Multi-wavelength emissions from the millisecond pulsar binary PSR J1023+0038 during an accretion active state

Journal Article · Sun Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/785/2/131· OSTI ID:22357088

Takata, J.; Leung, Gene C. K.; Wu, E. M. H.; Cheng, K. S. ^[1]; Li, K. L.; Kong, A. K. H.; Tam, P. H. T. ^[2]; Hui, C. Y. ^[3]; Xing, Yi; Wang, Zhongxiang ^[4]; Cao, Yi; Tang, Sumin ^[5]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (China)
2. Institute of Astronomy and Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China)
3. Department of Astronomy and Space Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)
4. Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030 (China)
5. Astronomy Department, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

Recent observations strongly suggest that the millisecond pulsar binary PSR J1023+0038 has developed an accretion disk since 2013 June. We present a multi-wavelength analysis of PSR J1023+0038, which reveals that (1) its gamma-rays suddenly brightened within a few days in 2013 June/July and has remained at a high gamma-ray state for several months; (2) both UV and X-ray fluxes have increased by roughly an order of magnitude; and (3) the spectral energy distribution has changed significantly after the gamma-ray sudden flux change. Time variabilities associated with UV and X-rays are on the order of 100-500 s and 50-100 s, respectively. Our model suggests that a newly formed accretion disk, due to the sudden increase of the stellar wind, could explain the changes of all these observed features. The increase of UV is emitted from the disk, and a new component in gamma-rays is produced by inverse Compton scattering between the new UV component and pulsar wind. The increase of X-rays results from the enhancement of injection pulsar wind energy into the intra-binary shock due to the increase of the stellar wind. We also predict that the radio pulses may be blocked by the evaporated winds from the disk, and the pulsar is still powered by rotation.

• OSTI ID: 22357088
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 785, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ACCRETION DISKS
BINARY STARS
COMPTON EFFECT
EMISSION
ENERGY SPECTRA
GAMMA RADIATION
PULSARS
PULSES
STELLAR WINDS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
WAVELENGTHS
X RADIATION