The slowest spinning Galactic-field spider PSR J1932+2121: A history of inefficient mass transfer

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Spiders are eclipsing millisecond pulsar binaries in which the pulsar ablates its low-mass companion; they are classified as black widows or redbacks based on companion mass. PSR J1932+2121 is a recently discovered Galactic-field redback millisecond pulsar (MSP) with a spin period of 14.2 ms, significantly slower than other known redbacks, and an unusually high surface…

How strong magnetic fields shape jets: insights from ALMA observations of a transitional millisecond pulsar

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The process of accretion onto compact objects and its role in the production of relativistic, collimated jets remains a major open question in astronomy. Transitional millisecond pulsars (tMSPs) provide a rare opportunity to study the formation of relativistic jets in neutron stars that experience low-level accretion yet possess strong magnetic fields. By analyzing archival multiwavelength…

PSR J2055: a gentle spider

Articles

Spiders are millisecond pulsars in compact binary systems. The variable optical emission from their companion stars reveals how the relativistic pulsar wind irradiates the companion and interacts with its outflowing matter. By modelling this optical emission, we can precisely constrain the fundamental parameters of spiders and find super-massive neutron stars, which are usually hosted in…

Investigating cannibalistic millisecond pulsar binaries using MESA: new constraints from pulsar spin and mass evolution

Articles

Compact millisecond pulsar (MSP) binaries are crucial for understanding the formation of massive pulsars and the boundary between neutron stars (NSs) and black holes (BHs). Often referred to as “spiders” due to the cannibalistic interaction between the pulsar and its companion, these systems are broadly categorized into redbacks (RBs, with companion masses between 0.1 and…