Discovery of Millisecond Pulsars in the Globular Cluster Omega Centauri

Abstract

The globular cluster Omega Centauri is the most massive and luminous cluster in the Galaxy. The $\gamma$-ray source FL8Y J1326.7$-$4729 is coincident with the core of the cluster, leading to speculation that hitherto unknown radio pulsars or annihilating dark matter may be present in the cluster core. Here we report on the discovery of five millisecond pulsars in Omega Centauri following observations with the Parkes radio telescope. Four of these pulsars are isolated with spin periods of 4.1, 4.2, 4.6 and 6.8 ms. The fifth has a spin period of 4.8 ms and is in an eclipsing binary system with an orbital period of 2.1 hours. Deep radio continuum images of the cluster centre with the Australian Telescope Compact Array reveal a small population of compact radio sources making it likely that other pulsars await discovery. We consider it highly likely that the millisecond pulsars are the source of the $\gamma$-ray emission. The long-term timing of these pulsars opens up opportunities to explore the dynamics and interstellar medium of the cluster.

8 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters

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• Searching for pulsars associated with polarised point sources using LOFAR: Initial discoveries from the TULIPP project
• A Deep Chandra X-ray Observatory Study of the Millisecond Pulsar Population in the Globular Cluster Terzan 5
• Dark and luminous mass components of Omega Centauri with stellar kinematics
• MeerKAT discovery of 13 new pulsars in Omega Centauri
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• New constraints on the central mass contents of Omega Centauri from combined stellar kinematics and pulsar timing
• A comparison of millisecond pulsar populations between globular clusters and the Galactic field
• Formation of massive globular clusters with dark matter and its implication on dark matter annihilation
• Timing of Pulsars in the Globular Cluster Omega Centauri
• Graphics processing unit implementation of the F-statistic for continuous gravitational wave searches
• Relativistic scattering of a fast spinning neutron star by a massive black hole
• A Search for Annihilating Dark Matter in 47 Tucanae and Omega Centauri
• Mining the time axis with TRON. I. Millisecond pulsars in Omega Centauri, Terzan 5 and 47 Tucanae detected through MeerKAT interferometric imaging
• Assessing Uncertainties in the Predicted Very-High-Energy Flux of Globular Clusters in the Cherenkov Telescope Array Era
• The fractions of post-binary-interaction stars and evolved blue straggler stars on the red giant branch of globular clusters