Two millisecond pulsars discovered by the PALFA Survey and a Shapiro delay measurement

We present two millisecond pulsar discoveries from the PALFA survey of the Galactic plane with the Arecibo telescope. PSR J1955+2527 is an isolated pulsar with a period of 4.87 ms, and PSR J1949+3106 has a period of 13.14 ms and is in a 1.9 day binary system with a massive companion. Their timing solutions, based on 4 years of timing measurements with the Arecibo, Green Bank, Nancay, and Jodrell Bank telescopes, allow precise determination of spin and astrometric parameters, including precise determinations of their proper motions. For PSR J1949+3106, we can clearly detect the Shapiro delay. From this we measure the pulsar mass to be 1.47-M-+0.43(0.31)circle dot, the companion mass to be 0.85(-0.11)(+0.14)M(circle dot), and the orbital inclination to be i = 79.9(+1.6)(-1.9) deg, where uncertainties correspond to +/- 1 sigma confidence levels. With continued timing, we expect to also be able to detect the advance of periastron for the J1949+3106 system. This effect, combined with the Shapiro delay, will eventually provide very precise mass measurements for this system and a test of general relativity.

Title	Two millisecond pulsars discovered by the PALFA Survey and a Shapiro delay measurement
Creator	Lyne, A. G.
	Lynch, R. S.
	Siemens, X.
	Stappers, B. W.
	McLaughlin, M. A.
	Jenet, F. A.
	Stovall, K.
	Cordes, J. M.
	Freire, P. C. C.
	Brazier, A.
	Crawford, F.
	Chatterjee, S.
	Desvignes, G.
	Van Leeuwen, J.
	Kramer, M.
	Venkataraman, A.
	Lazarus, P.
	Stairs, I. H.
	Scholz, P.
	Ransom, S. M.
	Cognard, I.
	Hessels, J. W. T.
	Allen, B.
	Deneva, J. S.
	Nice, David J.
	Kaspi, V. M.
	Champion, D. J.
	Lorimer, D. R.
	Bhat, N. D. R.
	Camilo, F.
	Knispel, B.
	Bogdanov, S.
Publisher	Astrophysical Journal
Academic Department	Physics
Division	Natural Sciences
Organization	Lafayette College
Date Issued	September 20, 2012
Date Available	2015-04-06T19:47:39Z
Type	Article
Language	English
Keyword	pulsars: individual (J1949+3106, J1955+2527)
Keyword	pulsars: general
Bibliographic Citation	Deneva, J. S., et al. (2012 Sept. 20) "Two millisecond pulsars discovered by the PALFA Survey and a Shapiro delay measurement." Astrophysical Journal 757 (2): 89 (10 pp).
Standard Identifier	DOI 10.1088/0004-637X/757/1/89
Standard Identifier	Handle 10385/1777
Permalink	http://hdl.handle.net/10385/1777
Rights Statement	In Copyright
Rights Holders	The American Astronomical Society