Optical Detections of Black Widow Pulsar Counterparts
Abstract
We report the detections of optical counterparts of black widow pulsars discovered by radio follow-up observations of unidentified Fermi LAT sources. Orbital phase-matched photometric light curves for two objects are measured and characterized according to the standard black widow pulsar model whereby a millisecond pulsar heats the nearside of the companion object resulting in a brightening and a dimming over an orbital period. Measurements of these light curves allow for constraints to be placed on the system's inclination and the temperature profile of the secondary.
- Publication:
-
X-ray Binaries. Celebrating 50 Years Since the Discovery of Sco X-1
- Pub Date:
- July 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012xrb..confE..53S