Searching for a Pulsar in SN1987A

TL;DR

This paper discusses the ongoing search for a pulsar in SN 1987A, highlighting recent radio observations, current limits on potential neutron star properties, and the justification for continued searches given pulsar birth characteristics.

Contribution

It provides new observational limits from the Parkes radio telescope and argues for the continued search for a pulsar in SN 1987A based on pulsar birth parameter distributions.

Findings

No pulsar detected in SN 1987A to date.

Limits on X-ray, optical, and radio luminosity constrain neutron star properties.

A slowly rotating neutron star with P >~ 100 ms remains possible.

Abstract

SN 1987A offered a unique opportunity to detect a pulsar at the very beginning of its life and to study its early evolution. Despite many searches at radio and optical wavelengths, no pulsar has yet been detected. Details of a recent search using the Parkes radio telescope are given. Limits on the X-ray, optical and radio luminosity of a point source at the centre of SN 1987A place limits on the properties of a central neutron star. However, neither these nor the pulsar limits preclude the presence of a relatively slowly rotating neutron star (P >~ 100 ms) with a moderate surface dipole magnetic field in SN 1987A. Galactic studies suggest that a significant fraction of pulsars are born with parameters in this range. In view of this, continued searches for a pulsar in SN 1987A are certainly justified.