Discovery of pulsations from the pulsar J0205+6449 in SNR 3C 58 with the fermi gamma-ray space telescope

Abstract

We report the discovery of γ-ray pulsations (≥0.1 GeV) from the young radio and X-ray pulsar PSR J0205 + 6449 located in the Galactic supernova remnant 3C 58. Data in the γ-ray band were acquired by the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST), while the radio rotational ephemeris used to fold γ-rays was obtained using both the Green Bank Telescope and the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank. The light curve consists of two peaks separated by 0.49 ± 0.01 ± 0.01 cycles which are aligned with the X-ray peaks. The first γ-ray peak trails the radio pulse by 0.08 ± 0.01 ± 0.01, while its amplitude decreases with increasing energy as for the other γ-ray pulsars. Spectral analysis of the pulsed γ-ray emission suggests a simple power law of index -2.1 ± 0.1 ± 0.2 with an exponential cutoff at 3.0+1.1 -0.7 ± 0.4 GeV. The first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The integral γ-ray photon flux above 0.1 GeV is (13.7 ± 1.4 ± 3.0) × 10-8cm-2s -1, which implies for a distance of 3.2kpc and assuming a broad fan-like beam a luminosity of 8.3 × 1034ergs-1 and an efficiency η of 0.3%. Finally, we report a 95% upper limit on the flux of 1.7 × 10-8cm-2s-1 for off-pulse emission from the object. © 2009. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.