Multi-wavelength observations of the radio magnetar PSRJ 1622-4950 and discovery of its possibly associated supernova remnant

Search Swinburne Research Bank

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/224271

Check Swinburne's subscriptions for full text availability

Title: Multi-wavelength observations of the radio magnetar PSRJ 1622-4950 and discovery of its possibly associated supernova remnant
Author(s): Anderson, Gemma E.; Gaensler, B. M.; Slane, Patrick O.; Rea, Nanda; Kaplan, David L.; Posselt, Bettina; Levin, Lina; Johnston, Simon; Murray, Stephen S.; Brogan, Crystal L.; Bailes, Matthew; Bates, Samuel; Benjamin, Robert A.; Bhat, N. D. Ramesh; Burgay, Marta; Burke-Spolaor, Sarah; Chakrabarty, Deepto; D'Amico, Nichi; Drake, Jeremy J.; Esposito, Paolo; Grindlay, Jonathan E.; Hong, Jaesub; Israel, G. L.; Keith, Michael J.; Kramer, Michael; Lazio, T. Joseph W.; Lee, Julia C.; Mauerhan, Jon C.; Milia, Sabrina; Possenti, Andrea; Stappers, Ben; Steeghs, Danny T. H.
Abstract: We present multi-wavelength observations of the radio magnetar PSR J1622-4950 and its environment. Observations of PSR J1622-4950 with Chandra (in 2007 and 2009) and XMM (in 2011) show that the X-ray flux of PSR J1622-4950 has decreased by a factor of ~50 over 3.7 years, decaying exponentially with a characteristic time of τ = 360 & 0177; 11 days. This behavior identifies PSR J1622-4950 as a possible addition to the small class of transient magnetars. The X-ray decay likely indicates that PSR J1622-4950 is recovering from an X-ray outburst that occurred earlier in 2007, before the 2007 Chandra observations. Observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array show strong radio variability, including a possible radio flaring event at least one and a half years after the 2007 X-ray outburst that may be a direct result of this X-ray event. Radio observations with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope reveal that PSR J1622-4950 is 8' southeast of a diffuse radio arc, G333.9+0.0, which appears non-thermal in nature and which could possibly be a previously undiscovered supernova remnant (SNR). If G333.9+0.0 is an SNR then the estimates of its size and age, combined with the close proximity and reasonable implied velocity of PSR J1622-4950, suggest that these two objects could be physically associated.
Publication type: Journal article
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies. Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing
Source: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 751, no. 1 (May 2012), article no. 53
Publication year: 2012
FOR Code(s): 0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences; 0305 Organic Chemistry; 0306 Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural)
Keyword(s): G333.9+0.0; ISM; Neutrons; PSR J1622-4950; Pulsars; Radio continuum; Stars; Supernova remnants; X-rays
Publisher: Institute of Physics Publishing
ISSN: 0004-637X
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/751/1/53
Copyright: Copyright © 2012 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. The American Astronomical Society does not allow Swinburne Research Bank to archive either the accepted manuscript or the published version of the article. However you can find an earlier version of the full text here: http://arxiv.org/abs/1203.2719.
Peer reviewed