Measuring Timing Properties of PSR B0540-069
Abstract
We report on the timing properties of the `Crab twin' pulsar PSR B0540-69 measured with X-ray data taken with the Swift telescope over a period of 1100 days. The braking index of the pulsar was estimated to be n = 0.03+/-0.013 in a previous study performed in 2015 with 500-day Swift data. This small value of n is unusual for pulsars, and a comparison with an old estimate of n = 2.1 for the same target determined 10 years earlier suggests a dramatic change in the braking index. To confirm the small value and therefore the large change of n, we used 1100-day Swift observations including the data used in the earlier determination of n = 0.03. In this study we find that the braking index of PSR B0540-69 is n = 0.163+/-0.001, somewhat larger than 0.03. Since the measured value of n is still much smaller than 2.1, we can confirm the dramatic change in the braking index for this pulsar.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Korean Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- April 2019
- DOI:
- 10.5303/JKAS.2019.52.2.41
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1903.01107
- Bibcode:
- 2019JKAS...52...41K
- Keywords:
-
- pulsars: general;
- pulsars: individual (PSR B0540-069);
- X-rays: stars;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 7 pages, 4 figures, Accepted to JKAS