PSR 1706-44

The Compton Observatory EGRET Pulsar Team (D. A. Kniffen, Hampden-Sydney College; D. L. Bertsch, C. E. Fichtel, R. C. Hartman, S. D. Hunter, P. W. Kwok, J. R. Mattox, H. I. Nel, P. Sreekumar and D. J. Thompson, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; J. M. Fierro, Y. C. Lin, P. F. Michelson and P. L. Nolan, Stanford University; E. Schneid, Grumman Aerospace Corporation; G. Kanbach, H. A. Mayer-Hasselwander, C. von Montigny, K. Pinkau, H. Rothermel and M. Sommer, Max-Planck- Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik; S. Johnston and R. Manchester, CSIRO; V. Kaspi and J. Taylor, Princeton University; A. G. Lyne, University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank) reports a significant detection of pulsed gamma radiation above 100 MeV from PSR 1706-44, at the radio period of 102 ms, in an observation made during 1991 July 12-27. The gamma-ray source was identified by COS-B as 2CG 342-02. Unlike the Crab and Vela pulsars, the high-energy gamma radiation from PSR 1706-44 exhibits a single broad pulse. EGRET is now viewing this pulsar again and will do so until Apr. 6.