PSR J1518+4904: A Mildly Relativistic Binary Pulsar System

Abstract

PSR J1518+4904 is a recently discovered 40.9~ms pulsar in an 8.6 day, moderately eccentric orbit. We have measured pulse arrival times for this pulsar over 1.4~yr at several radio frequencies, from which we have derived high precision rotational, astrometric, and orbital parameters. The upper limit for the period derivative of the pulsar, dP/dt<4x10^-20, gives a characteristic age of at least 1.6x10^10 yr, among the highest known. We find the orbit to be precessing at a rate of 0.0111+-0.0002 yr^-1, which yields a total system mass (pulsar plus companion) of 2.62+-0.07 M_solar according to general relativity. Further analysis of the orbital parameters yields a firm upper limit of 1.75 M_solar on the pulsar mass and constrains the companion mass to the range 0.9 to 2.7 M_solar. These masses, together with the sizable orbital eccentricity and other evidence, strongly suggest that the companion is a second neutron star.

12 pages (including figures), AASTeX. To Appear in the Astrophysical Journal (Letters)

Cited by in corpus (44)

• Formation of Double Neutron Star Systems
• Neutron Star Mass Measurements. I. Radio Pulsars
• Binary and Millisecond Pulsars
• The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems
• Testing General Relativity with Pulsar Timing
• The characteristics of millisecond pulsar emission: I. Spectra, pulse shapes and the beaming fraction
• Galactic distribution of merging neutron stars and black holes - prospects for short GRB progenitors and LIGO/VIRGO
• Frame dragging and other precessional effects in black hole-pulsar binaries
• Gravitational Wave Astronomy: in Anticipation of First Sources to be Detected
• The Coalescence Rate of Double Neutron Star Systems
• The characteristics of millisecond pulsar emission: III.From low to high frequencies
• Binary and Millisecond Pulsars
• The evolution of naked helium stars with a neutron-star companion in close binary systems
• The late stages of evolution of helium star-neutron star binaries and the formation of double neutron star systems
• Double Neutron Star Systems and Natal Neutron Star Kicks
• Neutron Star Kicks in Isolated and Binary Pulsars: Observational Constraints and Implications for Kick Mechanisms
• The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems
• Constraining population synthesis models via empirical binary compact object merger and supernovae rates
• The mass of the neutron star in Cyg X-2 (V1341 Cyg)
• Multi-telescope timing of PSR J1518+4904
• The characteristics of millisecond pulsar emission: II. Polarimetry
• The Parkes Multibeam Pulsar Survey: PSR J1811-1736 - a pulsar in a highly eccentric binary system
• PSR J1829+2456: a relativistic binary pulsar
• Binary and Millisecond Pulsars at the New Millennium
• Testing f(R)-theories using the first time derivative of the orbital period of the binary pulsars
• Two-body problem with the cosmological constant and observational constraints
• Modelling Double Neutron Stars: Radio and Gravitational Waves
• Post-Newtonian Models of Binary Neutron Stars
• Constraining population synthesis models via the binary neutron star population
• Pulsar Binary Birthrates with Spin-Opening Angle Correlations
• Double and single recycled pulsars: an evolutionary puzzle?
• An Upper Limit on the Coalescence Rate of Double Neutron-Star Binaries in the Galaxy
• 5 GHz TMRT observations of 71 pulsars
• On the Eccentricities and Merger Rates of Double Neutron Star Binaries and the Creation of "Double Supernovae"
• Eight Millisecond Pulsars Discovered in the Arecibo PALFA Survey
• Twin Binaries: Studies of Stability, Mass Transfer, and Coalescence
• The Evolution of Relativistic Binary Progenitor Systems
• The gravitational-wave signal generated by a galactic population of double neutron-star binaries
• Eccentricities of Double Neutron Star Binaries
• Acceptability Conditions and Relativistic Anisotropic Generalized Polytropes
• The long and the short of it: modelling double neutron star and collapsar Galactic dynamics
• The gravitational wave "probability event horizon" for double neutron star mergers
• A post-Keplerian parameter to test gravito-magnetic effects in binary pulsar systems
• Constraints on fourth order gravity from binary pulsar and gravitational waves