MeerKAT observations of white dwarf pulsars
White dwarf radio pulsars (WD pulsars) are a fascinating, newly established class of compact binary systems. These are defined as detached white dwarf + M dwarf compact binaries ($P_{\rm{orb}}\sim 4\,\text{hours}$) that exhibit pulsed multi-wavelength emission (from X-ray to radio) associated with a rapid rotation of the white dwarf. Only three such systems have been spectroscopically confirmed: AR Sco, J1912$-$4410 and J2306$+$2440. Since its discovery in 2016, AR Sco has spurred debate about the nature and origin of WD pulsars, particularly regarding the formation of their presumably strong magnetic fields. J1912$-$4410's radio emission is sharp and narrow, resembling that of a canonical pulsar much more than AR Sco does. It offers a crucial opportunity to refine our understanding of WD pulsar formation and of their place in the broader context of magnetic cataclysmic variable (mCV) evolution. Here, we demonstrate how MeerKAT’s 2-second timing resolution provides a powerful means of probing the nature of the pulsed radio emission from J1912$-$4410. We present the preliminary results of the first long-term monitoring of J1912$-$4410 at radio wavelengths --- in particular, we determine a precise white dwarf spin period of $5.32339264(40)\,$minutes and highlight the differences of its radio emission to that of AR Sco.
Authors
- Ian Heywood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6864-5057)
- R. P. Fender (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5654-2744)
- Vinand Prayag (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8961-0646)
- Marisa Geyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2822-1919)
- Ingrid Pelisoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4615-6556)
- Manisha Caleb (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4079-4648)
- P. A. Woudt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6896-1655)
- B. W. Stappers
- David Buckley
- Emil Meintjes
Publication Details
- Published
- 2025-12-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.22323/1.514.0061
- Primary Topic
- Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- Swinburne University of Technology