PSR J0609+2130: A disrupted binary pulsar?

Abstract

We report the discovery and initial timing observations of a 55.7-ms pulsar, J0609+2130, found during a 430-MHz drift-scan survey with the Arecibo radio telescope. With a spin-down rate of 3.1 × 10-19 s s -1 and an inferred surface dipole magnetic field of only 4.2 × 109 G, J0609+2130 has very similar spin parameters to the isolated pulsar J2235+1506 found by Camilo, Nice & Taylor. While the origin of these weakly magnetized isolated neutron stars is not fully understood, one intriguing possibility is that they are the remains of high-mass X-ray binary systems which were disrupted by the supernova explosion of the secondary star.