Long-period Radio Pulsars: Population Study in the Neutron Star and White Dwarf Rotating Dipole Scenarios
The nature of two recently discovered radio emitters with unusually long periods of 18 minutes (GLEAM-X J1627–52) and 21 minutes (GPM J1839–10) is highly debated. Their bright radio emission resembles that of radio magnetars, but their long periodicities and lack of detection at other wavelengths ch...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad165d |
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| author | N. Rea N. Hurley-Walker C. Pardo-Araujo M. Ronchi V. Graber F. Coti Zelati D. de Martino A. Bahramian S. J. McSweeney T. J. Galvin S. D. Hyman M. Dall’Ora |
| author_facet | N. Rea N. Hurley-Walker C. Pardo-Araujo M. Ronchi V. Graber F. Coti Zelati D. de Martino A. Bahramian S. J. McSweeney T. J. Galvin S. D. Hyman M. Dall’Ora |
| author_sort | N. Rea |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The nature of two recently discovered radio emitters with unusually long periods of 18 minutes (GLEAM-X J1627–52) and 21 minutes (GPM J1839–10) is highly debated. Their bright radio emission resembles that of radio magnetars, but their long periodicities and lack of detection at other wavelengths challenge the neutron star (NS) interpretation. In contrast, long rotational periods are common in white dwarfs (WDs) but, although predicted, dipolar radio emission from isolated magnetic WDs has never been unambiguously observed. In this work, we investigate these long-period objects as potential isolated NS or WD dipolar radio emitters and find that both scenarios pose significant challenges to our understanding of radio emission via pair production in dipolar magnetospheres. We also perform population-synthesis simulations based on dipolar spin-down in both pictures, assuming different initial-period distributions, masses, radii, beaming fractions, and magnetic field prescriptions, to assess their impact on the ultra-long pulsar population. In the NS scenario, we do not expect a large number of ultra-long-period pulsars under any physically motivated (or even extreme) assumptions for the period evolution. On the other hand, in the WD scenario, we can easily accommodate a large population of long-period radio emitters. However, no mechanism can easily explain the production of such bright coherent radio emission in either scenarios. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:35:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f35aac8e16e4dfb99f038f4b2b4197e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:35:43Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f35aac8e16e4dfb99f038f4b2b4197e2024-01-30T09:18:20ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-01961221410.3847/1538-4357/ad165dLong-period Radio Pulsars: Population Study in the Neutron Star and White Dwarf Rotating Dipole ScenariosN. Rea0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2177-6388N. Hurley-Walker1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5119-4808C. Pardo-Araujo2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8118-255XM. Ronchi3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2781-9107V. Graber4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6558-1681F. Coti Zelati5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7611-1581D. de Martino6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5069-4202A. Bahramian7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2506-6041S. J. McSweeney8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6114-7469T. J. Galvin9S. D. Hyman10https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5070-6329M. Dall’Ora11https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8209-0449Institute of Space Sciences (ICE) , CSIC, Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, E-08193, Barcelona, Spain ; rea@ice.csic.es; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) , Carrer Gran Capità 2–4, E-08034, Barcelona, SpainInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University , Kent St, Bentley WA 6102, AustraliaInstitute of Space Sciences (ICE) , CSIC, Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, E-08193, Barcelona, Spain ; rea@ice.csic.es; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) , Carrer Gran Capità 2–4, E-08034, Barcelona, SpainInstitute of Space Sciences (ICE) , CSIC, Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, E-08193, Barcelona, Spain ; rea@ice.csic.es; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) , Carrer Gran Capità 2–4, E-08034, Barcelona, SpainInstitute of Space Sciences (ICE) , CSIC, Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, E-08193, Barcelona, Spain ; rea@ice.csic.es; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) , Carrer Gran Capità 2–4, E-08034, Barcelona, SpainInstitute of Space Sciences (ICE) , CSIC, Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, E-08193, Barcelona, Spain ; rea@ice.csic.es; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) , Carrer Gran Capità 2–4, E-08034, Barcelona, SpainINAF–Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory Naples Via Moiariello 16 , I-80131 Naples, ItalyInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University , Kent St, Bentley WA 6102, AustraliaInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University , Kent St, Bentley WA 6102, AustraliaInternational Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University , Kent St, Bentley WA 6102, Australia; CSIRO, Space and Astronomy , PO Box 1130, Bentley WA 6102, AustraliaDepartment of Engineering and Physics, Sweet Briar College , Sweet Briar, VA 24595, USAINAF–Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory Naples Via Moiariello 16 , I-80131 Naples, ItalyThe nature of two recently discovered radio emitters with unusually long periods of 18 minutes (GLEAM-X J1627–52) and 21 minutes (GPM J1839–10) is highly debated. Their bright radio emission resembles that of radio magnetars, but their long periodicities and lack of detection at other wavelengths challenge the neutron star (NS) interpretation. In contrast, long rotational periods are common in white dwarfs (WDs) but, although predicted, dipolar radio emission from isolated magnetic WDs has never been unambiguously observed. In this work, we investigate these long-period objects as potential isolated NS or WD dipolar radio emitters and find that both scenarios pose significant challenges to our understanding of radio emission via pair production in dipolar magnetospheres. We also perform population-synthesis simulations based on dipolar spin-down in both pictures, assuming different initial-period distributions, masses, radii, beaming fractions, and magnetic field prescriptions, to assess their impact on the ultra-long pulsar population. In the NS scenario, we do not expect a large number of ultra-long-period pulsars under any physically motivated (or even extreme) assumptions for the period evolution. On the other hand, in the WD scenario, we can easily accommodate a large population of long-period radio emitters. However, no mechanism can easily explain the production of such bright coherent radio emission in either scenarios.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad165dRadio sourcesPulsarsNeutron stars |
| spellingShingle | N. Rea N. Hurley-Walker C. Pardo-Araujo M. Ronchi V. Graber F. Coti Zelati D. de Martino A. Bahramian S. J. McSweeney T. J. Galvin S. D. Hyman M. Dall’Ora Long-period Radio Pulsars: Population Study in the Neutron Star and White Dwarf Rotating Dipole Scenarios The Astrophysical Journal Radio sources Pulsars Neutron stars |
| title | Long-period Radio Pulsars: Population Study in the Neutron Star and White Dwarf Rotating Dipole Scenarios |
| title_full | Long-period Radio Pulsars: Population Study in the Neutron Star and White Dwarf Rotating Dipole Scenarios |
| title_fullStr | Long-period Radio Pulsars: Population Study in the Neutron Star and White Dwarf Rotating Dipole Scenarios |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-period Radio Pulsars: Population Study in the Neutron Star and White Dwarf Rotating Dipole Scenarios |
| title_short | Long-period Radio Pulsars: Population Study in the Neutron Star and White Dwarf Rotating Dipole Scenarios |
| title_sort | long period radio pulsars population study in the neutron star and white dwarf rotating dipole scenarios |
| topic | Radio sources Pulsars Neutron stars |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad165d |
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