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Title: PULSE BROADENING MEASUREMENTS FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER PULSAR J1745-2900

Abstract

We present temporal scattering measurements of single pulses and average profiles of PSR J1745-2900, a magnetar recently discovered only 3 arcsec away from Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), from 1.2 to 18.95 GHz using the Effelsberg 100 m Radio Telescope, the Nançay Decimetric Radio Telescope, and the Jodrell Bank Lovell Telescope. Single pulse analysis shows that the integrated pulse profile above 2 GHz is dominated by pulse jitter, while below 2 GHz the pulse profile shape is dominated by scattering. This is the first object in the Galactic center (GC) with both pulse broadening and angular broadening measurements. We measure a pulse broadening time scale at 1 GHz of τ{sub 1GHz} = 1.3 ± 0.2 and pulse broadening spectral index of α = –3.8 ± 0.2, which is several orders of magnitude lower than predicted by the NE2001 model (Cordes and Lazio 2002). If this scattering time scale is representative of the GC as a whole, then previous surveys should have detected many pulsars. The lack of detections implies either our understanding of scattering in the GC is incomplete or there are fewer pulsars in the GC than previously predicted. Given that magnetars are a rare class of radio pulsar, there are likely many canonical and millisecond pulsarsmore » in the GC, and not surprisingly, scattering in the GC is spatially complex.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]; ; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn D-53121 (Germany)
  2. Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, M13, 9PL Manchester (United Kingdom)
  3. Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace LPC2E CNRS-Université d'Orléans, F-45071 Orléans Cedex 02, and Station de radioastronomie de Nançay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, F-18330 Nançay (France)
  4. UC Berkeley Astronomy Department, B-20 Hearst Field Annex, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)
  5. Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22364070
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 780; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; DETECTION; GHZ RANGE; INDEXES; MAGNETIC STARS; MILKY WAY; PULSARS; PULSES; RADIO TELESCOPES; SCATTERING

Citation Formats

Spitler, L. G., Lee, K. J., Eatough, R. P., Kramer, M., Karuppusamy, R., Desvignes, G., Champion, D. J., Falcke, H., Bassa, C. G., Lyne, A. G., Stappers, B. W., Cognard, I., Bower, G. C., and Cordes, J. M. PULSE BROADENING MEASUREMENTS FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER PULSAR J1745-2900. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/780/1/L3.
Spitler, L. G., Lee, K. J., Eatough, R. P., Kramer, M., Karuppusamy, R., Desvignes, G., Champion, D. J., Falcke, H., Bassa, C. G., Lyne, A. G., Stappers, B. W., Cognard, I., Bower, G. C., & Cordes, J. M. PULSE BROADENING MEASUREMENTS FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER PULSAR J1745-2900. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/780/1/L3
Spitler, L. G., Lee, K. J., Eatough, R. P., Kramer, M., Karuppusamy, R., Desvignes, G., Champion, D. J., Falcke, H., Bassa, C. G., Lyne, A. G., Stappers, B. W., Cognard, I., Bower, G. C., and Cordes, J. M. 2014. "PULSE BROADENING MEASUREMENTS FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER PULSAR J1745-2900". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/780/1/L3.
@article{osti_22364070,
title = {PULSE BROADENING MEASUREMENTS FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER PULSAR J1745-2900},
author = {Spitler, L. G. and Lee, K. J. and Eatough, R. P. and Kramer, M. and Karuppusamy, R. and Desvignes, G. and Champion, D. J. and Falcke, H. and Bassa, C. G. and Lyne, A. G. and Stappers, B. W. and Cognard, I. and Bower, G. C. and Cordes, J. M.},
abstractNote = {We present temporal scattering measurements of single pulses and average profiles of PSR J1745-2900, a magnetar recently discovered only 3 arcsec away from Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), from 1.2 to 18.95 GHz using the Effelsberg 100 m Radio Telescope, the Nançay Decimetric Radio Telescope, and the Jodrell Bank Lovell Telescope. Single pulse analysis shows that the integrated pulse profile above 2 GHz is dominated by pulse jitter, while below 2 GHz the pulse profile shape is dominated by scattering. This is the first object in the Galactic center (GC) with both pulse broadening and angular broadening measurements. We measure a pulse broadening time scale at 1 GHz of τ{sub 1GHz} = 1.3 ± 0.2 and pulse broadening spectral index of α = –3.8 ± 0.2, which is several orders of magnitude lower than predicted by the NE2001 model (Cordes and Lazio 2002). If this scattering time scale is representative of the GC as a whole, then previous surveys should have detected many pulsars. The lack of detections implies either our understanding of scattering in the GC is incomplete or there are fewer pulsars in the GC than previously predicted. Given that magnetars are a rare class of radio pulsar, there are likely many canonical and millisecond pulsars in the GC, and not surprisingly, scattering in the GC is spatially complex.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/780/1/L3},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22364070}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 1,
volume = 780,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}