The Chinese pulsar timing array data release I. Polarimetry for 56 millisecond pulsars

TL;DR

This paper provides high-quality polarization profiles for 56 millisecond pulsars observed with FAST, revealing new features and insights into MSP magnetospheric emission and polarization properties.

Contribution

First detailed polarization profiles for 56 MSPs using FAST, including new detections and analysis of polarization characteristics and emission geometry.

Findings

80% of MSPs show weak polarization components

25% exhibit interpulse-like structures

Most MSPs display linear polarization jumps

Abstract

We present polarization pulse profiles for 56 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) monitored by the Chinese Pulsar Timing Array (CPTA) collaboration using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). The observations centered at 1.25 GHz with a raw bandwidth of 500 MHz. Due to the high sensitivity ($\sim$16 K/Jy) of the FAST telescope and our long integration time, the high signal-to-noise ratio polarization profiles show features hardly detected before. Among 56 pulsars, the polarization profiles of PSRs J0406$+$3039, J1327$+$3423, and J2022$+$2534 were not previously reported. 80\% of MSPs in the sample show weak components below 3\% of peak flux, 25\% of pulsars show interpulse-like structures, and most pulsars show linear polarization position angle jumps. Six pulsars seem to be emitting for full rotation phase, with another thirteen pulsars being good candidates for such a 360$^\circ$ radiator. We find that the distribution of the polarization percentage in our sample is compatible with the normal pulsar distribution. Our detailed evaluation of the MSP polarization properties suggests that the wave propagation effects in the pulsar magnetosphere are important in shaping the MSP polarization pulse profiles.