Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2008
Abstract
We present the discovery of the Vela-like radio pulsar J1856+0245 in the Arecibo PALFA survey. PSR J1856+0245 has a spin period of 81 ms, a characteristic age of 21 kyr, and a spin-down luminosity Ė p 4.6 x 10 36 ergs s-1. It is positionally coincident with the TeV γ-ray source HESS J1857+026, which has no other known counterparts. Young, energetic pulsars create wind nebulae, and more than a dozen pulsar wind nebulae have been associated with very high energy (100 GeV-100 TeV) γ-ray sources discovered with the HESS telescope. The γ-ray emission seen from HESS J1857+026 is potentially produced by a pulsar wind nebula powered by PSR J1856+0245; faint X-ray emission detected by ASCA at the pulsar's position supports this hypothesis. The inferred γ-ray efficiency is εγ p Lγ/Ė p 3.1 % (1-10 TeV, for a distance of 9 kpc), comparable to that observed in similar associations. © 2008. The American Astronomical Society.
Recommended Citation
Hessels, J. W. T., David J. Nice, B. M. Gaensler, V. M. Kaspi, D. R. Lorimer, D. J. Champion, A. G. Lyne et al. "PSR J1856+ 0245: Arecibo discovery of a young, energetic pulsar coincident with the TeV γ-ray source HESS J1857+ 026." The Astrophysical Journal 682, no. 1 (2008): L41. http://doi.org/10.1086/590908
First Page
L41
Last Page
L44
Publication Title
Astrophysical Journal
DOI
10.1086/590908
Comments
© Astrophysical Journal. Original version available at: http://doi.org/10.1086/590908