High Energy Radiation from Spider Pulsars

TL;DR

This paper reviews the high energy emissions of black widow and redback millisecond pulsars, comparing their gamma-ray properties and discussing future research prospects with new observational tools.

Contribution

It provides updated catalogs and a comparative analysis of gamma-ray properties of black widows and redbacks, highlighting different emission mechanisms.

Findings

X-ray and gamma-ray emissions originate from different mechanisms.

Updated catalogs of black widows and redbacks are presented.

Comparison using eight-year Fermi LAT data reveals distinct properties.

Abstract

The population of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) has been expanded considerably in the last decade. Not only is their number increasing, but also various classes of them have been revealed. Among different classes of MSPs, the behaviour of black widows and redbacks are particularly interesting. These systems consist of an MSP and a low-mass companion star in compact binaries with an orbital period of less than a day. In this article, we give an overview of the high energy nature of these two classes of MSPs. Updated catalogues of black widows and redbacks are presented and their X ray/$\gamma$-ray properties are reviewed. Besides the overview, using the most updated eight-year Fermi Large Area Telescope point source catalog, we have compared the $\gamma$-ray properties of these two MSP classes. The results suggest that the X-rays and $\gamma$-rays observed from these MSPs originate from different mechanisms. Lastly, we will also mention the future prospects of studying these spider pulsars with the novel methodologies as well as upcoming observing facilities.