Cannonball or Bowling Ball: Proper Motion and Parallax for PSR J0002+6216

Abstract

We report the results of careful astrometric measurements of the cannonball pulsar J0002+6216 carried out over 3 yr using the High Sensitivity Array. We significantly refine the proper motion to μ = 35.3 ± 0.6 mas yr ^−1 and place new constraints on the distance, with the overall effect of lowering the velocity and increasing the inferred age to 47.60 ± 0.80 kyr. Although the pulsar is brought more in line with the standard natal kick distribution, this new velocity has implications for the morphology of the pulsar wind nebula that surrounds it, the density of the interstellar medium through which it travels, and the age of the supernova remnant (CTB 1) from which it originates.

Keywords

• Supernova remnants
• Interstellar medium
• Pulsar wind nebulae
• Proper motions
• Pulsars
• Parallax