PSR J1838-0537: Discovery of a young, energetic gamma-ray pulsar

Abstract

We report the discovery of PSR J1838-0537, a gamma-ray pulsar found through a blind search of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). The pulsar has a spin frequency of 6.9Hz and a frequency derivative of -2.2 × 10 -11Hz s -1, implying a young characteristic age of 4970yr and a large spin-down power of 5.9 × 10 36ergs -1. Follow-up observations with radio telescopes detected no pulsations; thus PSR J1838-0537 appears radio-quiet as viewed from Earth. In 2009 September the pulsar suffered the largest glitch so far seen in any gamma-ray-only pulsar, causing a relative increase in spin frequency of about 5.5 × 10 -6. After the glitch, during a putative recovery period, the timing analysis is complicated by the sparsity of the LAT photon data, the weakness of the pulsations, and the reduction in average exposure from a coincidental, contemporaneous change in LAT's sky-survey observing pattern. The pulsar's sky position is coincident with the spatially extended TeV source HESS J1841-055 detected by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.). The inferred energetics suggest that HESS J1841-055 contains a pulsar wind nebula powered by the pulsar. © 2012. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..