Modeling the non-recycled Fermi Gamma-ray pulsar population
Abstract
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 derivative $$\dot{P}$$. 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.
- Authors:
-
- West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States)
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
- Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States). SLAC National Accelerator Lab.
- Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1356561
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 776; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
- Publisher:
- Institute of Physics (IOP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; pulsars: general; stars: neutron
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.
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. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/776/1/61
Perera, B. B. P., McLaughlin, M. A., Cordes, J. M., Kerr, M., Burnett, T. H., and Harding, A. K. Wed .
"Modeling the non-recycled Fermi Gamma-ray pulsar population". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/776/1/61. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1356561.
@article{osti_1356561,
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 = {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 derivative $\dot{P}$. 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.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/776/1/61},
journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
number = 1,
volume = 776,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Wed Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}
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