The Proper Motion of the High Galactic Latitude Pulsar Calvera

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rigoselli, Michela, Mereghetti, Sandro, Halpern, Jules P., Gotthelf, Eric V., Bassa, Cees G.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866917821381869568
author Rigoselli, Michela
Mereghetti, Sandro
Halpern, Jules P.
Gotthelf, Eric V.
Bassa, Cees G.
author_facet Rigoselli, Michela
Mereghetti, Sandro
Halpern, Jules P.
Gotthelf, Eric V.
Bassa, Cees G.
contents Calvera (1RXS J141256.0+792204) is a pulsar of characteristic age 285 kyr at a high Galactic latitude of b=+37°, detected only in soft thermal X-rays. We measure a new and precise proper motion for Calvera using Chandra HRC-I observations obtained 10 years apart. We also derive a new phase-connected ephemeris using 6 years of NICER data, including the astrometric position and proper motion as fixed parameters in the timing solution. Calvera is located near the center of a faint, circular radio ring that was recently discovered by LOFAR and confirmed as a supernova remnant (SNR) by the detection of gamma-ray emission with Fermi/LAT. The proper motion of $78.5 \pm 2.9$ mas/yr at position angle $241°.3 \pm 2°.2$ (in Galactic coordinates) points away from the center of the ring, a result which differs markedly from a previous low-significance measurement, and greatly simplifies the interpretation of the SNR/pulsar association. It argues that the supernova indeed birthed Calvera <10 kyr ago, with an initial spin period close to its present value of 59 ms. The tangential velocity of the pulsar depends on its uncertain distance, $v_t=(372 \pm 14) d_{1 kpc}$ km/s, but is probably dominated by the supernova kick, while its progenitor could have been a runaway O or B star from the Galactic disk.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_21828
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Proper Motion of the High Galactic Latitude Pulsar Calvera
Rigoselli, Michela
Mereghetti, Sandro
Halpern, Jules P.
Gotthelf, Eric V.
Bassa, Cees G.
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Calvera (1RXS J141256.0+792204) is a pulsar of characteristic age 285 kyr at a high Galactic latitude of b=+37°, detected only in soft thermal X-rays. We measure a new and precise proper motion for Calvera using Chandra HRC-I observations obtained 10 years apart. We also derive a new phase-connected ephemeris using 6 years of NICER data, including the astrometric position and proper motion as fixed parameters in the timing solution. Calvera is located near the center of a faint, circular radio ring that was recently discovered by LOFAR and confirmed as a supernova remnant (SNR) by the detection of gamma-ray emission with Fermi/LAT. The proper motion of $78.5 \pm 2.9$ mas/yr at position angle $241°.3 \pm 2°.2$ (in Galactic coordinates) points away from the center of the ring, a result which differs markedly from a previous low-significance measurement, and greatly simplifies the interpretation of the SNR/pulsar association. It argues that the supernova indeed birthed Calvera <10 kyr ago, with an initial spin period close to its present value of 59 ms. The tangential velocity of the pulsar depends on its uncertain distance, $v_t=(372 \pm 14) d_{1 kpc}$ km/s, but is probably dominated by the supernova kick, while its progenitor could have been a runaway O or B star from the Galactic disk.
title The Proper Motion of the High Galactic Latitude Pulsar Calvera
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21828