arXiv subjects

P. F. Wang

Publications and source records attributed to P. F. Wang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Relativistic effects of PSR~J1856--0039 double neutron star system in a 2.36-hour compact orbit

Compact double neutron star (DNS) systems are unique laboratories for testing gravitational theories and studying DNS mergers. Here we report the properties of a new DNS system, PSR J1856--0039, discovered in the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). The pulsar is mildly recycled with a period of 23.4~ms in a compact eccentric orbit ($e=0.106$) with an orbital period of 2.36 hours. By following up FAST observations, we measured the relativistic effects, including the orbital period derivative $\dot{P}_{\rm orb}=-1.284\pm0.019\times10^{-12}$ s s$^{-1}$, periastron advance $\dot\omega=17.5859\pm0.0007$ deg yr$^{-1}$, and Einstein delay $\gamma=0.445\pm0.011$ ms. This DNS system has a low orbital inclination of $i=133^\circ.2\pm1^\circ.1$ and the lowest total mass of any known DNS, $M_{\rm tot}=2.48841\pm0.00015 M\odot$, with a determined pulsar mass of $1.304\pm0.022 M_\odot$ and a companion mass of $1.185\pm0.022 M_\odot$, one of the lowest neutron-star masses. The observed orbital decay due to gravitational-wave emission $\dot{P}^{\rm GW}_{\rm orb,obs}$ and the orbital decay predicted by general relativity $\dot{P}^{\rm GW}_{\rm orb,pred}$ are consistent at a level of $\dot{P}^{\rm GW}_{\rm orb,obs}/\dot{P}^{\rm GW}_{\rm orb,pred}=$1.009(14) (68% confidence). This DNS will merge after 82 Myr and may form a stable neutron star or collapse into a black hole after spin-down. Long-term monitoring could potentially probe the Lense-Thirring precession.

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arXiv2026

FAST Pulsar Database III. Snapshots of nulling, mode-changing and subpulse modulation of 374 pulsars

Based on sensitive L-band (1.0 to 1.5 GHz) observations of pulsars using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), we analyzed single-pulse sequences from FAST-detected pulsars and identified nulling, mode changing, or subpulse modulation phenomena in 374 sources. Among these, nulling has been detected in 160 pulsars, with 127 cases reported for the first time. Emission mode changes have been observed in 52 pulsars, including 51 first-time detections. Subpulse modulation has been identified in 272 pulsars, 180 of which are newly revealed, with the majority displaying subpulse drifting behavior. Subpulse drifting in some pulsars exhibits distinct modes with varying drift properties, leading to mode changes and divergent mean profiles. Statistics on pulsar parameters show that pulsars exhibiting nulling and/or subpulse modulation tend to be older, with longer periods and lower spin-down energy-loss rates. The modulation period P3 is predominantly correlated with pulsar rotation periods, magnetic field strengths, and spin-down energy loss.

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arXiv2026

FAST Pulsar Database IV. Spike subpulses and quasi-periodic subpulses of 25 pulsars observed by FAST

Fine structures of individual pulses can be detected when observations are conducted with a high time resolution and a great sensitivity. We examined pulsar data observed by the Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) with a time resolution of 49~{\textmu}s, and detected a large number of spike subpulses of 21 pulsars and quasi-periodic subpulses from 13 pulsars. These spike subpulses cannot be or are marginally resolved by the FAST observation time resolution, and are generally strongly linearly polarized, which may be primary emission elements of subpulses. For the quasi-periodic subpulses from 13 pulsars, we measured their characteristic periods, generally a few tenths of a millisecond, and examined their possible correlation with pulsar rotation period.

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arXiv2026

The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot Survey. IX. Timing Three Binary Pulsars with Wide Orbits and Low Orbital Eccentricities

Current pulsar timing models face challenges when applied to binary pulsars with wide orbits and low orbital eccentricities. The conventional \texttt{DD} model accurately characterizes the orbits of such systems, but it suffers from strong correlations between the time of periastron passage ($T_0$) and the longitude of periastron ($\omega$). The ELL1 model avoids these parameter correlations, yet fails due to the limitations of its first-order low-eccentricity approximation. Recent enhancements to the ELL1 model (dubbed ELL1+ model) have incorporated higher-order terms but retain the low-eccentricity approximation. In this study, we propose a further improved model, ELL1R, which eliminates reliance on the low-eccentricity approximation through rigorous calculation of the R\"{o}mer delay. This modification can avoid strong parameter correlations in the DD model, and it can be used in systems with mild eccentricity $0.01\lesssim e\lesssim0.1$ where the ELL1+ model can not. Using the ELL1R model, we present the first phase-coherent timing solutions for three binary pulsars: PSR~J1851--0108 (orbital period: 228 days), PSR~J1910+0423 (886 days), and PSR~J1923+2022 (777 days). Validation against the DD and ELL1+ models confirms that ELL1R yields consistent timing results while integrating the advantages of the two models. Our analysis further indicates that all three pulsars are mildly recycled. The companions of PSRs J1910+0423 and J1923+2022 are likely white dwarfs, whereas the nature of PSR J1851--0108's companion remains unknown.

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arXiv2026

Mass measurements of the double neutron star system PSR J0641+0448

Pulsar timing of double neutron star (DNS) systems is one of the best methodologies to study the neutron star masses distribution. Here we report the discovery of a double neutron star system PSR J0641+0448 in the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot (GPPS) survey. This pulsar has a 25.7 ms spin period and moves in a 3.73-days eccentric orbit with an eccentricity of 0.145. Using FAST observations, we obtained its phase-connected timing solution with periastron advance and Shapiro delay detected. Using $\chi^2$ analysis based on DDGR model, we constrain the pulsar mass to $1.319^{+0.021}_{-0.035}~M_\odot$, and the companion mass to $1.269^{+0.022}_{-0.016}~M_\odot$ with a 68.3\% confidence level. The low companion mass and mild orbital eccentricity is consistent with the correlation between neutron masses and orbital eccentricities.

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arXiv2025

A nearby pulsar J1951+2837 observed by the LPA and FAST

PSR J1951+2837 is a nearby pulsar with a period of 7.334 s and dispersion measure of DM = 2.9 $\pm$ 0.6 pc cm$^{-3}$, located about 200 or 300 pc from the Sun. It occasionally radiates bright pulses and has been observed by the Large Phased Array (LPA) radio telescope at 110 MHz and by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) at 1250 MHz. We detected only 343 pulses in 228 LPA observation sessions and 5 bright pulses in two FAST sessions. Based on the times of arrival (TOAs) of these bright pulses, we determined the coherent timing solution for this pulsar at a frequency of 110 MHz. Based on flux densities (S) of these bright pulses at two frequencies ($ν$), we found that it is probably one of the known pulsars with the lowest luminosities to date, with a spectral index of about $α$ = (2.5 - 3.2) for S $\sim ν^{-α}$.

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arXiv2025

FAST Pulsar Database: II. Scattering profiles of 149 Pulsars

The turbulent ionized interstellar medium diffracts radio waves and makes them propagate in multiple paths. The pulse-broadening observed at low frequencies results from the scattering effect of interstellar clouds of ionized gas. During the Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot (GPPS) survey and other projects by using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), we detect the pulse-broadening for 149 pulsars in the radio frequency band between 1.0 and 1.5 GHz, including 68 newly discovered pulsars in the GPPS survey and 81 previously known pulsars. We find that a more accurate dispersion measure can be obtained from aligning the front edge of the scattered subband pulses at the 1/4 or 1/2 peak level for most pulsars with one dominant component in the intrinsic profile, and the best DM values from aligning the intrinsic profile components from the model-fitting. From the pulse profiles at a few subbands we derive the pulse-broadening timescale and the scattering spectral index. These scattering parameters are measured for the first time for 113 pulsars. For 36 pulsars with previously detected scattering features, our measurements of the pulse-broadening timescale are consistent with results in the literature. We find that pulsars behind spiral arms show a stronger scattering effect due to greater density fluctuations in the arm regions. With a properly derived dispersion measure and careful calibration, we also present polarization profiles for 82 pulsars in three subbands of FAST observations.

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arXiv2025

A pulsar-helium star compact binary system formed by common envelope evolution

A stellar common envelope occurs in a binary system when the atmosphere of an evolving star expands to encompass an orbiting companion object. Such systems are predicted to evolve rapidly, ejecting the stellar envelope and leaving the companion in a tighter orbit around a stripped star. We used radio timing to identify a pulsar, PSR J1928+1815, with a spin period of 10.55 ms in a compact binary system with an orbital period of 3.60 hours. The companion star has 1.0 to 1.6 solar masses, eclipses the pulsar for about 17% of the orbit, and is undetected at other wavelengths, so it is most likely a stripped helium star. We interpret this system as having recently undergone a common envelope phase, producing a compact binary.

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arXiv2025

Radio emission across the entire rotation phases of pulsars

Super-sensitive observations of bright pulsars by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) have revealed weak radio emission continuously emerged in the rotation phases between the main pulse and interpulse of an rotating neutron star. We develop a model for the polarized radio emission radiated from different heights in the pulsar magnetosphere and examine emission intensity distribution over the whole rotation phases of pulsars seen from all directions by the line of sight. We find that for pulsars with small periods and the magnetosphere filled with much more relativistic particles, the polarized radio emission can be generated in all rotation phases for both the aligned and perpendicular rotating neutron stars. When the line of sight cuts the pulsar emission beam between the rotation and magnetic axes, the polarization angles have the same sense of variation gradient for the ``main'' pulse and ``interpulse''. If the line of sight cuts the beams between the inclined magnetic axis and the equator, the opposite senses can be found for the main pulse and interpulse. In addition to the pulsed emission, we find persistent radio emission generated in the pulsar magnetosphere. The model can naturally explain the emission across the entire rotation phases.

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arXiv2025

The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot survey: VIII. 116 binary pulsars

Finding pulsars in binaries are important for measurements of the masses of neutron stars, for tests of gravity theories, and for studies of star evolution. We are carrying out the Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot survey (GPPS) by using the the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Here we present the Keplerian parameters for 116 newly discovered pulsars in the FAST GPPS survey, and obtain timing solutions for 29 pulsars. Companions of these pulsars are He white dwarfs, CO/ONe white dwarfs, neutron stars, main sequence stars and ultra light objects or even planets. Our observations uncover eclipses of 8 binary systems. The optical counterpart for the companion of PSR J1908+1036 is identified. The Post-Keplerian parameter $\dotω$ for the double neutron star systems PSR J0528+3529 and J1844-0128 have been measured, with which the total masses of the binary systems are determined.

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arXiv2025

The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot Survey: VII. Six millisecond pulsars in compact orbits with massive white dwarf companions

Binary millisecond pulsars with a massive white dwarf (WD) companion are intermediate-mass binary pulsars (IMBPs). They are formed via the Case BB Roche-lobe overflow evolution channel if they are in compact orbits with an orbital period of less than 1 day. They are fairly rare in the known pulsar population; only five such IMBPs have been discovered before, and one of them is in a globular cluster. Here we report six IMBPs in compact orbits: PSRs J0416+5201, J0520+3722, J1919+1341, J1943+2210, J1947+2304 and J2023+2853, discovered during the Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot survey by using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, doubling the number of such IMBPs due to the high survey sensitivity in the short survey time of 5 minutes. Follow-up timing observations show that they all have either a CO WD or an ONeMg WD companion with a mass greater than about 0.8~$M_\odot$ in a very circular orbit with an eccentricity in the order of $\lesssim10^{-5}$. PSR J0416+5201 should be an ONeMg WD companion with a remarkable minimum mass of 1.28 $M_\odot$. These massive WD companions lead to a detectable Shapiro delay for PSRs J0416+5201, J0520+3722, J1943+2210, and J2023 +2853, indicating that their orbits are highly inclined. From the measurement of the Shapiro delay, the pulsar mass of J1943+2210 was constrained to be 1.84$^{\,+0.11}_{-0.09}$~$M_\odot$, and that of PSR J2023+2853 to be 1.28$^{\,+0.06}_{-0.05}$~$M_\odot$.

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arXiv2025

Searching radio signals from two magnetars and a high-magnetic field pulsar and the serendipitous discovery of a new radio pulsar PSR J1935+2200

Magnetars are slowly rotating, highly magnetized young neutron stars that can show transient radio phenomena for radio pulses and fast radio bursts. We conducted radio observations of from two magnetars SGR$~$J1935+2154 and 3XMM$~$J185246.6+003317 and a high-magnetic field pulsar PSR$~$J1846$-$0258 using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). We performed single pulse and periodicity searches and did not detect radio signals from them. From the piggyback data recorded by other FAST telescope beams when we observed the magnetar SGR$~$1935+2154, we serendipitously discovered a new radio pulsar, PSR$~$J1935+2200. We carried out the follow-up observations and obtained the timing solution based on these new observations and the archive FAST data. PSR$~$J1935+2200 is an isolated old pulsar, with a spin period of $0.91$s, a spin-period derivative of $9.19 \times 10^{-15}$~s~s$^{-1}$, and a characteristic age of $1.57$ Myr. It is a weak pulsar with a flux density of 9.8 $μ$Jy at 1.25 GHz. Discovery of a new pulsar from the long FAST observations of 30 minutes implies that there may be more weak older pulsars in the Galactic disk to be discovered.

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arXiv2025

The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot survey: VI. The discovery of 473 new pulsars

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) is the most sensitive telescope at the $L$-band (1.0-1.5 GHz) and has been used to carry out the FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot (GPPS) survey in the last 5 yr. Up to now, the survey has covered one-fourth of the planned areas within $\pm10^{\circ}$ from the Galactic plane visible by FAST, and discovered 751 pulsars. After the first publication of the discovery of 201 pulsars and one rotating radio transient (RRAT) in 2021 and 76 RRATs in 2023, here we report the discovery of 473 new pulsars from the FAST GPPS survey, including 137 new millisecond pulsars and 30 new RRATs. We find 34 millisecond pulsars discovered by the GPPS survey which can be timed with a precision better than 3 $μ$s by using FAST 15 minute observations and can be used for pulsar timing arrays. The GPPS survey has discovered eight pulsars with periods greater than 10 s including one with 29.77 s. The integrated profiles of pulsars and individual pulses of RRATs are presented. During the FAST GPPS survey, we also detected previously known pulsars and updated parameters for 52 pulsars. In addition, we discovered two fast radio bursts plus one probable case with high dispersion measures indicating their extragalactic origin.

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arXiv2024

Polarized radio emission of RRAT J1854+0306

Polarized radio emission of RRAT J1854+0306 is investigated with single pulses using Five-hundred-meter-Aperture Spherical Telescope. Its emission is characterized by nulls, narrow and weak pulses, and occasional wide and intense bursts with a nulling fraction of 53.2%. Its burst emission is typically of one rotation, and occasionally of two or three or even five rotations at the most, but without significant periodicity. The integrated pulse profile has an 'S'-shaped position angle curve that is superposed with orthogonal modes, from which geometry parameters are obtained. Individual pulses exhibit diverse profile morphology with single, double, or multiple peaks. The intensity and width of these pulses are highly correlated, and bright pulses generally have wide profiles with multiple peaks. These nulling behaviours, profile morphology, and polarization demonstrate that a rotating radio transient has the same physical origins as the normal pulsars.

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arXiv2024

The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot Survey -- V. PSR J1901+0658 in a double neutron star system

Double neutron star (DNS) systems offer excellent opportunities to test gravity theories. We report the timing results of PSR J1901+0658, the first pulsar discovered in the FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot (GPPS) Survey. Based on timing observations by FAST over 5 yr, we obtain the phase-coherent timing solutions and derive the precise measurements of its position, spin parameters, orbital parameters, and dispersion measure. It has a period of 75.7 ms, a period derivative of 2.169(6)$\times 10^{-19}$ s s$^{-1}$, and a characteristic age of 5.5 Gyr. This pulsar is in an orbit with a period of 14.45 d and an eccentricity of 0.366. One post-Keplerian parameter, periastron advance, has been well-measured as being 0.00531(9) deg yr$^{-1}$, from which the total mass of this system is derived to be 2.79(7) M$_{\odot}$. The pulsar has the mass upper limit of 1.68 M$_{\odot}$, so the lower limit for the companion mass is 1.11 M$_{\odot}$. Because PSR J1901+0658 is a partially recycled pulsar in an eccentric binary orbit with such a large companion mass, it should be in a DNS system according to the evolution history of the binary system.

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arXiv2024

Dwarf pulses of 10 pulsars detected by FAST

How pulsars radiate is a long-standing problem. Detailed polarization measurements of individual pulses shed light on currently unknown emission processes. Recently, based on supersensitive observations, dwarf pulses have been recognized as weak narrow pulses often appearing during the nulling state. In this study, we report the detection of dwarf pulses from ten pulsars, PSRs B0525+21, B1237+25, J1538+2345, J1824$-$0127, J1851$-$0053, B1901+10, J1939+10, B1944+17, B2000+40 and J2112+4058, based on observations conducted with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope. Dwarf pulses of five pulsars are clearly discernible in the two-dimensional distribution of pulse intensity and pulse width. For the other five pulsars, PSRs J1538+2345, J1824$-$0127, J1939+10, B2000+40, and J2112+4058, only a few dwarf pulses are detected from pulse stacks. The dwarf pulses can emerge in both cone and core emission components for PSR B1237+25, and the polarization angles of these dwarf pulses are mostly in the orthogonal polarization mode of normal pulses for PSR B1944+17. In general, pulsars with detected dwarf pulses tend to be located within the "death valley" region of the distribution of pulsar periods and period derivatives.

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arXiv2024

Individual subpulses of PSR B1916+14 and their polarization properties

Individual subpulses of pulsars are regarded as the basic emission components, providing invaluable information to understand the radio emission process in the pulsar magnetosphere. Nevertheless, subpulses are overlapped with each other along the rotation phase for most pulsars, making it difficult to study the statistical properties of subpulses. Among the pulsars observed by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, PSR B1916+14 has a large number of isolated well-resolved subpulses in the high time resolution observations, having a typical width of 0.15 ms and a high linear polarization. We find that the number distribution of subpulses contributes dominantly to the mean profile. According to the emission geometry, these emission units come from a region roughly 155 km above the polar cap in the pulsar magnetosphere, and the length scale of basic emission units is approximately 120 m. The deviations of polarization position angles for these single subpulses from the standard S-shaped curve are closely related to their fractional linear and circular polarization, and the large deviations tend to come from drifting subpulses.

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arXiv2023

The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot Survey: III. Timing results of 30 FAST-GPPS discovered pulsars

Timing observations are crucial for determining the basic parameters of newly discovered pulsars. Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) with the L-band 19-beam receiver covering the frequency range of 1.0--1.5 GHz, the FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot (GPPS) Survey has discovered more than 600 faint pulsars with flux densities of only a few or a few tens of $μ$Jy at 1.25 GHz. To obtain accurate position, spin parameters and dispersion measure of a pulsar, and to calculate derived parameters such as the characteristic age and surface magnetic field, we collect available FAST pulsar data obtained either through targeted follow-up observations or through coincidental survey observations with one of the 19 beams of the receiver. From these data we obtain time of arrival (TOA) measurements for 30 newly discovered pulsars as well as for 13 known pulsars. We demonstrate that the TOA measurements acquired by the FAST from any beams of the receiver in any observation mode (e.g. the tracking mode or the snapshot mode) can be combined to get timing solutions. We update the ephemerides of 13 previously known pulsars and obtain the first phase-coherent timing results for 30 isolated pulsars discovered in the FAST GPPS Survey. Notably, PSR J1904+0853 is an isolated millisecond pulsar, PSR J1906+0757 is a disrupted recycled pulsar, and PSR J1856+0211 has a long period of 9.89 s that can constrain pulsar death lines. Based on these timing solutions, all available FAST data have been added together to obtain the best pulse profiles for these pulsars.

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