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
J. W.T. Hessels, et. al., (2008) PSR J1856+0245: Arecibo discovery of a young energetic pulsar coincident with the TeV g-RAY source HESS J1857+026.Astrophysical Journal682:1L41. DOI: 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