Population synthesis of radio and gamma-ray millisecond pulsars from the Galactic disk

TL;DR

This study models the population and emission properties of millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disk, predicting their detectability with gamma-ray telescopes like GLAST and AGILE.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive population synthesis model incorporating recent emission theories and relativistic effects to better understand millisecond pulsars.

Findings

Predicted spatial distribution of millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disk.

Estimated gamma-ray fluxes and detectability prospects with GLAST and AGILE.

Insights into radio and gamma-ray emission mechanisms of millisecond pulsars.

Abstract

We present results of a population synthesis of millisecond pulsars from the Galactic disk. Excluding globular clusters, we model the spatial distribution of millisecond pulsars by assuming their birth in the Galactic disk with a random kick velocity and evolve them to the present within the Galactic potential. We assume that normal and millisecond pulsars are standard candles described with a common radio luminosity model that invokes a new relationship between radio core and cone emission suggested by recent studies. In modeling the radio emission beams, we explore the relativistic effects of time delay, aberration and sweepback of the open field lines. While these effects are essential in understanding pulse profiles, the phase-averaged flux is adequately described without a relativistic model. We use a polar cap acceleration model for the gamma-ray emission. We present the preliminary results of our recent study and the implications for observing millisecond pulsars with GLAST and AGILE.