The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2025)
The Anomalous Acceleration of PSR J2043+1711: Long-period Orbital Companion or Stellar Flyby?
- Thomas Donlon II,
- Sukanya Chakrabarti,
- Michael T. Lam,
- Daniel Huber,
- Daniel Hey,
- Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz,
- Benjamin Shappee,
- David L. Kaplan,
- Gabriella Agazie,
- Akash Anumarlapudi,
- Anne M. Archibald,
- Zaven Arzoumanian,
- Paul T. Baker,
- Paul R. Brook,
- H. Thankful Cromartie,
- Kathryn Crowter,
- Megan E. DeCesar,
- Paul B. Demorest,
- Timothy Dolch,
- Elizabeth C. Ferrara,
- William Fiore,
- Emmanuel Fonseca,
- Gabriel E. Freedman,
- Nate Garver-Daniels,
- Peter A. Gentile,
- Joseph Glaser,
- Deborah C. Good,
- Jeffrey S. Hazboun,
- Mark Huber,
- Ross J. Jennings,
- Megan L. Jones,
- Matthew Kerr,
- Duncan R. Lorimer,
- Jing Luo,
- Ryan S. Lynch,
- Alexander McEwen,
- Maura A. McLaughlin,
- Natasha McMann,
- Bradley W. Meyers,
- Cherry Ng,
- David J. Nice,
- Timothy T. Pennucci,
- Benetge B. P. Perera,
- Nihan S. Pol,
- Henri A. Radovan,
- Scott M. Ransom,
- Paul S. Ray,
- Ann Schmiedekamp,
- Carl Schmiedekamp,
- Brent J. Shapiro-Albert,
- Ingrid H. Stairs,
- Kevin Stovall,
- Abhimanyu Susobhanan,
- Joseph K. Swiggum,
- Michael A. Tucker,
- Haley M. Wahl
Affiliations
- Thomas Donlon II
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Alabama in Huntsville , 301 North Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35816, USA ; [email protected]
- Sukanya Chakrabarti
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Alabama in Huntsville , 301 North Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35816, USA ; [email protected]
- Michael T. Lam
- ORCiD
- SETI Institute , 339 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; School of Physics and Astronomy , Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA; Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics , Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- Daniel Huber
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney , NSW 2006, Australia
- Daniel Hey
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Benjamin Shappee
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- David L. Kaplan
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Gabriella Agazie
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Akash Anumarlapudi
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Anne M. Archibald
- ORCiD
- Newcastle University , NE1 7RU, UK
- Zaven Arzoumanian
- ORCiD
- X-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Paul T. Baker
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Widener University , One University Place, Chester, PA 19013, USA
- Paul R. Brook
- ORCiD
- Institute for Gravitational Wave Astronomy and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- H. Thankful Cromartie
- ORCiD
- National Research Council Research Associate , National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC 20001, USA
- Kathryn Crowter
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia , 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Megan E. DeCesar
- ORCiD
- George Mason University , Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- Paul B. Demorest
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
- Timothy Dolch
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics , Hillsdale College, 33 E. College Street, Hillsdale, MI 49242, USA; Eureka Scientific , 2452 Delmer Street, Suite 100, Oakland, CA 94602-3017, USA
- Elizabeth C. Ferrara
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland , College Park, MD 20742, USA; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology , NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- William Fiore
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Emmanuel Fonseca
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Gabriel E. Freedman
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Nate Garver-Daniels
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Peter A. Gentile
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Joseph Glaser
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Deborah C. Good
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Montana , 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
- Jeffrey S. Hazboun
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Mark Huber
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Ross J. Jennings
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Megan L. Jones
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Matthew Kerr
- ORCiD
- Space Science Division , Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5352, USA
- Duncan R. Lorimer
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Jing Luo
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics , University of Toronto, 50 Saint George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
- Ryan S. Lynch
- ORCiD
- Green Bank Observatory , P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV 24944, USA
- Alexander McEwen
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Maura A. McLaughlin
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Natasha McMann
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Bradley W. Meyers
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia , 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research , Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Cherry Ng
- ORCiD
- Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto , 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
- David J. Nice
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics , Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042, USA
- Timothy T. Pennucci
- ORCiD
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy, Eötvös Loránd University , Pázmány P. s. 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Benetge B. P. Perera
- ORCiD
- Arecibo Observatory , HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo, PR 00612, USA
- Nihan S. Pol
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Henri A. Radovan
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico , Mayagüez, PR 00681, USA
- Scott M. Ransom
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
- Paul S. Ray
- ORCiD
- Space Science Division , Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5352, USA
- Ann Schmiedekamp
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics , Penn State Abington, Abington, PA 19001, USA
- Carl Schmiedekamp
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics , Penn State Abington, Abington, PA 19001, USA
- Brent J. Shapiro-Albert
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; Giant Army , 915A 17th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122, USA
- Ingrid H. Stairs
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia , 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Kevin Stovall
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
- Abhimanyu Susobhanan
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) , Callinstrasse 38, D-30167, Hannover, Germany
- Joseph K. Swiggum
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics , Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042, USA
- Michael A. Tucker
- ORCiD
- Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics , 191 W Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University , 140 W 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Haley M. Wahl
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adbf90
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 983,
no. 1
p. 62
Abstract
Based on the rate of change of its orbital period, PSR J2043+1711 has a substantial peculiar acceleration of 3.5 ± 0.8 mm s ^–1 yr ^–1 , which deviates from the acceleration predicted by equilibrium Milky Way (MW) models at a 4 σ level. The magnitude of the peculiar acceleration is too large to be explained by disequilibrium effects of the MW interacting with orbiting dwarf galaxies (∼1 mm s ^–1 yr ^–1 ), and too small to be caused by period variations due to the pulsar being a redback. We identify and examine two plausible causes for the anomalous acceleration: a stellar flyby, and a long-period orbital companion. We identify a main-sequence star in Gaia DR3 and Pan-STARRS DR2 with the correct mass, distance, and on-sky position to potentially explain the observed peculiar acceleration. However, the star and the pulsar system have substantially different proper motions, indicating that they are not gravitationally bound. However, it is possible that this is an unrelated star that just happens to be located near J2043+1711 along our line of sight (chance probability of 1.6%). Therefore, we also constrain possible orbital parameters for a circumbinary companion in a hierarchical triple system with J2043+1711; the changes in the spindown rate of the pulsar are consistent with an outer object that has an orbital period of 60 kyr, a companion mass of 0.3 M _⊙ (indicative of a white dwarf or low-mass star), and a semimajor axis of 1900 au. Continued timing and/or future faint optical observations of J2043+1711 may eventually allow us to differentiate between these scenarios.
Keywords
