Variability, polarimetry, and timing properties of single pulses from PSR J2222-0137 using FAST

TL;DR

This study analyzes 50,000 single pulses from pulsar PSR J2222-0137 using FAST, revealing energy distribution, polarization behavior, potential sub-pulse drifting, and jitter noise characteristics to inform future timing efforts.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed polarization and timing analysis of single pulses from PSR J2222-0137 at FAST, including energy distribution and jitter noise measurements.

Findings

Single pulse energy follows a log-normal distribution.

No orthogonal polarization jumps detected at current resolution.

Potential sub-pulse drifting period of about 3.5 times the pulsar period.

Abstract

In our work, we analyse $5\times10^{4}$ single pulses from the recycled pulsar PSR J2222$-$0137 in one of its scintillation maxima observed by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). PSR J2222$-$0137 is one of the nearest and best studies of binary pulsars and a unique laboratory for testing gravitational theories. We report single pulses' energy distribution and polarization from the pulsar's main-pulse region. The single pulse energy follows the log-normal distribution. We resolve a steep polarization swing, but at the current time resolution ($64\,\mu{\rm s}$), we find no evidence for the orthogonal jump in the main-pulse region, as has been suspected. We find a potential sub-pulse drifting period of $P_{3} \sim 3.5\,P$. We analyse the jitter noise from different integrated numbers of pulses and find that its $\sigma_{j}$ is $270\pm{9}\,{\rm ns}$ for 1-hr integration at 1.25 GHz. This result is useful for optimizing future timing campaigns with FAST or other radio telescopes.