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The γ-ray source 4FGL J2054.2+6904 discovered with Fermi was recently classified as a pulsar candidate. Its possible X-ray and optical counterpart was identified with Swift. Using Zwicky survey data we show that the counterpart is variable in the optical with the period of about 7.5 h. The shape of the light curve is almost sinusoidal with the amplitude of ≈0.5m. The spectral energy distribution corresponds to the stellar spectrum with the effective temperature of 5820 ± 410 K. We also firmly detected the source in X-rays using the SRG/eROSITA all sky survey data. Its X-ray spectrum can be described by a power law with the photon index of about 1.0 and unabsorbed flux ≈2 × 10–13 erg/(s cm2) in the 0.5–10 keV range. These results show that 4FGL J2054.2+6904 is a promising candidate to a millisecond pulsar in a close binary system of the "redback" type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1982 model for the formation of Hulse-Taylor binary radio pulsar PSR B1913+16 is described, which since has become the 'standard model' for the formation of the double neutron stars, confirmed by the 2003 discovery of the double pulsar system PSR J0737-3039AB. A brief overview is given of the present status of our knowledge of the double neutron stars, of which 15 systems are presently known. The binary-recycling model for the formation of millisecond pulsars is described, as put forward independently by Alpar et al. (1982), Radhakrishnan & Srinivasan (1982) and Fabian et al. (1983). This now is the 'standard model' for the formation of these objects, confirmed by the discovery in 1998 of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars. It is noticed that the formation process of close double black holes has analogies to that of close double neutron stars, extended to binaries with larger initial component masses, although there are also considerable differences in the physics of the binary evolution at these larger masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally assumed that the magnetic fields of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are ∼10 G. We argue that this may not be true and the fields may be appreciably greater. We present six evidences for this: (1) The ∼10G field estimate is based on magnetic dipole emission losses which is shown to be questionable; (2) The MSPs in low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are claimed to have <10 G on the basis of a Rayleygh-Taylor instability accretion argument. We show that the accretion argument is questionable and the upper limit 10 G may be much higher; (3) Low magnetic field neutron stars have difficulty being produced in LMXBs; (4) MSPs may still be accreting indicating a much higher magnetic field; (5) The data that predict ∼10 G for MSPs also predict ages on the order of, and greater than, ten billion years, which is much greater than normal pulsars. If the predicted ages are wrong, most likely the predicted ∼10 G fields of MSPs are wrong; (6) When magnetic fields are measured directly with cyclotron lines in X-ray binaries, fields ≫10 G are indicated. Other scenarios should be investigated. One such scenario is the following. Over 85% of MSPs are confirmed members of a binary. It is possible that all MSPs are in large separation binaries having magnetic fields >10 G with their magnetic dipole emission being balanced by low level accretion from their companions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millisecond pulsars represent an evolutionarily distinct group among rotation-powered pulsars. Outside the radio band, the soft X-ray range (∼0.1–10 keV) is most suitable for studying radiative mechanisms operating in these fascinating objects. X-ray observations revealed diverse properties of emission from millisecond pulsars. For the most of them, the bulk of radiation is of a thermal origin, emitted from small spots (polar caps) on the neutron star surface heated by relativistic particles produced in pulsar acceleration zones. On the other hand, a few other very fast rotating pulsars exhibit almost pure nonthermal emission generated, most probably, in pulsar magnetospheres. There are also examples of nonthermal emission detected from X-ray nebulae powered by millisecond pulsars, as well as from pulsar winds shocked in binary systems with millisecond pulsars as companions. These and other most important results obtained from X-ray observations of millisecond pulsars are reviewed in this paper, as well as results from the search for millisecond pulsations in X-ray flux of the radio-quite neutron star RX J1856.5-3754. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population synthesis is used to model the number of neutron stars in globular clusters that are observed as low-mass X-ray sources and millisecond radio pulsars. The dynamical interactions between binary and single stars in a cluster are assumed to take place only with a continuously replenished “background” of single stars whose properties keep track of the variations in parameters of the cluster as a whole and the evolution of single stars. We use the hypothesis that the neutron stars forming in binary systems from components with initial masses of ∼8–12 M ⊙ during the collapse of degenerate O-Ne-Mg cores through electron captures do not acquire a high space velocity. The remaining neutron stars (from single stars with masses >8 M ⊙ or from binary components with masses >12 M ⊙) are assumed to be born with high space velocities. According to this hypothesis, a sizeable fraction of the forming neutron stars remain in globular clusters (about 1000 stars in a cluster with a mass of 5 × 105 M ⊙). The number of millisecond radio pulsars forming in such a cluster in the case of accretion-driven spinup in binary systems is found to be ∼10, in agreement with observations. Our modeling also reproduces the observed shape of the X-ray luminosity function for accreting neutron stars in binary systems with normal and degenerate components and the distribution of spin periods for millisecond pulsars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Einstein’s equivalence principle has a number of problems, and it is often applied incorrectly. Clocks on the earth do not seem to be affected by the sun’s gravitational potential. The most commonly accepted reason given is a faulty application of the equivalence principle. While no valid reason is available within either the special or general theories of relativity, ether theories can provide a valid explanation. A clock bias of the correct magnitude and position dependence can convert the Selleri transformation of ether theories into an apparent Lorentz transformation, which gives rise to an apparent equivalence of inertial frames. The results indicate that the special theory is invalid and that only an apparent relativity exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed observational and data processingtechniques for detecting millisecond pulsars. Themethod of data processing consists in correlating timeseries of data by folding them in two steps accordingto a trial period. While very time consuming,especially for very short periods, this methods allowsus in principle to detect very fast and dispersedmillisecond pulsars. The experimental set-up has beenintegrated into a data acquisition system developed atCentre national d'études spatiales (CNES).Observations of known millisecond pulsars atNançay radio observatory are used to validate thesystem and assess the sensitivity of the survey, whichis 3.5 mJy for 240 sec of integration. Futureimprovements in the radio-telescope and the systemshould bring it down to below 1 mJy. The applicationof the method to a millisecond pulsar survey is underway at Nançay radio observatory in collaborationbetween the Bureau international des poids et mesure(BIPM), Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), and CNES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]