The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B
Transitional millisecond pulsars are millisecond pulsars that switch between a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar state and an accretion-powered X-ray binary state, and are thought to be an evolutionary stage between neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries and millisecond pulsars. So far, only three c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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OXFORD UNIV PRESS
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91520 |
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| author | Paduano, A. Bahramian, Arash Miller-Jones, James Kawka, Adela Strader, J. Chomiuk, L. Heinke, C.O. MacCarone, T.J. Britt, C.T. Plotkin, Richard Shaw, A.W. Shishkovsky, L. Tremou, E. Tudor, V. Sivakoff, G.R. |
| author_facet | Paduano, A. Bahramian, Arash Miller-Jones, James Kawka, Adela Strader, J. Chomiuk, L. Heinke, C.O. MacCarone, T.J. Britt, C.T. Plotkin, Richard Shaw, A.W. Shishkovsky, L. Tremou, E. Tudor, V. Sivakoff, G.R. |
| author_sort | Paduano, A. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Transitional millisecond pulsars are millisecond pulsars that switch between a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar state and an accretion-powered X-ray binary state, and are thought to be an evolutionary stage between neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries and millisecond pulsars. So far, only three confirmed systems have been identified in addition to a handful of candidates. We present the results of a multiwavelength study of the low-mass X-ray binary NGC 6652B in the globular cluster NGC 6652, including simultaneous radio and X-ray observations taken by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and optical spectroscopy and photometry. This source is the second brightest X-ray source in NGC 6652 (Lx~1.8 × 1034 erg, s-1) and is known to be variable. We observe several X-ray flares over the duration of our X-ray observations, in addition to persistent radio emission and occasional radio flares. Simultaneous radio and X-ray data show no clear evidence of anticorrelated variability. Optical spectra of NGC 6652B indicate variable, broad H α emission that transitions from double-peaked emission to absorption over a time-scale of hours. We consider a variety of possible explanations for the source behaviour, and conclude that based on the radio and X-ray luminosities, short time-scale variability and X-ray flaring, and optical spectra, NGC 6652B is best explained as a transitional millisecond pulsar candidate that displays prolonged X-ray flaring behaviour. However, this could only be confirmed with observations of a change to the rotation-powered millisecond pulsar state. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:36:49Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-91520 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:36:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | OXFORD UNIV PRESS |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-915202023-05-09T05:46:09Z The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B Paduano, A. Bahramian, Arash Miller-Jones, James Kawka, Adela Strader, J. Chomiuk, L. Heinke, C.O. MacCarone, T.J. Britt, C.T. Plotkin, Richard Shaw, A.W. Shishkovsky, L. Tremou, E. Tudor, V. Sivakoff, G.R. Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics accretion, accretion discs stars: neutron globular clusters: individual: NGC 6652 X-rays: binaries X-RAY BINARIES GALACTIC GLOBULAR-CLUSTERS NEUTRON-STAR OPTICAL COUNTERPART PSR J1023+0038 CEN X-4 CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES RADIO-EMISSION ACCRETION VARIABILITY astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE Transitional millisecond pulsars are millisecond pulsars that switch between a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar state and an accretion-powered X-ray binary state, and are thought to be an evolutionary stage between neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries and millisecond pulsars. So far, only three confirmed systems have been identified in addition to a handful of candidates. We present the results of a multiwavelength study of the low-mass X-ray binary NGC 6652B in the globular cluster NGC 6652, including simultaneous radio and X-ray observations taken by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and optical spectroscopy and photometry. This source is the second brightest X-ray source in NGC 6652 (Lx~1.8 × 1034 erg, s-1) and is known to be variable. We observe several X-ray flares over the duration of our X-ray observations, in addition to persistent radio emission and occasional radio flares. Simultaneous radio and X-ray data show no clear evidence of anticorrelated variability. Optical spectra of NGC 6652B indicate variable, broad H α emission that transitions from double-peaked emission to absorption over a time-scale of hours. We consider a variety of possible explanations for the source behaviour, and conclude that based on the radio and X-ray luminosities, short time-scale variability and X-ray flaring, and optical spectra, NGC 6652B is best explained as a transitional millisecond pulsar candidate that displays prolonged X-ray flaring behaviour. However, this could only be confirmed with observations of a change to the rotation-powered millisecond pulsar state. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91520 10.1093/mnras/stab1928 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 OXFORD UNIV PRESS fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics accretion, accretion discs stars: neutron globular clusters: individual: NGC 6652 X-rays: binaries X-RAY BINARIES GALACTIC GLOBULAR-CLUSTERS NEUTRON-STAR OPTICAL COUNTERPART PSR J1023+0038 CEN X-4 CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES RADIO-EMISSION ACCRETION VARIABILITY astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE Paduano, A. Bahramian, Arash Miller-Jones, James Kawka, Adela Strader, J. Chomiuk, L. Heinke, C.O. MacCarone, T.J. Britt, C.T. Plotkin, Richard Shaw, A.W. Shishkovsky, L. Tremou, E. Tudor, V. Sivakoff, G.R. The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B |
| title | The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B |
| title_full | The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B |
| title_fullStr | The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B |
| title_full_unstemmed | The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B |
| title_short | The MAVERIC Survey: Simultaneous Chandra and VLA observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate NGC 6652B |
| title_sort | maveric survey: simultaneous chandra and vla observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar candidate ngc 6652b |
| topic | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics accretion, accretion discs stars: neutron globular clusters: individual: NGC 6652 X-rays: binaries X-RAY BINARIES GALACTIC GLOBULAR-CLUSTERS NEUTRON-STAR OPTICAL COUNTERPART PSR J1023+0038 CEN X-4 CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES RADIO-EMISSION ACCRETION VARIABILITY astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE |
| url | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91520 |