PSR J1903+0327: Difference between revisions

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PSR J1903+0327 is a millisecond pulsar in a highly eccentric binary orbit^[1]. The pulsar was discovered in an ongoing L-band (1.4 GHz) survey^[2] with the 305 m diameter Arecibo radio telescope. The pulse period is 2.15 ms. Analysis of the pulse timing residuals shows a binary orbit with a period of 95.17 days, and a high eccentricity, e = 0.437. The mass of the companion is ~1 solar mass, while the pulsar mass is unusually large, ~1.74 solar masses. A possible optical companion, K_S = 18 (2.22µ) is observed in Gemini North images at its radio position.

Popular theories for the formation of binary millisecond pulsars require mass transfer onto the rotating neutron star from a white dwarf companion in order to spin it up to periods less than about 10 ms, which process is expected to be accompanied by strong tidal forces, producing a highly circular orbit. PSR J1903+0327 appears to require a different formation mechanism. Its large mass may also constrain the equation of state for nuclear matter at high densities.

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^ Chaampion et al, Science , 6 June 2008: Vol. 320. no. 5881, pp. 1309 - 1312 DOI: 10.1126/science.1157580
^ J. M. Cordes et al., Astrophys. J. 637, 446 (2006).

[1] Chaampion et al, Science , 6 June 2008: Vol. 320. no. 5881, pp. 1309 - 1312 DOI: 10.1126/science.1157580

[2] J. M. Cordes et al., Astrophys. J. 637, 446 (2006).

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