2025ApJ...986...98Z -
Astrophys. J., 986, 98 (2025/June-2)
Nature of Ultralong Period Radio Transients: Could They Be Strange Dwarf Pulsars?
ZHOU X., KURBAN A., LIU W.-T., WANG N. and YUAN Y.-J.
Abstract (from CDS):
Ultralong period radio transients (ULPTs), with periods of thousands of seconds, challenge conventional pulsar models. We propose that these isolated sources are strange dwarf (SD) pulsars-compact objects with a strange quark matter core surrounded by a normal matter crust. We develop a theoretical framework for SD pulsars and apply it to four known isolated ULPTs: GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3, GPM J1839-10, ASKAP J1832-0911 (DART J1832-0911), and ASKAP J193505.1+214841.0 (ASKAP J1935+2148). Our analysis shows that SD pulsars naturally explain both the ultralong periods and coherent radio emission of these sources, which occupy a distinctive region in the magnetic field-period diagram. We find that these objects have surface magnetic fields ranging from 106 to 1010 G, with a consistent lower bound near 106 G that suggests a fundamental threshold for pair production in these magnetospheres. Their radio emission efficiencies (ηrad,rot ≈ 10–4-10–2) align with those of normal pulsars despite their extreme periods. ASKAP J1935+2148 represents a boundary case, positioned below the theoretical death line but still radio active, offering crucial insights into emission mechanisms at extreme periods. The observed X-ray properties of ASKAP J1832-0911, including its two-component spectrum and synchronous X-ray/radio variability, strongly support the SD pulsar model. This framework provides a unified explanation for ULPTs and has significant implications for understanding exotic dense matter in compact objects.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
Compact objects - Pulsars - Neutron stars - Radio transient sources
Simbad objects:
11
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