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A 62-minute orbital period black widow binary in a wide hierarchical triple

Author

Listed:
  • Kevin B. Burdge

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Thomas R. Marsh

    (University of Warwick)

  • Jim Fuller

    (California Institute of Technology
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Eric C. Bellm

    (University of Washington)

  • Ilaria Caiazzo

    (California Institute of Technology
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Deepto Chakrabarty

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Michael W. Coughlin

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Kishalay De

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • V. S. Dhillon

    (University of Sheffield
    Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias)

  • Matthew J. Graham

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Pablo Rodríguez-Gil

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
    Universidad de La Laguna)

  • Amruta D. Jaodand

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • David L. Kaplan

    (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee)

  • Erin Kara

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Albert K. H. Kong

    (National Tsing Hua University)

  • S. R. Kulkarni

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Kwan-Lok Li

    (National Cheng Kung University)

  • S. P. Littlefair

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Walid A. Majid

    (California Institute of Technology
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Przemek Mróz

    (California Institute of Technology
    University of Warsaw)

  • Aaron B. Pearlman

    (California Institute of Technology
    McGill University
    McGill University)

  • E. S. Phinney

    (California Institute of Technology
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Jan van Roestel

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Robert A. Simcoe

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Igor Andreoni

    (University of Maryland
    University of Maryland
    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Andrew J. Drake

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Richard G. Dekany

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Dmitry A. Duev

    (California Institute of Technology
    Weights & Biases)

  • Erik C. Kool

    (Stockholm University)

  • Ashish A. Mahabal

    (California Institute of Technology
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Michael S. Medford

    (University of California, Berkeley
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Reed Riddle

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Thomas A. Prince

    (California Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Over a dozen millisecond pulsars are ablating low-mass companions in close binary systems. In the original ‘black widow’, the eight-hour orbital period eclipsing pulsar PSR J1959+2048 (PSR B1957+20)1, high-energy emission originating from the pulsar2 is irradiating and may eventually destroy3 a low-mass companion. These systems are not only physical laboratories that reveal the interesting results of exposing a close companion star to the relativistic energy output of a pulsar, but are also believed to harbour some of the most massive neutron stars4, allowing for robust tests of the neutron star equation of state. Here we report observations of ZTF J1406+1222, a wide hierarchical triple hosting a 62-minute orbital period black widow candidate, the optical flux of which varies by a factor of more than ten. ZTF J1406+1222 pushes the boundaries of evolutionary models5, falling below the 80-minute minimum orbital period of hydrogen-rich systems. The wide tertiary companion is a rare low-metallicity cool subdwarf star, and the system has a Galactic halo orbit consistent with passing near the Galactic Centre, making it a probe of formation channels, neutron star kick physics6 and binary evolution.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin B. Burdge & Thomas R. Marsh & Jim Fuller & Eric C. Bellm & Ilaria Caiazzo & Deepto Chakrabarty & Michael W. Coughlin & Kishalay De & V. S. Dhillon & Matthew J. Graham & Pablo Rodríguez-Gil & Amr, 2022. "A 62-minute orbital period black widow binary in a wide hierarchical triple," Nature, Nature, vol. 605(7908), pages 41-45, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:605:y:2022:i:7908:d:10.1038_s41586-022-04551-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04551-1
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