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Search for gamma-ray variability around Fermi-LAT pulsar glitches

Cozzolongo G, Fiori A, Razzano M, Saz Parkinson PM (2025)

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Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Book Volume: 702

Article Number: A60

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202555331

Abstract

Context. Pulsars are the most numerous class of Galactic γ-ray sources detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). Young pulsars occasionally experience sudden timing discontinuities called glitches, which are characterized by rapid changes in their rotational parameters, and are usually followed by a return to their regular rotation behavior. PSR J2021+4026 is a unique Fermi-LAT pulsar in that it exhibits peculiar, quasiperiodic switches between two states of varying spin-down rates, approximately every 3–4 years. The mode changes in PSR J2021+4026 are correlated with sudden changes in the γ-ray emission features of the pulsar. Aims. The goal of this study was to search for variability in the emission features of γ-ray pulsars correlated with the occurrence of glitches. We introduce a novel approach to analyzing LAT γ-ray pulsars, focusing on a systematic examination of variability associated with changes in pulsar spin-down rates. Methods. We tracked the changes in the rotation and γ-ray emission for a selection of seven glitches that we deemed promising based on the observed changes in the spin-down rates. We conducted a binned likelihood spectral analysis using 14 years of Fermi-LAT data. We specifically analyzed windows of data collected around the epoch of the selected glitches. We improved the precision on the best-fit parameters by incorporating likelihood weights, which we calculated based on a model of the diffuse background, thereby accounting for systematic error contributions. Results. The phase-averaged flux and spectral parameters of the pulsars analyzed in this study do not vary significantly across any of the glitches investigated. The 95% upper limits on the relative flux change from this work indicate that the flux of the Vela pulsar is unchanging, with a 0.5% upper limit on the relative change, making it a promising candidate for further searches. The connection between glitch dynamics and γ-ray emission in pulsars remains unclear, and PSR J2021+4026 remains unique in terms of its gamma-ray variability properties. We conclude that a comprehensive investigation of glitches with the goal of further unraveling their underlying mechanisms is warranted.

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How to cite

APA:

Cozzolongo, G., Fiori, A., Razzano, M., & Saz Parkinson, P.M. (2025). Search for gamma-ray variability around Fermi-LAT pulsar glitches. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 702. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202555331

MLA:

Cozzolongo, Giovanni, et al. "Search for gamma-ray variability around Fermi-LAT pulsar glitches." Astronomy & Astrophysics 702 (2025).

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