SpiderCat: A Catalog of Compact Binary Millisecond Pulsars

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Koljonen, Karri I. I., Linares, Manuel
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Koljonen, Karri I. I.
Linares, Manuel
author_facet Koljonen, Karri I. I.
Linares, Manuel
contents We present SpiderCat, a multiwavelength catalog of all publicly known compact binary millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in the Galactic field. These systems, colloquially known as "spiders," consist of neutron stars in tight orbits with low-mass companions, which are gradually ablated by the pulsar wind. SpiderCat includes both primary subclasses$-$redbacks and black widows$-$distinguished by companion mass, as well as candidates and peculiar systems such as transitional, huntsman and tidarren MSPs. As of this initial release, SpiderCat contains 111 entries: 30 redbacks, 50 black widows, two huntsmans, 23 redback candidates, five black widow candidates, and one huntsman candidate. In this paper, we compile and summarize key parameters for each system, including spin and orbital properties, and multiwavelength data from radio, optical, X-ray, and $γ$-ray observations. An interactive, publicly accessible web interface, at https://astro.phys.ntnu.no/SpiderCAT, enables exploration and visualization of the data. The rapid growth of the number of known spiders, accelerated by the Fermi Large Area Telescope survey and its ability to identify MSPs in $γ$-rays, has opened the door to population-level studies. Utilizing SpiderCat, we analyze trends in spin period, orbital period, companion mass, emission properties, and spatial distribution. SpiderCat serves as a dynamic, multiwavelength repository for this unique class of binary pulsars, facilitating new discoveries and constraints on pulsar evolution, particle acceleration, and the neutron star equation of state.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_11691
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle SpiderCat: A Catalog of Compact Binary Millisecond Pulsars
Koljonen, Karri I. I.
Linares, Manuel
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
We present SpiderCat, a multiwavelength catalog of all publicly known compact binary millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in the Galactic field. These systems, colloquially known as "spiders," consist of neutron stars in tight orbits with low-mass companions, which are gradually ablated by the pulsar wind. SpiderCat includes both primary subclasses$-$redbacks and black widows$-$distinguished by companion mass, as well as candidates and peculiar systems such as transitional, huntsman and tidarren MSPs. As of this initial release, SpiderCat contains 111 entries: 30 redbacks, 50 black widows, two huntsmans, 23 redback candidates, five black widow candidates, and one huntsman candidate. In this paper, we compile and summarize key parameters for each system, including spin and orbital properties, and multiwavelength data from radio, optical, X-ray, and $γ$-ray observations. An interactive, publicly accessible web interface, at https://astro.phys.ntnu.no/SpiderCAT, enables exploration and visualization of the data. The rapid growth of the number of known spiders, accelerated by the Fermi Large Area Telescope survey and its ability to identify MSPs in $γ$-rays, has opened the door to population-level studies. Utilizing SpiderCat, we analyze trends in spin period, orbital period, companion mass, emission properties, and spatial distribution. SpiderCat serves as a dynamic, multiwavelength repository for this unique class of binary pulsars, facilitating new discoveries and constraints on pulsar evolution, particle acceleration, and the neutron star equation of state.
title SpiderCat: A Catalog of Compact Binary Millisecond Pulsars
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.11691