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A binary pulsar in a 53-minute orbit

Author

Listed:
  • Z. Pan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Guizhou University
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • J. G. Lu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Guizhou University
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • P. Jiang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Guizhou University
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • J. L. Han

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • H.-L. Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Z. W. Han

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • K. Liu

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • L. Qian

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Guizhou University
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • R. X. Xu

    (Peking University
    Peking University
    Peking University)

  • B. Zhang

    (University of Nevada
    University of Nevada)

  • J. T. Luo

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Z. Yan

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Z. L. Yang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • D. J. Zhou

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • P. F. Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • C. Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • M. H. Li

    (Guizhou University)

  • M. Zhu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Guizhou University
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Spider pulsars are neutron stars that have a companion star in a close orbit. The companion star sheds material to the neutron star, spinning it up to millisecond rotation periods, while the orbit shortens to hours. The companion is eventually ablated and destroyed by the pulsar wind and radiation1,2. Spider pulsars are key for studying the evolutionary link between accreting X-ray pulsars and isolated millisecond pulsars, pulsar irradiation effects and the birth of massive neutron stars3–6. Black widow pulsars in extremely compact orbits (as short as 62 minutes7) have companions with masses much smaller than 0.1 M⊙. They may have evolved from redback pulsars with companion masses of about 0.1–0.4 M⊙ and orbital periods of less than 1 day8. If this is true, then there should be a population of millisecond pulsars with moderate-mass companions and very short orbital periods9, but, hitherto, no such system was known. Here we report radio observations of the binary millisecond pulsar PSR J1953+1844 (M71E) that show it to have an orbital period of 53.3 minutes and a companion with a mass of around 0.07 M⊙. It is a faint X-ray source and located 2.5 arcminutes from the centre of the globular cluster M71.

Suggested Citation

  • Z. Pan & J. G. Lu & P. Jiang & J. L. Han & H.-L. Chen & Z. W. Han & K. Liu & L. Qian & R. X. Xu & B. Zhang & J. T. Luo & Z. Yan & Z. L. Yang & D. J. Zhou & P. F. Wang & C. Wang & M. H. Li & M. Zhu, 2023. "A binary pulsar in a 53-minute orbit," Nature, Nature, vol. 620(7976), pages 961-964, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:620:y:2023:i:7976:d:10.1038_s41586-023-06308-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06308-w
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