skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Radio Detection of the FERMI-LAT Blind Search Millisecond Pulsar J1311–3430

Abstract

In this article, we report the detection of radio emission from PSR J1311–3430, the first millisecond pulsar (MSP) discovered in a blind search of Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) gamma-ray data. We detected radio pulsations at 2 GHz, visible for <10% of ~4.5 hr of observations using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Observations at 5 GHz with the GBT and at several lower frequencies with Parkes, Nançay, and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope resulted in non-detections. We also report the faint detection of a steep spectrum continuum radio source (0.1 mJy at 5 GHz) in interferometric imaging observations with the Jansky Very Large Array. These detections demonstrate that PSR J1311–3430 is not radio quiet and provide additional evidence that radio-quiet MSPs are rare. The radio dispersion measure of 37.8 pc cm–3 provides a distance estimate of 1.4 kpc for the system, yielding a gamma-ray efficiency of 30%, typical of LAT-detected MSPs. Lastly, we see apparent excess delay in the radio pulses as the pulsar appears from eclipse and we speculate on possible mechanisms for the non-detections of the pulse at other orbital phases and observing frequencies.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
Contributing Org.:
Fermi-LAT Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1356603
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal. Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 763; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; pulsars: individual (PSR J1311−3430)

Citation Formats

Ray, P. S., Ransom, S. M., Cheung, C. C., Giroletti, M., Cognard, I., Camilo, F., Bhattacharyya, B., Roy, J., Romani, R. W., Ferrara, E. C., Guillemot, L., Johnston, S., Keith, M., Kerr, M., Kramer, M., Pletsch, H. J., Saz Parkinson, P. M., and Wood, K. S. Radio Detection of the FERMI-LAT Blind Search Millisecond Pulsar J1311–3430. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/763/1/L13.
Ray, P. S., Ransom, S. M., Cheung, C. C., Giroletti, M., Cognard, I., Camilo, F., Bhattacharyya, B., Roy, J., Romani, R. W., Ferrara, E. C., Guillemot, L., Johnston, S., Keith, M., Kerr, M., Kramer, M., Pletsch, H. J., Saz Parkinson, P. M., & Wood, K. S. Radio Detection of the FERMI-LAT Blind Search Millisecond Pulsar J1311–3430. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/763/1/L13
Ray, P. S., Ransom, S. M., Cheung, C. C., Giroletti, M., Cognard, I., Camilo, F., Bhattacharyya, B., Roy, J., Romani, R. W., Ferrara, E. C., Guillemot, L., Johnston, S., Keith, M., Kerr, M., Kramer, M., Pletsch, H. J., Saz Parkinson, P. M., and Wood, K. S. 2013. "Radio Detection of the FERMI-LAT Blind Search Millisecond Pulsar J1311–3430". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/763/1/L13. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1356603.
@article{osti_1356603,
title = {Radio Detection of the FERMI-LAT Blind Search Millisecond Pulsar J1311–3430},
author = {Ray, P. S. and Ransom, S. M. and Cheung, C. C. and Giroletti, M. and Cognard, I. and Camilo, F. and Bhattacharyya, B. and Roy, J. and Romani, R. W. and Ferrara, E. C. and Guillemot, L. and Johnston, S. and Keith, M. and Kerr, M. and Kramer, M. and Pletsch, H. J. and Saz Parkinson, P. M. and Wood, K. S.},
abstractNote = {In this article, we report the detection of radio emission from PSR J1311–3430, the first millisecond pulsar (MSP) discovered in a blind search of Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) gamma-ray data. We detected radio pulsations at 2 GHz, visible for <10% of ~4.5 hr of observations using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Observations at 5 GHz with the GBT and at several lower frequencies with Parkes, Nançay, and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope resulted in non-detections. We also report the faint detection of a steep spectrum continuum radio source (0.1 mJy at 5 GHz) in interferometric imaging observations with the Jansky Very Large Array. These detections demonstrate that PSR J1311–3430 is not radio quiet and provide additional evidence that radio-quiet MSPs are rare. The radio dispersion measure of 37.8 pc cm–3 provides a distance estimate of 1.4 kpc for the system, yielding a gamma-ray efficiency of 30%, typical of LAT-detected MSPs. Lastly, we see apparent excess delay in the radio pulses as the pulsar appears from eclipse and we speculate on possible mechanisms for the non-detections of the pulse at other orbital phases and observing frequencies.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/763/1/L13},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1356603}, journal = {The Astrophysical Journal. Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 1,
volume = 763,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 02 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Wed Jan 02 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 38 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Works referenced in this record:

A STATISTICAL APPROACH TO RECOGNIZING SOURCE CLASSES FOR UNASSOCIATED SOURCES IN THE FIRST FERMI -LAT CATALOG
journal, June 2012


CHANDRA X-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE TWO BRIGHTEST UNIDENTIFIED HIGH GALACTIC LATITUDE FERMI -LAT γ-RAY SOURCES
journal, August 2012


Errors in Elliptical Gaussian FITS
journal, February 1997


Launching GUPPI: the Green Bank Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument
conference, August 2008


Toward Identifying the Unassociated Gamma-Ray Source 1fgl J1311.7-3429 with X-Ray and Optical Observations
journal, September 2012


The population of black widow pulsars
journal, April 2005


DISCOVERY OF AN UNIDENTIFIED FERMI OBJECT AS A BLACK WIDOW-LIKE MILLISECOND PULSAR
journal, February 2012


Pulsar spectra of radio emission
journal, December 2000


FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE SECOND SOURCE CATALOG
journal, March 2012


The Expanded very Large Array: a new Telescope for new Science
journal, August 2011


Binary Millisecond Pulsar Discovery via Gamma-Ray Pulsations
journal, October 2012


THREE MILLISECOND PULSARS IN FERMI LAT UNASSOCIATED BRIGHT SOURCES
journal, December 2010


PRECISE γ-RAY TIMING AND RADIO OBSERVATIONS OF 17 FERMI γ-RAY PULSARS
journal, April 2011


2fgl J1311.7–3429 Joins the Black Widow club
journal, July 2012


Psr J1311–3430: a Heavyweight Neutron star with a Flyweight Helium Companion
journal, November 2012


THE ORBIT AND COMPANION OF PROBABLE γ-RAY PULSAR J2339–0533
journal, November 2011


A real-time software backend for the GMRT
journal, June 2010


Physical processes in eclipsing pulsars: Eclipse mechanisms and diagnostics
journal, February 1994


Works referencing / citing this record:

THE SECOND FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE CATALOG OF GAMMA-RAY PULSARS
journal, September 2013


REFINING THE ASSOCIATIONS OF THE FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE SOURCE CATALOGS
journal, February 2015


Understanding the Evolution of Close Binary Systems with Radio Pulsars
journal, April 2014


A state change in the low-mass X-ray binary XSS J12270−4859
journal, May 2014


SAX J1808.4−3658, an accreting millisecond pulsar shining in gamma rays?
journal, December 2015


Einstein@Home discovers a radio-quiet gamma-ray millisecond pulsar
journal, February 2018


Population Syntheses of Millisecond Pulsars from the Galactic Disk and Bulge
journal, August 2018


The Second Fermi Large area Telescope Catalog of Gamma-Ray Pulsars
text, January 2013


Einstein@Home discovers a radio-quiet gamma-ray millisecond pulsar
text, January 2018


A state change in the missing link binary pulsar system PSR J1023+0038
text, January 2013


A state change in the low-mass X-ray binary XSS J12270-4859
text, January 2014


Understanding the evolution of close binary systems with radio pulsars
text, January 2014


Population syntheses of millisecond pulsars from the Galactic Disk and Bulge
text, January 2018