PSR J0437−4715

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PSR J0437−4715
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Pictor
Right ascension 04h 37m 15.81476s[1]
Declination −47° 15′ 08.6242″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 20.98±0.09[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type Pulsar
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: 121.453 mas/yr
Dec.: 71.457 mas/yr
Distance509.8 ly
(156.3[3] pc)
Details
Mass1.44[4] M☉
Other designations
PSR B0435−47, 1RXS J043714.5−471503
Database references
SIMBADdata

PSR J0437−4715 is a pulsar. Discovered in the Parkes 70 cm survey,[5] it remains the closest and brightest millisecond pulsar (MSP) known. The pulsar rotates about its axis 173.7 times per second and therefore completes a rotation every 5.75 milliseconds. It emits a searchlight-like radio beam that sweeps past the Earth each time it rotates. Until the Gaia mission, it was the most precisely located object outside of the Solar System, recorded in 2008 at 156.3±1.3 parsecs or 509.8±4.2 light-years distant.[3]

This pulsar is distinguished by being the most stable natural clock known and is debatably more stable than man-made atomic clocks.[6][7] Its stability is about one part in 1015. Two other pulsars, PSR B1855+09 and PSR B1937+21 are known to be comparable in stability to atomic clocks, or about 3 parts in 1014.

PSR J0437−4715 is the first MSP to have its X-ray emission detected and studied in detail.[8] It is also the first of only two pulsars to have the full three-dimensional orientation of its orbit determined.[9]

Optical observations indicate that the binary companion of PSR J0437-4715 is most likely a low-mass helium white dwarf.[2] The pulsar is about 1.4 solar mass (M☉)[4] and the companion is about 0.25 M☉.[1] The pair revolve around each other every 5.75 days in nearly perfect circular orbits.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Verbiest, J. P. W.; Bailes, M.; van Straten, W.; Hobbs, G. B.; et al. (2008). "Precision Timing of PSR J0437-4715: An Accurate Pulsar Distance, a High Pulsar Mass, and a Limit on the Variation of Newton's Gravitational Constant". The Astrophysical Journal. 679 (1): 675. arXiv:0801.2589. Bibcode:2008ApJ...679..675V. doi:10.1086/529576. S2CID 5207918.
  2. ^ a b Bell, J. F.; Bailes, M.; Bessell, M. S. (1993). "Optical detection of the companion of the millisecond pulsar J0437–4715". Nature. 364 (6438): 603. Bibcode:1993Natur.364..603B. doi:10.1038/364603a0. S2CID 44962125.
  3. ^ a b Deller, A. T.; Verbiest, J. P. W.; Tingay, S. J.; Bailes, M. (2008). "Extremely High Precision VLBI Astrometry of PSR J0437-4715 and Implications for Theories of Gravity". The Astrophysical Journal. 685 (1): L67 – L70. arXiv:0808.1594. Bibcode:2008ApJ...685L..67D. doi:10.1086/592401. S2CID 8362572.
  4. ^ a b Reardon, D. J.; Hobbs, G.; Coles, W.; Levin, Y.; et al. (2016). "Timing analysis for 20 millisecond pulsars in the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 455 (2): 1751–1769. arXiv:1510.04434. Bibcode:2016MNRAS.455.1751R. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv2395.
  5. ^ Johnston, Simon; Lorimer, D. R.; Harrison, P. A.; Bailes, M.; Lynet, A. G.; Bell, J. F.; Kaspi, V. M.; Manchester, R. N.; et al. (1993). "Discovery of a very bright, nearby binary millisecond pulsar". Nature. 361 (6413): 613–615. Bibcode:1993Natur.361..613J. doi:10.1038/361613a0. S2CID 4324763.
  6. ^ "Timing stability". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
  7. ^ Hartnett, J. G.; Luiten, A. N. (2011). "Colloquium: Comparison of astrophysical and terrestrial frequency standards". Reviews of Modern Physics. 83 (1): 1–9. arXiv:1004.0115. Bibcode:2011RvMP...83....1H. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.83.1. S2CID 118396798.
  8. ^ Becker, Werner; Trümper, Joachim (1993). "Detection of pulsed X-rays from the binary millisecond pulsar J0437 - 4715". Nature. 365 (6446): 528. Bibcode:1993Natur.365..528B. doi:10.1038/365528a0. S2CID 4342134.
  9. ^ Van Straten, W.; Bailes, M.; Britton, M.; Kulkarni, S. R.; et al. (2001). "A test of general relativity from the three-dimensional orbital geometry of a binary pulsar". Nature. 412 (6843): 158–160. arXiv:astro-ph/0108254. Bibcode:2001Natur.412..158V. doi:10.1038/35084015. PMID 11449265. S2CID 4363384.
  10. ^ "Tables of Binary and Millisecond Pulsars". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2009-05-09.