PSR J0540−6919

PSR J0540−6919[1] (PSR B0540−69)[1] is a pulsar in the Tarantula Nebula of the Large Magellanic Cloud.[2] It is the first extragalactic gamma-ray pulsar discovered.[3]

PSR J0540−6919
PSR B0540−69
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0[1]      Equinox J2000.0[1]
Constellation Dorado
Right ascension 05h 40m 10.84s[1]
Declination −69° 19′ 54.2″[1]
Characteristics
Spectral type Pulsar
Variable type Pulsar
Astrometry
Distance163,000 ly
(50,000 pc)
Other designations
PSR J0540−6919,[1] PSR B0540-69,[1] PKS 0540−693[1]
Database references
SIMBADdata

History

This Crab-like pulsar was first discovered in X-rays in 1984[4] and subsequently detected at radio wavelengths.[5] Astronomers initially attributed the glow to collisions of subatomic particles accelerated in the shock waves produced by supernova explosions, and it took more than six years of observations by Fermi's Large Area Telescope to detect gamma-ray pulsations from J0540-6919.[6]

In 2015, it was determined that J0540-6919 is responsible for about half of the gamma-ray flux from the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud.[6] It was identified as a bright source of gamma radiation early in the Fermi mission.

See also

References
  1. "PSR J0540-6919". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg.
  2. Crawford, Fronefield; Kaspi, Victoria M.; et al. (May 20, 2001). "Radio Pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds". The Astrophysical Journal. 553 (1): 367–374. arXiv:astro-ph/0011346. Bibcode:2001ApJ...553..367C. doi:10.1086/320635. S2CID 17878581.
  3. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (13 November 2015). "First gamma-ray pulsar detected in another galaxy". ScienceDaily.
  4. Seward, F. D.; Harnden, F. R. Jr.; Helfand, D. J. (January 20, 1984). "Discovery of a 50 millisecond pulsar in the Large Magellanic Cloud". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 287: L19–L22. Bibcode:1984ApJ...287L..19S. doi:10.1086/184388.
  5. Manchester, R. N.; Mar, D. P.; et al. (January 20, 1993). "Radio detection of PSR B0540-69". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 403: L29–L32. Bibcode:1993ApJ...403L..29M. doi:10.1086/186714.
  6. "Fermi Satellite Detects First Gamma-Ray Pulsar in Another Galaxy". NASA. SpaceRef. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-14.


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