling system in a 5.0 hr orbit whose optical modulation in the range 19.0 < R < 19.4 is dominated by strong ellipsoidal variations, indicating a large orbital inclination angle. PSR J1628–3205 also shows evidence for a long-term variation of about 0.2 mag, and an asymmetric temperature distribution possibly due to either off-center heating by the pulsar wind, or large starspots. Modeling of its light curve restricts the inclination angle to i > 55°, the mass of the companion to 0.16 < M{sub c} < 0.30 M {sub ☉}, and the effective temperature to 3560 < T {sub eff} < 4670 K. As is the case for several redbacks, the companion ofmore » PSR J1628–3205 is less dense and hotter than a main-sequence star of the same mass.« less

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22370245
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 795; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASYMMETRY; ECLIPSE; GAMMA RADIATION; HEATING; INCLINATION; MAIN SEQUENCE STARS; ORBITS; PULSARS; ROCHE EQUIPOTENTIALS; SIMULATION; SPACE; STELLAR WINDS; TELESCOPES; TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION; VISIBLE RADIATION

Citation Formats

Li, Miao, Halpern, Jules P., and Thorstensen, John R., E-mail: miao@astro.columbia.edu. Optical counterparts of two Fermi millisecond pulsars: PSR J1301+0833 and PSR J1628–3205. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/795/2/115.
Li, Miao, Halpern, Jules P., & Thorstensen, John R., E-mail: miao@astro.columbia.edu. Optical counterparts of two Fermi millisecond pulsars: PSR J1301+0833 and PSR J1628–3205. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/795/2/115
Li, Miao, Halpern, Jules P., and Thorstensen, John R., E-mail: miao@astro.columbia.edu. 2014. "Optical counterparts of two Fermi millisecond pulsars: PSR J1301+0833 and PSR J1628–3205". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/795/2/115.
@article{osti_22370245,
title = {Optical counterparts of two Fermi millisecond pulsars: PSR J1301+0833 and PSR J1628–3205},
author = {Li, Miao and Halpern, Jules P. and Thorstensen, John R., E-mail: miao@astro.columbia.edu},
abstractNote = {Using the 1.3 m and 2.4 m Telescopes of the MDM Observatory, we identified the close companions of two eclipsing millisecond radio pulsars that were discovered by the Green Bank Telescope in searches of Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope sources, and measured their light curves. PSR J1301+0833 is a black widow pulsar in a 6.5 hr orbit whose companion star is strongly heated on the side facing the pulsar. It varies from R = 21.8 to R > 24 around the orbit. PSR J1628–3205 is a 'redback', a nearly Roche-lobe-filling system in a 5.0 hr orbit whose optical modulation in the range 19.0 < R < 19.4 is dominated by strong ellipsoidal variations, indicating a large orbital inclination angle. PSR J1628–3205 also shows evidence for a long-term variation of about 0.2 mag, and an asymmetric temperature distribution possibly due to either off-center heating by the pulsar wind, or large starspots. Modeling of its light curve restricts the inclination angle to i > 55°, the mass of the companion to 0.16 < M{sub c} < 0.30 M {sub ☉}, and the effective temperature to 3560 < T {sub eff} < 4670 K. As is the case for several redbacks, the companion of PSR J1628–3205 is less dense and hotter than a main-sequence star of the same mass.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/795/2/115},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22370245}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 795,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Mon Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}