PSR J2032 +4127 is a pulsar. It is accompanied by a massive Be star named MT91 213 (also 2MASS J20321312 +4127243). The system is located in the constellation Cygnus at a distance of about 1.4 kpc (~ 4570 AU) from the Sun. Read more
Title: High-Energy emissions from the Pulsar/Be binary system PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213 Authors: J. Takata (1), P.H.T. Tam (2), C.W. Ng (3), K.L. Li (4), A.K.H. Kong (5), C.Y. Hui (6), K.S. Cheng (3), ((1) Huazhong University of Science and Technology, (2) Sun Yat-Sen University, (3) The University of Hong Kong, (4) Michigan State University, (5) National Tsing Hua University, (6) Chungnam National University)
PSR J2032+4127 is a radio-loud gamma-ray-emitting pulsar; it is orbiting around a high-mass Be type star with a very long orbital period of 25-50years, and is approaching periastron, which will occur in late 2017/early 2018. This system comprises with a young pulsar and a Be type star, which is similar to the so-called gamma-ray binary PSR~B1259-63/LS2883. It is expected therefore that PSR J2032+4127 shows an enhancement of high-energy emission caused by the interaction between the pulsar wind and Be wind/disk around periastron. Ho et al. recently reported a rapid increase in the X-ray flux from this system. In this paper, we also confirm a rapid increase in the X-ray flux along the orbit, while the GeV flux shows no significant change. We discuss the high-energy emissions from the shock caused by the pulsar wind and stellar wind interaction and examine the properties of the pulsar wind in this binary system. We argue that the rate of increase of the X-ray flux observed by Swift indicates (1) a variation of the momentum ratio of the two-wind interaction region along the orbit, or (2) an evolution of the magnetization parameter of the pulsar wind with the radial distance from the pulsar. We also discuss the pulsar wind/Be disk interaction at the periastron passage, and propose the possibility of formation of an accretion disk around the pulsar. We model high-energy emissions through the inverse-Compton scattering process of the cold-relativistic pulsar wind off soft photons from the accretion disk.
Astronomers Predict Fireworks from Rare Stellar Encounter in 2018
Astronomers are gearing up for high-energy fireworks coming in early 2018, when a stellar remnant the size of a city meets one of the brightest stars in our galaxy. The cosmic light show will occur when a pulsar discovered by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope swings by its companion star. Scientists plan a global campaign to watch the event from radio wavelengths to the highest-energy gamma rays detectable. Read more