No Arabic abstract
Understanding the natal kicks, or birth velocities, of neutron stars are essential for understanding the evolution of massive binaries as well as double neutron star formation. We use maximum likelihood methods as published in Verbunt et al. to analyse a new large dataset of parallaxes and proper motions measured by Deller et al. This sample is roughly three times larger than number of measurements available before. For both the complete sample and its younger part (spin-down ages $tau < 3$ Myr), we find that a bimodal Maxwellian distribution describes the measured parallaxes and proper motions better than a single Maxwellian with probability of 99.3 and 95.0 per cent respectively. The bimodal Maxwellian distribution has three parameters: fraction of low-velocity pulsars and distribution parameters $sigma_1$ and $sigma_2$ for low and high-velocity modes. For a complete sample, these parameters are as follows: $42_{-15}^{+17}$ per cent, $sigma_1=128_{-18}^{+22}$ km s$^{-1}$ and $sigma_2 = 298pm 28$ km s$^{-1}$. For younger pulsars, which are assumed to represent the natal kick, these parameters are as follows: $20_{-10}^{+11}$ per cent, $sigma_1=56_{-15}^{+25}$ km s$^{-1}$ and $sigma_2=336pm 45$ km s$^{-1}$. In the young population, $5pm 3$ per cent of pulsars has velocities less than 60 km s$^{-1}$. We perform multiple Monte Carlo tests for the method taking into account realistic observational selection. We find that the method reliably estimates all parameters of the natal kick distribution. Results of the velocity analysis are weakly sensitive to the exact values of scale-lengths of the Galactic pulsar distribution.
We argue that comparison with observations of theoretical models for the velocity distribution of pulsars must be done directly with the observed quantities, i.e. parallax and the two components of proper motion. We develop a formalism to do so, and apply it to pulsars with accurate VLBI measurements. We find that a distribution with two maxwellians improves significantly on a single maxwellian. The `mixed model takes into account that pulsars move away from their place of birth, a narrow region around the galactic plane. The best model has 42% of the pulsars in a maxwellian with average velocity sigma sqrt{8/pi}=120 km/s, and 58% in a maxwellian with average velocity 540 km/s. About 5% of the pulsars has a velocity at birth less than 60,km/s. For the youngest pulsars (tau_c<10 Myr), these numbers are 32% with 130 km/s, 68% with 520 km/s, and 3%, with appreciable uncertainties.
The abrupt change in the pulse period of a pulsar is called a pulsar glitch. In this paper, we present eleven pulsar glitches detected using the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) in high cadence timing observations of 8 pulsars. The measured relative amplitude of glitches ($Delta u/ u$) from our data ranges from $10^{-6}$ to $10^{-9}$. Among these glitches, three are new discoveries, being reported for the first time. We also reanalyze the largest pulsar glitch in the Crab pulsar (PSR J0534+2200) by fitting the ORT data to a new phenomenological model including the slow rise in the post-glitch evolution. We measure an exponential recovery of 30 days after the Vela glitch detected on MJD 57734 with a healing factor $Q=5.8times 10^{-3}$. Further, we report the largest glitch ($Delta u/ u = 3147.9 times 10^{-9}$) so far in PSR J1731$-$4744.
The current understanding of the spin evolution of young pulsars is reviewed through a compilation of braking index measurements. An immediate conclusion is that the spin evolution of all pulsars with a measured braking index is not purely caused by a constant magnetic dipole. The case of PSR J1734-3333 and its upward movement towards the magnetars is used as a guide to try to understand why pulsars evolve with n < 3. Evolution between different pulsar families, driven by the emergence of a hidden internal magnetic field, appears as one possible picture.
We present X-ray observations of two young energetic radio pulsars, PSRs B1046-58 and B1610-50, and their surroundings, using archival data from the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA). The energetic pulsar PSR B1046-58 is detected in X-rays with a significance of 4.5 sigma. The unabsorbed flux, estimated assuming a power-law spectrum and a neutral hydrogen column density N_H of 5E21 cm^-2 is (2.5 +/- 0.3) x 10E-13 ergs/cm^2/s in the 2-10 keV band. Pulsed emission is not detected; the pulsed fraction is less than 31% at the 90% confidence level for a 50% duty cycle. We argue that the emission is best explained as originating from a pulsar-powered synchrotron nebula. The X-ray counterpart of the pulsar is the only hard source within the 95% error region of the previously unidentified gamma-ray source 3EG J1048-5840. This evidence supports the results of Kaspi et al. (1999), who in a companion paper, suggest that PSR B1046-58 is the counterpart to 3EG J1048-5840. X-ray emission from PSR B1610-50 is not detected. Using similar assumptions as above, the derived 3 sigma upper limit for the unabsorbed 2-10 keV X-ray flux is 1.5E-13 ergs/cm^2/s. We use the flux limit to estimate the pulsars velocity to be less than ~170 km/s, casting doubt on a previously reported association between PSR B1610-50 and supernova remnant Kes 32. Kes 32 is detected, as is evident from the correlation between X-ray and radio emission. The ASCA images of PSR B1610-50 are dominated by mirror-scattered emission from the X-ray-bright supernova remnant RCW 103, located 33 away. We find no evidence for extended emission around either pulsar, in contrast to previous reports of large nebulae surrounding both pulsars.
High magnetic field (high-B) pulsars are key sources to bridge magnetars and conventional rotation powered pulsars, and thus to understand the origin of magnetar activities. We have estimated a tight upper-limit on the X-ray flux of one of the youngest high-B pulsars PSR J1208-6238 for the first time; a Chandra 10 ks observation shows no significant source. Depending on the emission models, the 3sigma upper-limit on the intrinsic 0.5-7 keV flux to (2.2-10.0)e-14 erg/s/cm2.