PSR J2144−3933 is a pulsar about 180 parsecs (587 light-years) from Earth. It is the coldest known neutron star with a surface temperature less than 42,000 Kelvin as measured by the Hubble Space Telescope.[2] It was previously thought to have a period of 2.84 seconds but is now known to have a period of 8.5098 seconds, which is among the longest-known radio pulsars.

PSR J2144−3933
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Grus
Right ascension 21h 44m 12.01s[1]
Declination −39° 33 58.4[1]
Characteristics
Spectral type Pulsar[1]
Astrometry
Distanceapprox. 587 ly
(approx. 180 pc)
Details
Temperature< 42,000[2] K
Rotation8.509827983[1] s
Age272 Myr
Other designations
EUVE J2144-39.6
Database references
SIMBADdata

PSR J2144−3933 is also notable for other reasons: its mean pulse profile is very narrow in comparison to the pulse period, with a half-intensity width of less than one degree of longitude. It also has the lowest spindown luminosity of any pulsar at about 3×1021 W.

Writing in Nature, astrophysicists M. D. Young and coworkers consider this object and suggest that its existence throws current theories into doubt. They state:

Moreover, under the usual model assumptions, based on the neutron-star equations of state, this slowly rotating pulsar should not be emitting a radio beam. Therefore either the model assumptions are wrong, or current theories of radio emission must be revised[3]

The fact that PSR J2144−3933 is the coldest observed neutron star has been exploited to constrain the properties of dark matter.[4][5][6]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 Lower, M. E.; et al. (May 2020). "The UTMOST pulsar timing programme - II. Timing noise across the pulsar population". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 494 (1): 228–245. arXiv:2002.12481. Bibcode:2020MNRAS.494..228L. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa615.
  2. 1 2 Guillot, S.; Pavlov, G.G.; Reyes, C.; Reisenegger, A.; Rodriguez, L.E.; Rangelov, B.; Kargaltsev, O. (5 April 2019). "Hubble Space Telescope Nondetection of PSR J2144–3933: The Coldest Known Neutron Star". The Astrophysical Journal. 874 (2): 175. arXiv:1901.07998. Bibcode:2019ApJ...874..175G. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab0f38. S2CID 85543077.
  3. Young, M. D.; Manchester, R. N.; Johnston, S. (26 August 1999). "A radio pulsar with an 8.5-second period that challenges emission models". Nature. 400 (6747): 848–849. Bibcode:1999Natur.400..848Y. doi:10.1038/23650. S2CID 4358706.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. McKeen, D.; Pospelov, M.; Raj, N. (Jun 3, 2021). "Cosmological and astrophysical probes of dark baryons". Physical Review D. 103 (11) 115002. arXiv:2012.09865. Bibcode:2021PhRvD.103k5002M. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.103.115002. S2CID 229332100.
  5. McKeen, D.; Pospelov, M.; Raj, N. (Aug 6, 2021). "Neutron Star Internal Heating Constraints on Mirror Matter". Physical Review Letters. 127 (6) 061805. arXiv:2105.09951. Bibcode:2021PhRvL.127f1805M. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.061805. PMID 34420351. S2CID 235125629.
  6. Bramante, J.; Kavanaugh, B.; Raj, N. (2022). "Scattering Searches for Dark Matter in Subhalos: Neutron Stars, Cosmic Rays, and Old Rocks". Physical Review Letters. 128 (23) 231801. arXiv:2109.04582. Bibcode:2022PhRvL.128w1801B. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.231801. PMID 35749183. S2CID 237485354.
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