Examining the hard X-ray emission of the redback PSR J2129-0429
Abstract
We present new NuStar data of the redback millisecond pulsar (MSP) system PSR J2129-0429. Redback systems are important when it comes to understanding the evolution of MSPs, in terms of pulsar recycling, as they have been observed to transition between a state of accretion, where emission is in the optical and X-ray regimes, and a state of eclipsed radio pulsation. This system is particularly interesting due to some peculiarities: it has a more massive companion as well as a stronger magnetic field than other redbacks, indicating that the system is in a fairly early stage of recycling. It’s X-ray lightcurve (as obtained from XMM-Newton data) has a very hard power-law component and exhibits an efficiency of a few percent in X-ray. With the NuStar data, the spectrum can be seen to extend to ~30 keV. Additionally, it shows strong orbital variation, about 5 times greater than is typical for other systems, and is also very clearly double peaked. Hints of similar peaks have been observed in the lightcurves of other redback systems; hence, this system can help in understanding the intrabinary shock of eclipsing MSPs.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #228
- Pub Date:
- June 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AAS...22821921N