A multi-wavelength study of PSR J1119$-$6127 after 2016 outburst

TL;DR

This study investigates the multi-wavelength behavior of pulsar PSR J1119-6127 following its 2016 magnetar-like outburst, revealing transient spectral features and stable pulse timing over six months.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed multi-wavelength analysis of PSR J1119-6127 post-outburst, highlighting spectral evolution and magnetospheric reconfiguration.

Findings

Detection of two blackbody components in X-ray spectra

Disappearance of the power-law component by December 2016

No significant shift in radio and X-ray pulse peaks

Abstract

PSR~J1119$-$6127, a high-magnetic field pulsar detected from radio to high-energy wavelengths, underwent a magnetar-like outburst beginning on July 27, 2016. In this paper, we study the post-outburst multi-wavelength properties of this pulsar from the radio to GeV bands and discuss its similarity with the outburst of the magnetar XTE~J1810$-$197. In phase-resolved spectral analysis of 0.5--10\,keV X-ray data collected in August 2016, the on-pulse and off-pulse spectra are both characterized by two blackbody components and also require a power-law component similar to the hard X-ray spectra of magnetars. This power-law component is no longer distinguishable in data from December, 2016. We likewise find that there was no substantial shift between the radio and X-ray pulse peaks after the 2016 X-ray outburst. The gamma-ray pulsation after the X-ray outburst is confirmed with data taken after 2016 December and the pulse structure and phase difference between the gamma-ray and radio peaks ($\sim$0.4 cycle) are also consistent with those before the X-ray outburst. These multi-wavelength observations suggest that the re-configuration of the global magnetosphere after 2016 magnetar-like outburst at most continued for about six months. We discuss the evolution of the X-ray emission after the 2016 outburst with the untwisting magnetosphere model.