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  • Discovery of Two Millisecon...
    Cognard, I; Guillemot, L; Johnson, T. J; Smith, D. A; Venter, C; Harding, A. K; Wolff, M. T; Cheung, C. C; Donato, D; Abdo, A. A; Ballet, J; Camilo, F; Desvignes, G; Dumora, D; Ferrara, E. C; Freire, P. C. C; Grove, J. E; Johnston, S; Keith, M; Kramer, M; Lyne, A. G; Michelson, P. F; Parent, D; Ransom, S. M; Ray, P. S; Romani, R. W; Parkinson, P. M. Saz; Stappers, B. W; Theureau, G; Thompson, D. J; Weltevrede, P; Wood, K. S

    The Astrophysical journal, 05/2011, Letnik: 732, Številka: 1
    Journal Article

    We report the discovery of two millisecond pulsars in a search for radio pulsations at the positions of Fermi-Large Area Telescope sources with no previously known counterparts, using the Nancay Radio Telescope. The two millisecond pulsars, PSRs J2017+0603 and J2302+4442, have rotational periods of 2.896 and 5.192 ms and are both in binary systems with low-eccentricity orbits and orbital periods of 2.2 and 125.9 days, respectively, suggesting long recycling processes. Gamma-ray pulsations were subsequently detected for both objects, indicating that they power the associated Fermi sources in which they were found. The gamma-ray light curves and spectral properties are similar to those of previously detected gamma-ray millisecond pulsars. Detailed modeling of the observed radio and gamma-ray light curves shows that the gamma-ray emission seems to originate at high altitudes in their magnetospheres. Additionally, X-ray observations revealed the presence of an X-ray source at the position of PSR J2302+4442, consistent with thermal emission from a neutron star. These discoveries along with the numerous detections of radio-loud millisecond pulsars in gamma rays suggest that many Fermi sources with no known counterpart could be unknown millisecond pulsars.