scholarly journals Including millisecond pulsars inside the core of globular clusters in pulsar timing arrays

2021 ◽  
Vol 136 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Maiorano ◽  
Francesco de Paolis ◽  
Achille Nucita
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Millisecond Pulsars ◽  
The Core ◽  
Pulsar Timing

scholarly journals Is there a spectral turnover in the spin noise of millisecond pulsars?

2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (3) ◽  
pp. 3264-3272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Goncharov ◽  
Xing-Jiang Zhu ◽  
Eric Thrane
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Spectral Density ◽  
Power Spectral Density ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Superfluid Turbulence ◽  
Millisecond Pulsars ◽  
Spin Noise ◽  
The Core ◽  
Power Spectral ◽  
Pulsar Timing

ABSTRACT Pulsar timing arrays provide a unique means to detect nanohertz gravitational waves through long-term measurements of pulse arrival times from an ensemble of millisecond pulsars. After years of observations, some timing array pulsars have been shown to be dominated by low-frequency red noise, including spin noise that might be associated with pulsar rotational irregularities. The power spectral density of pulsar timing red noise is usually modelled with a power law or a power law with a turnover frequency below which the noise power spectrum plateaus. If there is a turnover in the spin noise of millisecond pulsars, residing within the observation band of current and/or future pulsar timing measurements, it may be easier than projected to resolve the gravitational-wave background from supermassive binary black holes. Additionally, the spectral turnover can provide valuable insights on neutron star physics. In the recent study by Melatos and Link, the authors provided a derivation of the model for power spectral density of spin noise from superfluid turbulence in the core of a neutron star, from first principles. The model features a spectral turnover, which depends on the dynamical response time of the superfluid and the steady-state angular velocity lag between the crust and the core of the star. In this work, we search for a spectral turnover in spin noise using the first data release of the International Pulsar Timing Array. Through Bayesian model selection, we find no evidence of a spectral turnover. Our analysis also shows that data from PSRs J1939+2134, J1024–0719, and J1713+0747 prefers the power-law model to the superfluid turbulence model.

scholarly journals Eight new millisecond pulsars from the first MeerKAT globular cluster census

2021 ◽  
Vol 504 (1) ◽  
pp. 1407-1426
Author(s):  
A Ridolfi ◽  
T Gautam ◽  
P C C Freire ◽  
S M Ransom ◽  
S J Buchner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Total Mass ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
The Other ◽  
Telescope Array ◽  
Millisecond Pulsars ◽  
The Core ◽  
Binary Pulsars ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Large Eccentricity

ABSTRACT We have used the central 44 antennas of the new 64-dish MeerKAT radio telescope array to conduct a deep search for new pulsars in the core of nine globular clusters (GCs). This has led to the discovery of eight new millisecond pulsars in six different clusters. Two new binaries, 47 Tuc ac and 47 Tuc ad, are eclipsing ‘spiders’, featuring compact orbits (≲0.32 d), very low mass companions, and regular occultations of their pulsed emission. The other three new binary pulsars (NGC 6624G, M62G, and Ter 5 an) are in wider (>0.7 d) orbits, with companions that are likely to be white dwarfs or neutron stars. NGC 6624G has a large eccentricity of e ≃ 0.38, which enabled us to detect the rate of advance of periastron. This suggests that the system is massive, with a total mass of Mtot = 2.65 ± 0.07 M⊙. Likewise, for Ter 5 an, with e ≃ 0.0066, we obtain Mtot = 2.97 ± 0.52 M⊙. The other three new discoveries (NGC 6522D, NGC 6624H, and NGC 6752F) are faint isolated pulsars. Finally, we have used the whole MeerKAT array and synthesized 288 beams, covering an area of ∼2 arcmin in radius around the centre of NGC 6624. This has allowed us to localize many of the pulsars in the cluster, demonstrating the beamforming capabilities of the TRAPUM software backend and paving the way for the upcoming MeerKAT GC pulsar survey.

scholarly journals Hunting for intermediate-mass black holes in globular clusters: an astrometric study of NGC 6441

2021 ◽  
Vol 503 (1) ◽  
pp. 1490-1506
Author(s):  
Maximilian Häberle ◽  
Mattia Libralato ◽  
Andrea Bellini ◽  
Laura L Watkins ◽  
Jörg-Uwe Pott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Angular Resolution ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Mass ◽  
High Angular Resolution ◽  
Stellar Kinematics ◽  
Intermediate Mass ◽  
The Core ◽  
Large Telescopes

ABSTRACT We present an astrometric study of the proper motions (PMs) in the core of the globular cluster NGC 6441. The core of this cluster has a high density and observations with current instrumentation are very challenging. We combine ground-based, high-angular-resolution NACO@VLT images with Hubble Space Telescope ACS/HRC data and measure PMs with a temporal baseline of 15 yr for about 1400 stars in the centremost 15 arcsec of the cluster. We reach a PM precision of ∼30 µas yr−1 for bright, well-measured stars. Our results for the velocity dispersion are in good agreement with other studies and extend already existing analyses of the stellar kinematics of NGC 6441 to its centremost region never probed before. In the innermost arcsecond of the cluster, we measure a velocity dispersion of (19.1 ± 2.0) km s−1 for evolved stars. Because of its high mass, NGC 6441 is a promising candidate for harbouring an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). We combine our measurements with additional data from the literature and compute dynamical models of the cluster. We find an upper limit of $M_{\rm IMBH} \lt 1.32 \times 10^4\, \textrm{M}_\odot$ but we can neither confirm nor rule out its presence. We also refine the dynamical distance of the cluster to $12.74^{+0.16}_{-0.15}$ kpc. Although the hunt for an IMBH in NGC 6441 is not yet concluded, our results show how future observations with extremely large telescopes will benefit from the long temporal baseline offered by existing high-angular-resolution data.

scholarly journals Dynamical Evolution of Globular Clusters After Core Collapse

1985 ◽  
Vol 113 ◽  
pp. 139-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas C. Heggie
Keyword(s):  
Surface Density ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Stellar System ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Numerical Calculations ◽  
Core Collapse ◽  
Density Profiles ◽  
The Core ◽  
Fokker Planck

This review describes work on the evolution of a stellar system during the phase which starts at the end of core collapse. It begins with an account of the models of Hénon, Goodman, and Inagaki and Lynden-Bell, as well as evaporative models, and modifications to these models which are needed in the core. Next, these models are related to more detailed numerical calculations of gaseous models, Fokker-Planck models, N-body calculations, etc., and some problems for further work in these directions are outlined. The review concludes with a discussion of the relation between theoretical models and observations of the surface density profiles and statistics of actual globular clusters.

scholarly journals Ensemble Pulsar Time Study by Pulsar Timing Observations

2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 439-440
Author(s):  
Tinggao Yang ◽  
Guangren Ni
Keyword(s):  
Time Scale ◽  
Wavelet Decomposition ◽  
Time Study ◽  
Millisecond Pulsar ◽  
Millisecond Pulsars ◽  
Pulsar Time ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Timing Data ◽  
Gravitational Wave Background

Long term timing of multiple millisecond pulsars can contribute to the study of an ensemble pulsar time scale PTens. A wavelet decomposition algorithm (WDA) was applied to define a PTens using the available millisecond pulsar timing datA. The PTens obtained from WDA is more stable than those resulting from other algorithms. The Chinese 50 m radio telescope is specially designed for PTens study and detection of gravitational wave background via millisecond pulsars timing observations. A scheme for multiple millisecond pulsar timing and ensemble pulsar time study is discussed in some detail.

scholarly journals Pulsars in Globular Clusters

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S246) ◽  
pp. 291-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott M. Ransom
Keyword(s):  
Equation Of State ◽  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Galactic Disk ◽  
Nuclear Density ◽  
Millisecond Pulsars ◽  
Eccentric Orbits ◽  
The Masses ◽  
Current Record

AbstractGlobular clusters produce orders of magnitude more millisecond pulsars per unit mass than the Galactic disk. Since the first cluster pulsar was uncovered 20 years ago, at least 138 have been identified – most of which are binary millisecond pulsars. Because their origins involve stellar encounters, many of the systems are exotic objects that would never be observed in the Galactic disk. Examples include pulsar-main sequence binaries, extremely rapid rotators (including the current record holder), and millisecond pulsars in highly eccentric orbits. These systems are allowing new probes of the interstellar medium, the equation of state of material at supra-nuclear density, the masses of neutron stars, and globular cluster dynamics.

scholarly journals Central Dynamics of Globular Clusters: the Case for a Black Hole in ω Centauri

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S246) ◽  
pp. 341-345
Author(s):  
Eva Noyola ◽  
Karl Gebhardt ◽  
Marcel Bergmann
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Relaxation Time ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Kinematic Data ◽  
The Core ◽  
Galactic System ◽  
Interesting Candidate ◽  
Radial Anisotropy

AbstractThe globular cluster ω Centauri is one of the largest and most massive members of the Galactic system. Its classification as a globular cluster has been challenged making it a candidate for being the stripped core of an accreted dwarf galaxy; this and the fact that it has one of the largest velocity dispersions for star clusters in our galaxy makes it an interesting candidate for harboring an intermediate mass black hole. We measure the surface brightness profile from integrated light on an HST/ACS image, and find a central power-law cusp of logarithmic slope -0.08. We also analyze Gemini GMOS-IFU kinematic data for a 5”x5” field centered on the nucleus of the cluster, as well as for a field 14″ away. We detect a clear rise in the velocity dispersion from 18.6 kms−1 at 14″ to 23 kms−1 in the center. Given the very large core in ω Cen (2.58'), an increase in the dispersion in the central 10″ is difficult to attribute to stellar remnants, since it requires too many dark remnants and the implied configuration would dissolve quickly given the relaxation time in the core. However, the increase could be consistent with the existence of a central black hole. Assuming a constant M/L for the stars within the core, the dispersion profile from these data and data at larger radii implies a black hole mass of 4.0+0.75−1.0×104M⊙. We have also run flattened, orbit-based models and find a similar mass. In addition, the no black hole case for the orbit model requires an extreme amount of radial anisotropy, which is difficult to preserve given the short relaxation time of the cluster.

scholarly journals Slow decline and rise of the broad [O iii] emission line in globular cluster black hole candidate RZ2109

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (4) ◽  
pp. 4783-4790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen C Dage ◽  
Stephen E Zepf ◽  
Arash Bahramian ◽  
Jay Strader ◽  
Thomas J Maccarone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Emission Line ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Hydrogen Emission ◽  
Black Hole Candidate ◽  
The Core ◽  
Spectroscopic Monitoring ◽  
Slow Decline ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACT RZ2109 is the first of several extragalactic globular clusters shown to host an ultraluminous X-ray source. RZ2109 is particularly notable because optical spectroscopy shows it has broad, luminous [O iii] λλ4959,5007 emission, while also having no detectable hydrogen emission. The X-ray and optical characteristics of the source in RZ2109 make it a good candidate for being a stellar mass black hole accreting from a white dwarf donor (i.e. an ultracompact black hole X-ray binary). In this paper we present optical spectroscopic monitoring of the [O iii]5007 emission line from 2007 to 2018. We find that the flux of the emission line is significantly lower in recent observations from 2016 to 2018 than it was in earlier observations in 2007–2011. We also explore the behaviour of the emission line shape over time. Both the core and the wings of the emission line decline over time, with some evidence that the core declines more rapidly than the wings. However, the most recent observations (in 2019) unexpectedly show the emission line core rebrightening

scholarly journals Core-hydrogen-burning RSGs in the early globular clusters

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (A29B) ◽  
pp. 473-473
Author(s):  
Dorottya Szécsi ◽  
Jonathan Mackey ◽  
Norbert Langer
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Stellar Population ◽  
Massive Stars ◽  
Shell Formation ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Hydrogen Burning ◽  
The Core ◽  
Anomalous Surface ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Low Mass

AbstractThe first stellar generation in galactic globular clusters contained massive low-metallicity stars (Charbonnel et al. 2014). We modelled the evolution of this massive stellar population and found that such stars with masses 100-600 M⊙ evolve into cool RSGs (Szécsi et al. 2015). These RSGs spend not only the core-He-burning phase but even the last few 105 years of the core-H-burning phase on the SG branch. Due to the presence of hot massive stars in the cluster at the same time, we show that the RSG wind is trapped into photoionization confined shells (Mackey et al. 2014). We simulated the shell formation around such RSGs and find them to become gravitationally unstable (Szécsi et al. 2016). We propose a scenario in which these shells are responsible for the formation of the second generation low-mass stars in globular clusters with anomalous surface abundances.

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