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Title: MODELING THE NON-RECYCLED FERMI GAMMA-RAY PULSAR POPULATION

Abstract

We use Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detections and upper limits on non-recycled pulsars obtained from the Large Area Telescope (LAT) to constrain how the gamma-ray luminosity L{sub γ} depends on the period P and the period derivative P-dot . We use a Bayesian analysis to calculate a best-fit luminosity law, or dependence of L{sub γ} on P and P-dot , including different methods for modeling the beaming factor. An outer gap (OG) magnetosphere geometry provides the best-fit model, which is L{sub γ}∝P{sup -a} P-dot {sup b} where a = 1.36 ± 0.03 and b = 0.44 ± 0.02, similar to but not identical to the commonly assumed L{sub γ}∝√( E-dot )∝P{sup -1.5} P-dot {sup 0.5}. Given upper limits on gamma-ray fluxes of currently known radio pulsars and using the OG model, we find that about 92% of the radio-detected pulsars have gamma-ray beams that intersect our line of sight. By modeling the misalignment of radio and gamma-ray beams of these pulsars, we find an average gamma-ray beaming solid angle of about 3.7π for the OG model, assuming a uniform beam. Using LAT-measured diffuse fluxes, we place a 2σ upper limit on the average braking index and a 2σ lower limitmore » on the average surface magnetic field strength of the pulsar population of 3.8 and 3.2 × 10{sup 10} G, respectively. We then predict the number of non-recycled pulsars detectable by the LAT based on our population model. Using the 2 yr sensitivity, we find that the LAT is capable of detecting emission from about 380 non-recycled pulsars, including 150 currently identified radio pulsars. Using the expected 5 yr sensitivity, about 620 non-recycled pulsars are detectable, including about 220 currently identified radio pulsars. We note that these predictions significantly depend on our model assumptions.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 (United States)
  2. Astronomy Department and NAIC, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)
  3. 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)
  4. Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1560 (United States)
  5. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22270745
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; Journal Volume: 776; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; EMISSION; GAMMA ASTRONOMY; GAMMA DETECTION; GAMMA RADIATION; LUMINOSITY; MAGNETIC FIELDS; NEUTRONS; PULSARS; SENSITIVITY; STARS; TELESCOPES

Citation Formats

Perera, B. B. P., McLaughlin, M. A., Cordes, J. M., Kerr, M., Burnett, T. H., and Harding, A. K. MODELING THE NON-RECYCLED FERMI GAMMA-RAY PULSAR POPULATION. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/776/1/61.
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Perera, B. B. P., McLaughlin, M. A., Cordes, J. M., Kerr, M., Burnett, T. H., & Harding, A. K. MODELING THE NON-RECYCLED FERMI GAMMA-RAY PULSAR POPULATION. United States. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/776/1/61.
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Perera, B. B. P., McLaughlin, M. A., Cordes, J. M., Kerr, M., Burnett, T. H., and Harding, A. K. Thu . "MODELING THE NON-RECYCLED FERMI GAMMA-RAY PULSAR POPULATION". United States. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/776/1/61.
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@article{osti_22270745,
title = {MODELING THE NON-RECYCLED FERMI GAMMA-RAY PULSAR POPULATION},
author = {Perera, B. B. P. and McLaughlin, M. A. and Cordes, J. M. and Kerr, M. and Burnett, T. H. and Harding, A. K.},
abstractNote = {We use Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detections and upper limits on non-recycled pulsars obtained from the Large Area Telescope (LAT) to constrain how the gamma-ray luminosity L{sub γ} depends on the period P and the period derivative P-dot . We use a Bayesian analysis to calculate a best-fit luminosity law, or dependence of L{sub γ} on P and P-dot , including different methods for modeling the beaming factor. An outer gap (OG) magnetosphere geometry provides the best-fit model, which is L{sub γ}∝P{sup -a} P-dot {sup b} where a = 1.36 ± 0.03 and b = 0.44 ± 0.02, similar to but not identical to the commonly assumed L{sub γ}∝√( E-dot )∝P{sup -1.5} P-dot {sup 0.5}. Given upper limits on gamma-ray fluxes of currently known radio pulsars and using the OG model, we find that about 92% of the radio-detected pulsars have gamma-ray beams that intersect our line of sight. By modeling the misalignment of radio and gamma-ray beams of these pulsars, we find an average gamma-ray beaming solid angle of about 3.7π for the OG model, assuming a uniform beam. Using LAT-measured diffuse fluxes, we place a 2σ upper limit on the average braking index and a 2σ lower limit on the average surface magnetic field strength of the pulsar population of 3.8 and 3.2 × 10{sup 10} G, respectively. We then predict the number of non-recycled pulsars detectable by the LAT based on our population model. Using the 2 yr sensitivity, we find that the LAT is capable of detecting emission from about 380 non-recycled pulsars, including 150 currently identified radio pulsars. Using the expected 5 yr sensitivity, about 620 non-recycled pulsars are detectable, including about 220 currently identified radio pulsars. We note that these predictions significantly depend on our model assumptions.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/776/1/61},
journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
number = 1,
volume = 776,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Thu Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}
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Journal Article:
DOI:  10.1088/0004-637X/776/1/61
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    Here, we use Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detections and upper limits on non-recycled pulsars obtained from the Large Area Telescope (LAT) to constrain how the gamma-ray luminosity L γ depends on the period P and the period derivativemore » $$\dot{P}$$. We use a Bayesian analysis to calculate a best-fit luminosity law, or dependence of L γ on P and $$\dot{P}$$, including different methods for modeling the beaming factor. An outer gap (OG) magnetosphere geometry provides the best-fit model, which is $$L_\gamma \propto P^{-a} \dot{P}^{b}$$ where a = 1.36 ± 0.03 and b = 0.44 ± 0.02, similar to but not identical to the commonly assumed $$L_\gamma \propto \sqrt{\dot{E}} \propto P^{-1.5} \dot{P}^{0.5}$$. Given upper limits on gamma-ray fluxes of currently known radio pulsars and using the OG model, we find that about 92% of the radio-detected pulsars have gamma-ray beams that intersect our line of sight. By modeling the misalignment of radio and gamma-ray beams of these pulsars, we find an average gamma-ray beaming solid angle of about 3.7π for the OG model, assuming a uniform beam. Using LAT-measured diffuse fluxes, we place a 2σ upper limit on the average braking index and a 2σ lower limit on the average surface magnetic field strength of the pulsar population of 3.8 and 3.2 × 1010 G, respectively. We then predict the number of non-recycled pulsars detectable by the LAT based on our population model. Using the 2 yr sensitivity, we find that the LAT is capable of detecting emission from about 380 non-recycled pulsars, including 150 currently identified radio pulsars. Using the expected 5 yr sensitivity, about 620 non-recycled pulsars are detectable, including about 220 currently identified radio pulsars. As a result, we note that these predictions significantly depend on our model assumptions.« less
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