COBIPLANE: Discovering New Spider Pulsar Candidates
Published:Dec 29, 2025 19:19
•1 min read
•ArXiv
Analysis
This paper presents the discovery of five new candidate 'spider' binary millisecond pulsars, identified through an optical photometric survey (COBIPLANE) targeting gamma-ray sources. The survey's focus on low Galactic latitudes is significant, as it probes regions closer to the Galactic plane than previous surveys, potentially uncovering a larger population of these systems. The identification of optical flux modulation at specific orbital periods, along with the observed photometric temperatures and X-ray properties, provides strong evidence for the 'spider' classification, contributing to our understanding of these fascinating binary systems.
Key Takeaways
- •COBIPLANE survey discovered five new candidate 'spider' binary millisecond pulsars.
- •The survey targeted low Galactic latitudes, closer to the Galactic plane.
- •Identified optical flux modulation at orbital periods, consistent with 'spider' systems.
- •X-ray properties and photometric temperatures support the 'spider' classification.
Reference
“The paper reports the discovery of five optical variables coincident with the localizations of 4FGL J0821.5-1436, 4FGL J1517.9-5233, 4FGL J1639.3-5146, 4FGL J1748.8-3915, and 4FGL J2056.4+3142.”