Pulsed Gamma Rays from the Millisecond Pulsar J0030+0451 with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
In this paper, we report the discovery of gamma-ray pulsations from the nearby isolated millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J0030+0451 with the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST). This discovery makes PSR J0030+0451 the second MSP to be detected in gamma rays after PSR J0218+4232, observed by the EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. The spin-down power E(dotabove) = 3.5 x 1033 erg s-1 is an order of magnitude lower than the empirical lower bound of previously known gamma-ray pulsars. The emission profile is characterized by two narrow peaks, 0.07 ± 0.01 and 0.08 ± 0.02 wide, respectively, separated by 0.44 ± 0.02 in phase. The first gamma-ray peak falls 0.15 ± 0.01 after the main radio peak. The pulse shape is similar to that of the "normal" gamma-ray pulsars. An exponentially cutoff power-law fit of the emission spectrum leads to an integral photon flux above 100 MeV of (6.76 ± 1.05 ± 1.35) × 10–8 cm–2 s–1 with cutoff energy (1.7 ± 0.4 ± 0.5) GeV. Finally, based on its parallax distance of (300 ± 90) pc, we obtain a gamma-ray efficiency Lγ/E(dotabove) ≃ 15% for the conversion of spin-down energy rate into gamma-ray radiation, assuming isotropic emission.
- Research Organization:
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Contributing Organization:
- Fermi LAT Collaboration
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- OSTI ID:
- 1357446
- Journal Information:
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 699, Issue 2; ISSN 0004-637X
- Publisher:
- Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Pulsed Gamma-Rays From the Millisecond Pulsar J0030+0451 with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
DEEP XMM-NEWTON SPECTROSCOPIC AND TIMING OBSERVATIONS OF THE ISOLATED RADIO MILLISECOND PULSAR PSR J0030+0451