PSR J0636+5128: A Heated Companion in a Tight Orbit

Abstract

We present an analysis of archival Gemini g', r', K and Keck H, K_s imaging of this nearby short period binary (P_B=95.8min) 2.87ms pulsar. The heated companion is clearly detected. Direct pulsar heating provides an acceptable model at the revised >700pc parallax distance. The relatively shallow light curve modulation prefers an inclination i<40deg; this high latitude view provides a likely explanation for the lack of radio signatures of wind dispersion or eclipse. It also explains the low minimum companion mass and, possibly, the faintness of the source in X- and gamma-rays.

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• The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey - I: Survey Description, Data Analysis, and Initial Results
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• Ordinary X-rays from Three Extraordinary Millisecond Pulsars: XMM-Newton Observations of PSRs J0337+1715, J0636+5129, and J0645+5158

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• X-ray Through Very-High-Energy Intrabinary Shock Emission from Black Widows and Redbacks
• Detection and timing of gamma-ray pulsations from the $707$ Hz pulsar J0952$-$0607
• An Optical Study of the Black Widow Population
• A black widow population dissection through HiPERCAM multi-band light curve modelling
• A Dense Companion to the Short-Period Millisecond Pulsar Binary PSR J0636+5128
• A 62-minute orbital period black widow binary in a wide hierarchical triple
• Optical detection of the black widow binary PSR J2052+1219
• Investigating cannibalistic millisecond pulsar binaries using MESA: New constraints from pulsar spin and mass evolution
• Diagnosing pulsar winds in black-widow, redback, and other binary millisecond pulsar systems
• Rapid orbital expansion in millisecond pulsar PSR J0636+5128: evaporation winds?