Abstract
More than two years of observations performed by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) are examined for evidence of high-energy γ-ray emission from individual millisecond pulsars. Upper limits are placed on steady emission. In addition, for those millisecond pulsars for which an accurate timing solution is available, upper limits to pulsed γ-ray emission are established. The results are compared with predictions of current pulsar γ-ray emission models. In particular, the absence of a detection of γ-rays from the nearby millisecond pulsar PSR J0437-4715 severely constrains theories regarding γ-ray emission from millisecond pulsars.
Full Citation
Fierro, J. M., Z. Arzoumanian, M. Bailes, J. F. Bell, D. L. Bertsch, K. T. S. Brazier, J. Chiang, N. D'Amico, B. L. Dingus, J. A. Esposito, C. E. Fichtel, R. C. Hartman, S. D. Hunter, S. Johnston, G. Kanbach, V. M. Kaspi, D. A. Kniffen, Y. C. Lin, A. G. Lyne, R. N. Manchester, J. R. Mattox, H. A. Mayer-Hasselwander, P. F. Michelson, C. von Montigny, H. I. Nel, D. Nice, P. L. Nolan, E. J. Schneid, P. Sreekumar, J. H. Taylor, D. J. Thompson, and T. D. Willis. “EGRET High-Energy Gamma-Ray Pulsar Studies II: Individual Millisecond Pulsars.”
The Astrophysical Journal
vol. 447,
(January 01, 1995): 807-812.