Is the Fermi source 4FGL J1824.2+1231 a transitional millisecond pulsar?

TL;DR

This study investigates whether the unassociated gamma-ray source 4FGL J1824.2+1231 is a transitional millisecond pulsar (tMSP) by analyzing multiwavelength data, optical variability, and spectral features, suggesting it is likely a tMSP in a subluminous disk state.

Contribution

The paper identifies a likely multiwavelength counterpart to 4FGL J1824.2+1231 and provides evidence supporting its classification as a tMSP in the subluminous disk state.

Findings

Identified a likely X-ray and optical counterpart within the gamma-ray source error ellipse.

Detected optical variability and proper motion indicating a Galactic origin.

Spectral features consistent with an accretion disk in a compact binary system.

Abstract

Transitional millisecond pulsars (tMSPs) in tight binary systems represent an important evolutionary link between low-mass X-ray binaries and radio millisecond pulsars. To date, only three confirmed tMSPs and a few candidates have been discovered. Most of them are gamma-ray sources. For this reason, searching for multiwavelength counterparts to unassociated Fermi gamma-ray sources can help to find new tMSPs. Here we investigate whether the unassociated gamma-ray source 4FGL J1824.2+1231 belongs to the tMSP family. To find the counterpart to 4FGL J1824.2+1231, we used data from SRG/eROSITA and Swift X-ray catalogues, and from different optical catalogues. We also performed time-series photometric optical observations of the source with the 2.1-m telescope of the Observatorio Astronomico Nacional San Pedro Martir, the 1.5-m telescope of the Maidanak Astronomical Observatory and the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish telescope. In addition, we carried out optical spectroscopic observations with the Russian-Turkish telescope and used archival spectroscopic data obtained with the Gemini-North telescope. Within the position error ellipse of 4FGL J1824.2+1231, we found only one X-ray source which coincides with an optical object. We consider it as a likely multiwavelength counterpart to 4FGL J1824.2+1231. The source shows strong optical variability and significant proper motion. The latter strongly implies that this is a Galactic source. Double-peaked H and He emission lines are detected in its spectrum with a flat continuum, as often observed in accretion disks of compact binary systems. The X-ray spectrum is well fitted by a power law with the photon index 1.7. The derived intrinsic X-ray-to-gamma-ray flux ratio is about 0.2. If the X-ray/optical source is the true counterpart to 4FGL J1824.2+1231, then all its properties suggest that it is a tMSP in the subluminous disk state.