No Arabic abstract
PSR J$1946+3417$ is a millisecond pulsar (MSP) with a spin period $Psimeq3.17rm~ms$. Harbored in a binary with an orbital period $P_{rm b}simeq27$ days, the MSP is accompanied by a white dwarf (WD). The masses of the MSP and the WD were determined to be $1.83rm~M_odot$ and $0.266rm~M_odot$, respectively. Specially, its orbital eccentricity is $esimeq0.134$, which is challenging the recycling model of MSPs. Assuming that the neutron star in a binary may collapse to a strange star when its mass reaches a critical limit, we propose a phase transition (PT) scenario to account for the origin of the system. The sudden mass loss and the kick induced by asymmetric collapse during the PT may result in the orbital eccentricity. If the PT event takes place after the mass transfer ceases, the eccentric orbit can not be re-circularized in the Hubble time. Aiming at the masses of both components, we simulate the evolution of the progenitor of PSR J$1946+3417$ via texttt{MESA}. The simulations show that a NS / main sequence star binary with initial masses of $1.4+1.6rm~M_odot$ in an initial orbit of 2.59 days will evolve into a binary consisting of a $2.0rm~M_odot$ MSP and a $0.27rm~M_odot$ WD in an orbit of $sim21.5$ days. Assuming that the gravitational mass loss fraction during PT is $10%$, we simulate the effect of PT via the kick program of texttt{BSE} with a velocity of $sigma_{rm PT}=60~{rm km~s}^{-1}$. The results show that the PT scenario can reproduce the observed orbital period and eccentricity with higher probability then other values.
According to the recycling model, neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries were spun up to millisecond pulsars (MSPs), which indicates that all MSPs in the Galactic plane ought to be harbored in binaries. However, about $20%$ Galactic field MSPs are found to be solitary. To interpret this problem, we assume that the accreting neutron star in binaries may collapse and become a strange star when it reaches some critical mass limit. Mass loss and a weak kick induced by asymmetric collapse during the phase transition (PT) from neutron star to strange star can result in isolated MSPs. In this work, we use a population-synthesis code to examine the PT model. The simulated results show that a kick velocity of $sim60~{rm km~s}^{-1}$ can produce $sim6times10^3$ isolated MSPs and birth rate of $sim6.6times10^{-7} {rm ~yr}^{-1}$ in the Galaxy, which is approximately in agreement with predictions from observations. For the purpose of comparisons with future observation, we also give the mass distributions of radio and X-ray binary MSPs, along with the delay time distribution.
We report on Bayesian parameter estimation of the mass and equatorial radius of the millisecond pulsar PSR J0030$+$0451, conditional on pulse-profile modeling of Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray spectral-timing event data. We perform relativistic ray-tracing of thermal emission from hot regions of the pulsars surface. We assume two distinct hot regions based on two clear pulsed components in the phase-folded pulse-profile data; we explore a number of forms (morphologies and topologies) for each hot region, inferring their parameters in addition to the stellar mass and radius. For the family of models considered, the evidence (prior predictive probability of the data) strongly favors a model that permits both hot regions to be located in the same rotational hemisphere. Models wherein both hot regions are assumed to be simply-connected circular single-temperature spots, in particular those where the spots are assumed to be reflection-symmetric with respect to the stellar origin, are strongly disfavored. For the inferred configuration, one hot region subtends an angular extent of only a few degrees (in spherical coordinates with origin at the stellar center) and we are insensitive to other structural details; the second hot region is far more azimuthally extended in the form of a narrow arc, thus requiring a larger number of parameters to describe. The inferred mass $M$ and equatorial radius $R_mathrm{eq}$ are, respectively, $1.34_{-0.16}^{+0.15}$ M$_{odot}$ and $12.71_{-1.19}^{+1.14}$ km, whilst the compactness $GM/R_mathrm{eq}c^2 = 0.156_{-0.010}^{+0.008}$ is more tightly constrained; the credible interval bounds reported here are approximately the $16%$ and $84%$ quantiles in marginal posterior mass.
The predicted nature of the candidate redback pulsar 3FGL,J2039.6$-$5618 was recently confirmed by the discovery of $gamma$-ray millisecond pulsations (Clark et al. 2020, hereafter Paper,I), which identify this $gamma$-ray source as msp. We observed this object with the Parkes radio telescope in 2016 and 2019. We detect radio pulsations at 1.4,GHz and 3.1,GHz, at the 2.6ms period discovered in $gamma$-rays, and also at 0.7,GHz in one 2015 archival observation. In all bands, the radio pulse profile is characterised by a single relatively broad peak which leads the main $gamma$-ray peak. At 1.4,GHz we found clear evidence of eclipses of the radio signal for about half of the orbit, a characteristic phenomenon in redback systems, which we associate with the presence of intra-binary gas. From the dispersion measure of $24.57pm0.03$,pc,cm$^{-3}$ we derive a pulsar distance of $0.9pm 0.2$,kpc or $1.7pm0.7$,kpc, depending on the assumed Galactic electron density model. The modelling of the radio and $gamma$-ray light curves leads to an independent determination of the orbital inclination, and to a determination of the pulsar mass, qualitatively consistent to the results in Paper,I.
PSR J1024$-$0719 is a millisecond pulsar that was long thought to be isolated. However, puzzling results concerning its velocity, distance, and low rotational period derivative have led to reexamination of its properties. We present updated radio timing observations along with new and archival optical data that show PSR J1024$-$0719 is most likely in a long period (2$-$20 kyr) binary system with a low-mass ($approx 0.4,M_odot$) low-metallicity ($Z approx -0.9,$ dex) main sequence star. Such a system can explain most of the anomalous properties of this pulsar. We suggest that this system formed through a dynamical exchange in a globular cluster that ejected it into a halo orbit, consistent with the low observed metallicity for the stellar companion. Further astrometric and radio timing observations such as measurement of the third period derivative could strongly constrain the range of orbital parameters.
We present the discovery of a binary millisecond pulsar (MSP), PSR J2322$-$2650, found in the Southern section of the High Time Resolution Universe survey. This system contains a 3.5-ms pulsar with a $sim10^{-3}$ M$_{odot}$ companion in a 7.75-hour circular orbit. Follow-up observations at the Parkes and Lovell telescopes have led to precise measurements of the astrometric and spin parameters, including the period derivative, timing parallax, and proper motion. PSR J2322$-$2650 has a parallax of $4.4pm1.2$ mas, and is thus at an inferred distance of $230^{+90}_{-50}$ pc, making this system a candidate for optical studies. We have detected a source of $Rapprox26.4$ mag at the radio position in a single $R$-band observation with the Keck Telescope, and this is consistent with the blackbody temperature we would expect from the companion if it fills its Roche lobe. The intrinsic period derivative of PSR J2322$-$2650 is among the lowest known, $4.4(4)times10^{-22}$ s s$^{-1}$, implying a low surface magnetic field strength, $4.0(4)times10^7$ G. Its mean radio flux density of 160 $mu$Jy combined with the distance implies that its radio luminosity is the lowest ever measured, $0.008(5)$ mJy kpc$^2$. The inferred population of these systems in the Galaxy may be very significant, suggesting that this is a common MSP evolutionary path.