The Radius of the High-mass Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 with 3.6 yr of NICER Data
We report an updated analysis of the radius, mass, and heated surface regions of the massive pulsar PSR J0740+6620 using Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) data from 2018 September 21 to 2022 April 21, a substantial increase in data set size compared to previous analyses. Using a tig...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad5f1f |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850282071436558336 |
|---|---|
| author | Tuomo Salmi Devarshi Choudhury Yves Kini Thomas E. Riley Serena Vinciguerra Anna L. Watts Michael T. Wolff Zaven Arzoumanian Slavko Bogdanov Deepto Chakrabarty Keith Gendreau Sebastien Guillot Wynn C. G. Ho Daniela Huppenkothen Renee M. Ludlam Sharon M. Morsink Paul S. Ray |
| author_facet | Tuomo Salmi Devarshi Choudhury Yves Kini Thomas E. Riley Serena Vinciguerra Anna L. Watts Michael T. Wolff Zaven Arzoumanian Slavko Bogdanov Deepto Chakrabarty Keith Gendreau Sebastien Guillot Wynn C. G. Ho Daniela Huppenkothen Renee M. Ludlam Sharon M. Morsink Paul S. Ray |
| author_sort | Tuomo Salmi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report an updated analysis of the radius, mass, and heated surface regions of the massive pulsar PSR J0740+6620 using Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) data from 2018 September 21 to 2022 April 21, a substantial increase in data set size compared to previous analyses. Using a tight mass prior from radio-timing measurements and jointly modeling the new NICER data with XMM-Newton data, the inferred equatorial radius and gravitational mass are ${12.49}_{-0.88}^{+1.28}$ km and ${2.073}_{-0.069}^{+0.069}$ M _⊙ , respectively, each reported as the posterior credible interval bounded by the 16% and 84% quantiles, with an estimated systematic error ≲ 0.1 km. This result was obtained using the best computationally feasible sampler settings providing a strong radius lower limit but a slightly more uncertain radius upper limit. The inferred radius interval is also close to the $R={12.76}_{-1.02}^{+1.49}$ km obtained by Dittmann et al., when they require the radius to be less than 16 km as we do. The results continue to disfavor very soft equations of state for dense matter, with R < 11.15 km for this high-mass pulsar excluded at the 95% probability. The results do not depend significantly on the assumed cross-calibration uncertainty between NICER and XMM-Newton. Using simulated data that resemble the actual observations, we also show that our pipeline is capable of recovering parameters for the inferred models reported in this paper. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-40a3a54c09f94e5fbb3cf23936e7f5e5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-40a3a54c09f94e5fbb3cf23936e7f5e52025-08-20T01:48:07ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-01974229410.3847/1538-4357/ad5f1fThe Radius of the High-mass Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 with 3.6 yr of NICER DataTuomo Salmi0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6356-125XDevarshi Choudhury1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2651-5286Yves Kini2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0428-8430Thomas E. Riley3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9313-0493Serena Vinciguerra4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3068-6974Anna L. Watts5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1009-2354Michael T. Wolff6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4013-5650Zaven Arzoumanian7https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6187-8753Slavko Bogdanov8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9870-2742Deepto Chakrabarty9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8804-8946Keith Gendreau10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7115-2819Sebastien Guillot11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6449-106XWynn C. G. Ho12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6089-6836Daniela Huppenkothen13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1169-7486Renee M. Ludlam14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8961-939XSharon M. Morsink15https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4357-0575Paul S. Ray16https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5297-5278Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam , Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; t.h.j.salmi@uva.nlAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam , Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; t.h.j.salmi@uva.nlAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam , Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; t.h.j.salmi@uva.nlAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam , Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; t.h.j.salmi@uva.nlAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam , Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; t.h.j.salmi@uva.nlAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam , Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; t.h.j.salmi@uva.nlSpace Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory , Washington, DC 20375, USAX-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAColumbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University , 550 W 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USAMassachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA, USAX-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie , UPS-OMP, CNRS, CNES, 9 avenue du Colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, FranceDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041, USASRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Niels Bohrlaan 4, 2333 CA Leiden, The NetherlandsDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University , 666 W Hancock Street, Detroit, MI 48201, USADepartment of Physics, University of Alberta , 4-183 CCIS, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, CanadaSpace Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory , Washington, DC 20375, USAWe report an updated analysis of the radius, mass, and heated surface regions of the massive pulsar PSR J0740+6620 using Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) data from 2018 September 21 to 2022 April 21, a substantial increase in data set size compared to previous analyses. Using a tight mass prior from radio-timing measurements and jointly modeling the new NICER data with XMM-Newton data, the inferred equatorial radius and gravitational mass are ${12.49}_{-0.88}^{+1.28}$ km and ${2.073}_{-0.069}^{+0.069}$ M _⊙ , respectively, each reported as the posterior credible interval bounded by the 16% and 84% quantiles, with an estimated systematic error ≲ 0.1 km. This result was obtained using the best computationally feasible sampler settings providing a strong radius lower limit but a slightly more uncertain radius upper limit. The inferred radius interval is also close to the $R={12.76}_{-1.02}^{+1.49}$ km obtained by Dittmann et al., when they require the radius to be less than 16 km as we do. The results continue to disfavor very soft equations of state for dense matter, with R < 11.15 km for this high-mass pulsar excluded at the 95% probability. The results do not depend significantly on the assumed cross-calibration uncertainty between NICER and XMM-Newton. Using simulated data that resemble the actual observations, we also show that our pipeline is capable of recovering parameters for the inferred models reported in this paper.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad5f1fNeutron starsX-ray astronomy |
| spellingShingle | Tuomo Salmi Devarshi Choudhury Yves Kini Thomas E. Riley Serena Vinciguerra Anna L. Watts Michael T. Wolff Zaven Arzoumanian Slavko Bogdanov Deepto Chakrabarty Keith Gendreau Sebastien Guillot Wynn C. G. Ho Daniela Huppenkothen Renee M. Ludlam Sharon M. Morsink Paul S. Ray The Radius of the High-mass Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 with 3.6 yr of NICER Data The Astrophysical Journal Neutron stars X-ray astronomy |
| title | The Radius of the High-mass Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 with 3.6 yr of NICER Data |
| title_full | The Radius of the High-mass Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 with 3.6 yr of NICER Data |
| title_fullStr | The Radius of the High-mass Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 with 3.6 yr of NICER Data |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Radius of the High-mass Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 with 3.6 yr of NICER Data |
| title_short | The Radius of the High-mass Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 with 3.6 yr of NICER Data |
| title_sort | radius of the high mass pulsar psr j0740 6620 with 3 6 yr of nicer data |
| topic | Neutron stars X-ray astronomy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad5f1f |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tuomosalmi theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT devarshichoudhury theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT yveskini theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT thomaseriley theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT serenavinciguerra theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT annalwatts theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT michaeltwolff theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT zavenarzoumanian theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT slavkobogdanov theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT deeptochakrabarty theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT keithgendreau theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT sebastienguillot theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT wynncgho theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT danielahuppenkothen theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT reneemludlam theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT sharonmmorsink theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT paulsray theradiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT tuomosalmi radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT devarshichoudhury radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT yveskini radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT thomaseriley radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT serenavinciguerra radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT annalwatts radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT michaeltwolff radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT zavenarzoumanian radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT slavkobogdanov radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT deeptochakrabarty radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT keithgendreau radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT sebastienguillot radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT wynncgho radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT danielahuppenkothen radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT reneemludlam radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT sharonmmorsink radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata AT paulsray radiusofthehighmasspulsarpsrj07406620with36yrofnicerdata |