Ref HAL: in2p3-00483013_v1
Ref Arxiv: 0910.1608
DOI: 10.1088/0067-0049/187/2/460
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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361 citations
Abstract:

The dramatic increase in the number of known gamma-ray pulsars since the launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST) offers the first opportunity to study a population of these high-energy objects. This catalog summarizes 46 high-confidence pulsed detections using the first six months of data taken by the Large Area Telescope (LAT), Fermi's main instrument. Sixteen previously unknown pulsars were discovered by searching for pulsed signals at the positions of bright gamma-ray sources seen with the LAT, or at the positions of objects suspected to be neutron stars based on observations at other wavelengths. Pulsed gamma-ray emission was discovered from twenty-four known pulsars by using ephemerides (timing solutions) derived from monitoring radio pulsars. Eight of these new gamma-ray pulsars are millisecond pulsars. The pulsed energy spectra can be described by a power law with an exponential cutoff, with cutoff energies in the range 1 to 5 GeV. The rotational energy loss rate (\dot{E}) of these neutron stars spans 5 decades, from ~3x10^{33} erg/s to 5x10^{38} erg/s, and the apparent efficiencies for conversion to gamma-ray emission range from ~0.1% to unity, although distance uncertainties complicate efficiency estimates. The pulse shapes show substantial diversity, but roughly 75% of the gamma-ray pulse profiles have two peaks, separated by >0.2 of rotational phase. For most of the pulsars, gamma-ray emission appears to come mainly from the outer magnetosphere, while polar-cap emission remains plausible for a remaining few. Finally, these discoveries suggest that gamma-ray-selected young pulsars are born at a rate comparable to that of their radio-selected cousins and that the birthrate of all young gamma-ray-detected pulsars is a substantial fraction of the expected Galactic supernova rate.

Comments: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal Supplement (February 2010). 85 pages

Ref HAL: in2p3-00483010_v1
Ref Arxiv: 1003.3833
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/714/1/927
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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57 citations
Abstract:

We report the detection of high energy gamma-ray emission from the young and energetic pulsar PSR B1509$-$58 and its pulsar wind nebula (PWN) in the composite supernova remnant SNR G320.4-1.2 (aka MSH 15-52). Using 1 year of survey data with the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT), we detected pulsations from PSR B1509-58 up to 1 GeV and extended gamma-ray emission above 1 GeV spatially coincident with the PWN. The pulsar light curve presents two peaks offset from the radio peak by phases 0.96 $\pm$ 0.01 and 0.33 $\pm$ 0.02. New constraining upper limits on the pulsar emission are derived below 1 GeV and confirm a severe spectral break at a few tens of MeV. The nebular spectrum in the 1 - 100 GeV energy range is well described by a power-law with a spectral index of (1.57 $\pm$ 0.17 $\pm$ 0.13) and a flux above 1 GeV of (2.91 $\pm$ 0.79 $\pm$ 1.35) 10^{-9} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. The first errors represent the statistical errors on the fit parameters, while the second ones are the systematic uncertainties. The LAT spectrum of the nebula connects nicely with Cherenkov observations, and indicates a spectral break between GeV and TeV energies.

Comments: 14 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication by ApJ

Ref HAL: in2p3-00483105_v1
DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/714/1/L73
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45 citations
Abstract:

We present the light curves and spectral data of two exceptionally luminous gamma-ray outbursts observed by the Large Area Telescope experiment on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope from 3C 273 in 2009 September. During these flares, having a duration of a few days, the source reached its highest γ -ray flux ever measured. This allowed us to study, in some details, their spectral and temporal structures. The rise and the decay are asymmetric on timescales of 6 hr, and the spectral index was significantly harder during the flares than during the preceding 11 months. We also found that short, very intense flares put out the same time-integrated energy as long, less intense flares like that observed in 2009 August.

Ref HAL: in2p3-00482639_v1
Ref Arxiv: 1002.4050
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/713/1/154
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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85 citations
Abstract:

We report on analysis of timing and spectroscopy of the Vela pulsar using eleven months of observations with the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. The intrinsic brightness of Vela at GeV energies combined with the angular resolution and sensitivity of the LAT allow us to make the most detailed study to date of the energy-dependent light curves and phase-resolved spectra, using a LAT-derived timing model. The light curve consists of two peaks (P1 and P2) connected by bridge emission containing a third peak (P3). We have confirmed the strong decrease of the P1/P2 ratio with increasing energy seen with EGRET and previous Fermi LAT data, and observe that P1 disappears above 20 GeV. The increase with energy of the mean phase of the P3 component can be followed with much greater detail, showing that P3 and P2 are present up to the highest energies of pulsation. We find significant pulsed emission at phases outside the main profile, indicating that magnetospheric emission exists over 80% of the pulsar period. With increased high-energy counts the phase-averaged spectrum is seen to depart from a power- law with simple exponential cutoff, and is better fit with a more gradual cutoff. The spectra in fixed-count phase bins are well fit with power-laws with exponential cutoffs, revealing a strong and complex phase dependence of the cutoff energy, especially in the peaks. By combining these results with predictions of the outer magnetosphere models that map emission characteristics to phase, it will be possible to probe the particle acceleration and the structure of the pulsar magnetosphere with unprecedented detail.

Comments: 35 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal

Ref HAL: in2p3-00482553_v1
Ref Arxiv: 1002.4383
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/713/1/146
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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56 citations
Abstract:

We report on gamma-ray observations in the off-pulse window of the Vela pulsar PSR B0833-45, using 11 months of survey data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). This pulsar is located in the 8 degree diameter Vela supernova remnant, which contains several regions of non-thermal emission detected in the radio, X-ray and gamma-ray bands. The gamma-ray emission detected by the LAT lies within one of these regions, the 2*3 degrees area south of the pulsar known as Vela-X. The LAT flux is signicantly spatially extended with a best-fit radius of 0.88 +/- 0.12 degrees for an assumed radially symmetric uniform disk. The 200 MeV to 20 GeV LAT spectrum of this source is well described by a power-law with a spectral index of 2.41 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.15 and integral flux above 100 MeV of (4.73 +/- 0.63 +/- 1.32) * 10^{-7} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. The first errors represent the statistical error on the fit parameters, while the second ones are the systematic uncertainties. Detailed morphological and spectral analyses give strong constraints on the energetics and magnetic field of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) system and favor a scenario with two distinct electron populations.

Comments: 21 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal

Ref HAL: in2p3-00475596_v1
Ref Arxiv: 1002.2607
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/712/2/957
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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45 citations
Abstract:

Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) have been firmly established as a class of gamma-ray emitters via the detection of pulsations above 0.1 GeV from eight MSPs by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). Using thirteen months of LAT data significant gamma-ray pulsations at the radio period have been detected from the MSP PSR J0034-0534, making it the ninth clear MSP detection by the LAT. The gamma-ray light curve shows two peaks separated by 0.274$\pm$0.015 in phase which are very nearly aligned with the radio peaks, a phenomenon seen only in the Crab pulsar until now. The $\geq$0.1 GeV spectrum of this pulsar is well fit by an exponentially cutoff power law with a cutoff energy of 1.8$\pm 0.6\pm$0.1 GeV and a photon index of 1.5$\pm 0.2\pm$0.1, first errors are statistical and second are systematic. The near-alignment of the radio and gamma-ray peaks strongly suggests that the radio and gamma-ray emission regions are co-located and both are the result of caustic formation.

Comments: 20 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ

Ref HAL: in2p3-00475654_v1
Ref Arxiv: 1002.2977
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/712/2/1209
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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32 citations
Abstract:

The discovery of the gamma-ray pulsar PSR J1836+5925, powering the formerly unidentified EGRET source 3EG J1835+5918, was one of the early accomplishments of the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). Sitting 25 degrees off the Galactic plane, PSR J1836+5925 is a 173 ms pulsar with a characteristic age of 1.8 million years, a spindown luminosity of 1.1$\times10^{34}$ erg s$^{-1}$, and a large off-peak emission component, making it quite unusual among the known gamma-ray pulsar population. We present an analysis of one year of LAT data, including an updated timing solution, detailed spectral results and a long-term light curve showing no indication of variability. No evidence for a surrounding pulsar wind nebula is seen and the spectral characteristics of the off-peak emission indicate it is likely magnetospheric. Analysis of recent XMM observations of the X-ray counterpart yields a detailed characterization of its spectrum, which, like Geminga, is consistent with that of a neutron star showing evidence for both magnetospheric and thermal emission.

Comments: Accepted to Astrophysical Journal