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Discovery of an Energetic Pulsar Associated with SNR G76.9+1.0We report the discovery of PSR J2022-<-3842, a 24 ms radio and X-ray pulsar in the supernova remnant G76.9+i.0, in observations with the Chandra X-ray telescope, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Radio Telescope, and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The pulsar's spin-down rate implies a rotation-powered luminosity E = 1.2 X 10(exp 38) erg/s, a surface dipole magnetic field strength B(sub S), = 1.0 X 10(exp 12) G, and a characteristic age of 8.9 kyr. PSR J2022+3842 is thus the second-most energetic Galactic pulsar known, after the Crab, as well as the most rapidly-rotating young, radio-bright pulsar known. The radio pulsations are highly dispersed and broadened by interstellar scattering, and we find that a large (delta f/f approximates 1.9 x 10(exp -6)) spin glitch must have occurred between our discovery and confirmation observations. The X-ray pulses are narrow (0.06 cycles FWHM) and visible up to 20 keV, consistent with magnetospheric emission from a rotation-powered pulsar. The Chandra X-ray image identifies the pulsar with a hard, unresolved source at the midpoint of the double-lobed radio morphology of G76.9+ 1.0 and embedded within faint, compact X-ray nebulosity. The spatial relationship of the X-ray and radio emissions is remarkably similar to extended structure seen around the Vela pulsar. The combined Chandra and RXTE pulsar spectrum is well-fitted by an absorbed power-law model with column density N(sub H) = (1.7 +/- 0.3) x 10(exp 22) / sq cm and photon index Gamma = 1.0 +/- 0.2; it implies that the Chandra point-source flux is virtually 100% pulsed. For a distance of 10 kpc, the X-ray luminosity of PSR J2022+3842 is L(sub x){2-1O keV) = 7.0 x 10(exp 33) erg/s. Despite being extraordinarily energetic, PSR J2022+3842 lacks a bright X-ray wind nebula and has an unusually low conversion efficiency of spin-down power to X-ray luminosity, Lx/E = 5.9 X 10(exp-5).
Document ID
20120011719
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Arzoumanian, Zaven (Universities Space Research Association Columbia, MD, United States)
Gotthelf, E. V. (Columbia Univ. New York, NY, United States)
Ransom, S. M. (National Radio Astronomy Observatory Charlottesville, VA, United States)
Safi-Harb, S. (Manitoba Univ. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
Kothes, R. (Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory Penticton, British Columbia, Canada)
Landecker, T. L. (Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory Penticton, British Columbia, Canada)
Date Acquired
August 26, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2012
Subject Category
Astronomy
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.JA.01035.2012
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: G05-6077Z
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS8-03060
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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