Multiwavelength properties of a new Geminga-like pulsar: PSR J2021+4026

TL;DR

This study characterizes the multiwavelength emission of the newly discovered gamma-ray pulsar PSR J2021+4026, revealing its radio quietness, X-ray and gamma-ray properties, and modeling its emission geometry within the outer gap framework.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed multiwavelength analysis of PSR J2021+4026, including X-ray, gamma-ray, and radio observations, and models its emission geometry.

Findings

PSR J2021+4026 is radio-quiet with upper limits of 0.1 mJy at 18 cm.

X-ray and gamma-ray positions are consistent with the pulsar's location.

Outer gap model constrains the pulsar's emission geometry.

Abstract

In this paper, we report a detailed investigation of the multiwavelength properties of a newly detected gamma-ray pulsar, PSR J2021+4026, in both observational and theoretical aspects. We firstly identify an X-ray source in the XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue, 2XMM J202131.0+402645, located within the 95% confidence circle of PSR J2021+4026. With an archival Chandra observation, this identification provides an X-ray position with arcsecond accuracy which is helpful in facilitating further investigations. Searching for the pulsed radio emission at the position of 2XMM J202131.0+402645 with a 25-m telescope at Urumqi Astronomical Observatory resulted in null detection and places an upper-limit of 0.1~mJy for any pulsed signal at 18~cm. Together with the emission properties in X-ray and gamma-ray, the radio quietness suggests PSR J2021+4026 to be another member of Geminga-like pulsars. In the radio sky survey data, extended emission features have been identified in the gamma-ray error circle of PSR J2021+4026. We have also re-analyzed the gamma-ray data collected by FERMI's Large Area Telescope. We found that the X-ray position of 2XMM J202131.0+402645 is consistent with that of the optimal gamma-ray timing solution. We have further modeled the results in the context of outer gap model which provides us with constraints for the pulsar emission geometry such as magnetic inclination angle and the viewing angle. We have also discussed the possibility of whether PSR J2021+4026 has any physical association with the supernova remnant G78.2+2.1 (gamma-Cygni).