Pulsed X‐Ray Emission from the Fastest Millisecond Pulsar: PSR B1937+21 withASCA

• DOI: 10.1086/321330
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T18:30:14Z
• Authors: Motoki Takahashi; Shinpei Shibata; Ken’ichi Torii; Yoshitaka Saito; Nobuyuki Kawai; Masaharu Hirayama; Tadayasu Dotani; Shuichi Gunji; Hirohisa Sakurai; Ingrid H. Stairs; Richard N. Manche...
• Keywords: Millisecond; Ephemeris; X-ray pulsar

We have detected pulsed X-ray emission from the fastest millisecond pulsar known, PSR B1937+21 (P = 1.558 ms), with ASCA. The is as a point source above ~1.7 keV, no indication of nebulosity. flux in 2-10 keV band found to be f (3.7 ± 0.6) × 10-13 ergs s-1 cm-2, which implies an isotropic luminosity LX 4πD2f ~ (5.7 1.0) 1032(D/3.6 kpc)2 s-1, where D distance, and efficiency ~5 10-4, relative spin-down power pulsar. pulsation at period predicted by radio ephemeris very narrow primary peak, width about 1/16 phase (~100 μs), near time resolution limit (61 μs) observation. instantaneous peak (1/16 interval) (4.0 0.8) 10-12 cm-2. Although there for secondary we consider its statistical significance too low claim definite detection. pulse profile detection imply that caused magnetospheric particle acceleration. Comparison arrival times pulses indicates, within timing errors, coincident interpulse.