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Marcus Lower

Publications and source records attributed to Marcus Lower.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

The Third Fermi Large Area Telescope Catalog of Gamma-ray Pulsars

We present 294 pulsars found in GeV data from the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Another 33 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) discovered in deep radio searches of LAT sources will likely reveal pulsations once phase-connected rotation ephemerides are achieved. A further dozen optical and/or X-ray binary systems co-located with LAT sources also likely harbor gamma-ray MSPs. This catalog thus reports roughly 340 gamma-ray pulsars and candidates, 10% of all known pulsars, compared to $\leq 11$ known before Fermi. Half of the gamma-ray pulsars are young. Of these, the half that are undetected in radio have a broader Galactic latitude distribution than the young radio-loud pulsars. The others are MSPs, with 6 undetected in radio. Overall, >235 are bright enough above 50 MeV to fit the pulse profile, the energy spectrum, or both. For the common two-peaked profiles, the gamma-ray peak closest to the magnetic pole crossing generally has a softer spectrum. The spectral energy distributions tend to narrow as the spindown power $\dot E$ decreases to its observed minimum near $10^{33}$ erg s$^{-1}$, approaching the shape for synchrotron radiation from monoenergetic electrons. We calculate gamma-ray luminosities when distances are available. Our all-sky gamma-ray sensitivity map is useful for population syntheses. The electronic catalog version provides gamma-ray pulsar ephemerides, properties and fit results to guide and be compared with modeling results.

astro-ph.HE

Probing magnetar formation channels with high-precision astrometry: The progress of VLBA astrometry of the fastest-spinning magnetar Swift J1818.0-1607

Boasting supreme magnetic strengths, magnetars are among the prime candidates to generate fast radio bursts. Several theories have been proposed for the formation mechanism of magnetars, but have not yet been fully tested. As different magnetar formation theories expect distinct magnetar space velocity distributions, high-precision astrometry of Galactic magnetars can serve as a probe for the formation theories. In addition, magnetar astrometry can refine the understanding of the distribution of Galactic magnetars. This distribution can be compared against fast radio bursts (FRBs) localized in spiral galaxies, in order to test the link between FRBs and magnetars. Swift J1818.0-1607 is the hitherto fastest-spinning magnetar and the fifth discovered radio magnetar. In an ongoing astrometric campaign, we have observed Swift J1818.0-1607 for one year using the Very Long Baseline Array, and have determined a precise proper motion as well as a tentative parallax for the magnetar.

astro-ph.HE

A supernova remnant association for the fast-moving pulsar PSR J0908-4913

A recent measurement of the proper motion of PSR J0908-4913 shows that it is a fast moving object at a distance of some 3 kpc. Here we present evidence that the pulsar is located at the edge of a previously unknown, filled-centre supernova remnant, G270.4-1.0. The velocity vector of the pulsar points directly away from the centre of the remnant. The putative association of the pulsar with SNR G270.4-1.0 implies the pulsar is ~12kyr old, significantly less than its characteristic age of 110kyr. We show that the rotation axis of the pulsar points in the direction of the proper motion. Rotation measure and dispersion measure variations are seen over time, likely indicating the pulsar is passing behind a filament of the remnant.

astro-ph.HE