We report the discovery of gamma-ray pulsations from the nearby isolated millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J0030+0451 with the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST). This discovery makes PSR J0030+0451 the second MSP to be detected in gamma rays after PSR J0218+4232, observed by the EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. The spin-down power (E) over dot = 3.5 x 10(33) erg s(-1) is an order of magnitude lower than the empirical lower bound of previously known gamma-ray pulsars. The emission profile is characterized by two narrow peaks, 0.07 +/- 0.01 and 0.08 +/- 0.02 wide, respectively, separated by 0.44 +/- 0.02 in phase. The first gamma-ray peak falls 0.15 +/- 0.01 after the main radio peak. The pulse shape is similar to that of the "normal" gamma-ray pulsars. An exponentially cutoff power-law fit of the emission spectrum leads to an integral photon flux above 100 MeV of (6.76 +/- 1.05 +/- 1.35) x 10(-8) cm(-2) s(-1) with cutoff energy (1.7 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.5) GeV. Based on its parallax distance of (300 +/- 90) pc, we obtain a gamma-ray efficiency L(gamma)/E similar or equal to 15% for the conversion of spin-down energy rate into gamma-ray radiation, assuming isotropic emission.

Pulsed gamma rays from the millisecond pulsar J0030+0451 with the fermi large area telescope / Abdo, A.A., Ackermann, M., Atwood, W.B., Axelsson, M., Baldini, L., Ballet, J., Barbiellini, G., Bastieri, D., Battelino, M., Baughman, B.M., Bechtol, K., Bellazzini, R., Berenji, B., Bloom, E.D., Bonamente, E., Borgland, A.W., Bregeon, J., Brez, A., Brigida, M., Bruel, P., et al.. - In: THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL. - ISSN 0004-637X. - 699:2(2009), pp. 1171-1177. [10.1088/0004-637X/699/2/1171]

Pulsed gamma rays from the millisecond pulsar J0030+0451 with the fermi large area telescope

FAVUZZI, Cecilia;GIGLIETTO, Nicola;
2009

Abstract

We report the discovery of gamma-ray pulsations from the nearby isolated millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J0030+0451 with the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST). This discovery makes PSR J0030+0451 the second MSP to be detected in gamma rays after PSR J0218+4232, observed by the EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. The spin-down power (E) over dot = 3.5 x 10(33) erg s(-1) is an order of magnitude lower than the empirical lower bound of previously known gamma-ray pulsars. The emission profile is characterized by two narrow peaks, 0.07 +/- 0.01 and 0.08 +/- 0.02 wide, respectively, separated by 0.44 +/- 0.02 in phase. The first gamma-ray peak falls 0.15 +/- 0.01 after the main radio peak. The pulse shape is similar to that of the "normal" gamma-ray pulsars. An exponentially cutoff power-law fit of the emission spectrum leads to an integral photon flux above 100 MeV of (6.76 +/- 1.05 +/- 1.35) x 10(-8) cm(-2) s(-1) with cutoff energy (1.7 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.5) GeV. Based on its parallax distance of (300 +/- 90) pc, we obtain a gamma-ray efficiency L(gamma)/E similar or equal to 15% for the conversion of spin-down energy rate into gamma-ray radiation, assuming isotropic emission.
2009
Pulsed gamma rays from the millisecond pulsar J0030+0451 with the fermi large area telescope / Abdo, A.A., Ackermann, M., Atwood, W.B., Axelsson, M., Baldini, L., Ballet, J., Barbiellini, G., Bastieri, D., Battelino, M., Baughman, B.M., Bechtol, K., Bellazzini, R., Berenji, B., Bloom, E.D., Bonamente, E., Borgland, A.W., Bregeon, J., Brez, A., Brigida, M., Bruel, P., et al.. - In: THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL. - ISSN 0004-637X. - 699:2(2009), pp. 1171-1177. [10.1088/0004-637X/699/2/1171]
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Abdo_2009_ApJ_699_1171.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Versione editoriale
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati
Dimensione 243.93 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
243.93 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11589/103
Citazioni
  • Scopus 46
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 41
social impact