MXB1659-298: The Fastest Spinning Millisecond Pulsar

TL;DR

This paper clarifies that observed signals in NuSTAR data are due to detector dead time, emphasizing the need for caution in timing analysis of such data rather than reporting a new pulsar discovery.

Contribution

It demonstrates that signals previously thought to be oscillations are actually detector dead time effects, highlighting limitations of standard timing methods with NuSTAR.

Findings

Detected signals are caused by detector dead time.

Standard timing methods are unreliable with NuSTAR data.

No new pulsar discovered.

Abstract

We do not present the discovery of strong nearly coherent oscillations (NCOs) at 890.44 Hz for the low mass X-ray binary MXB 1659-298. We find that what we are detecting is dead time in the NuSTAR detectors. Instead consider this paper as further evidence for why standard timing methods should not be used with NuSTAR data.