An unidentified Fermi source emitting radio bursts in the Galactic bulge
Abstract
We report on the detection of radio bursts from the Galactic bulge using the real-time transient detection and localization system, realfast. The pulses were detected commensally on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array during a survey of unidentified Fermi $\gamma$-ray sources. The bursts were localized to subarcsecond precision using realfast fast-sampled imaging. Follow-up observations with the Green Bank Telescope detected additional bursts from the same source. The bursts do not exhibit periodicity in a search up to periods of 480s, assuming a duty cycle of < 20%. The pulses are nearly 100% linearly polarized, show circular polarization up to 12%, have a steep radio spectral index of -2.7, and exhibit variable scattering on timescales of months. The arcsecond-level realfast localization links the source confidently with the Fermi $\gamma$-ray source and places it nearby (though not coincident with) an XMM-Newton X-ray source. Based on the source's overall properties, we discuss various options for the nature of this object and propose that it could be a young pulsar, magnetar, or a binary pulsar system.
- Publication:
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arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- January 2024
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.2401.02498
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2401.02498
- Bibcode:
- 2024arXiv240102498A
- Keywords:
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- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- Submitted to The Astrophysical Journal