Evolutionary Origin of Ultra-long Period Radio Transients

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether fallback disk interactions can explain the ultra-long periods of certain radio transients, proposing a magnetar+fallback disk model that accounts for observed properties of J1627 and J1839.

Contribution

It introduces a magnetar+fallback disk model to explain ultra-long period radio transients and explores their evolutionary pathways.

Findings

The model explains J1627's period, derivative, and luminosity.

J1839 likely in a second ejector phase after fallback disk inactivity.

Progenitors have magnetic fields of (2-6)×10^{14} G and specific fallback disk accretion rates.

Abstract

Recently, it discovered two ultra-long period radio transients GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3 (J1627) and GPM J1839$-$10 (J1839) with spin periods longer than 1000 s. The origin of these two ultra-long period radio transients is intriguing in understanding the spin evolution of neutron stars (NSs). In this work, we diagnose whether the interaction between strong magnetized NSs and fallback disks can spin NSs down to the observed ultra-long period. Our simulations found that the magnetar+fallback disk model can account for the observed period, period derivative, and X-ray luminosity of J1627 in the quasi-spin-equilibrium stage. To evolve to the current state of J1627, the initial mass-accretion rate of the fallback disk and the magnetic field of the NS are in the range of $(1.1-30)\times10^{24}~\rm g\,s^{-1}$ and $(2-5)\times10^{14}~\rm G$, respectively. In an active lifetime of fallback disk, J1839 is impossible to achieve the observed upper limit of period derivative. Therefore, we propose that J1839 may be in the second ejector phase after the fallback disk becomes inactive. Those NSs with a magnetic field of $(2-6)\times10^{14}~\rm G$ and a fallback disk with an initial mass-accretion rate of $\sim10^{24}-10^{26}~\rm g\,s^{-1}$ are the possible progenitors of J1839.