Dual-frequency single-pulse study of PSR B0950+08
Journal article, 2022

PSR B0950+08 is a bright nonrecycled pulsar whose single-pulse fluence variability is reportedly large. Based on observations at two widely separated frequencies, 55 MHz (NenuFAR) and 1.4 GHz (Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope), we review the properties of these single pulses. We conclude that they are more similar to ordinary pulses of radio emission than to a special kind of short and bright giant pulses, observed from only a handful of pulsars. We argue that a temporal variation of the properties of the interstellar medium along the line of sight to this nearby pulsar, namely the fluctuating size of the decorrelation bandwidth of diffractive scintillation makes an important contribution to the observed single-pulse fluence variability. We further present interesting structures in the low-frequency single-pulse spectra that resemble the "sad trombones"seen in fast radio bursts (FRBs); although for PSR B0950+08 the upward frequency drift is also routinely present. We explain these spectral features with radius-to-frequency mapping, similar to the model developed by Wang et al. (2019, ApJ, 876, L15) for FRBs. Finally, we speculate that μs-scale fluence variability of the general pulsar population remains poorly known, and that its further study may bring important clues about the nature of FRBs.

Stars: neutron

Author

A. V. Bilous

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

J.M. Grießmeier

University of Orléans

Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay

T. Pennucci

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)

Z. Wu

Bielefeld University

L. Bondonneau

University of Orléans

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

V. Kondratiev

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Russian Academy of Sciences

J. van Leeuwen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

Y. Maan

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

National Centre for Radio Astrophysics India

L. Connor

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

L. C. Oostrum

Netherlands eScience Center

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

E. Petroff

McGill University

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

J. P.W. Verbiest

Bielefeld University

Max Planck Society

D. Vohl

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

J. W. Mckee

Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics

G. Shaifullah

University of Milano-Bicocca

G. Theureau

University of Orléans

LUTH - Laboratoire de l'Univers et de ses Theories

Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay

O. M. Ulyanov

National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine

B. Cecconi

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

A. H.W.M. Coolen

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

S. Corbel

Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

Sieds Damstra

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

H. Dénes

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

J. N. Girard

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

B. Hut

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Marianna Ivashina

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Communication, Antennas and Optical Networks

O. O. Konovalenko

National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine

A. M. Kutkin

Russian Academy of Sciences

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

G. M. Loose

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

H. Mulder

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

Mark Ruiter

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

R. Smits

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

P. L. Tokarsky

National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine

N. Vermaas

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

V. V. Zakharenko

National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine

P.M. Zarka

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

J. Ziemke

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

University of Oslo

Astronomy and Astrophysics

0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)

Vol. 658 A143

Subject Categories

Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics

DOI

10.1051/0004-6361/202142242

More information

Latest update

2/28/2022