The Pulsar/White Dwarf/Planet System in M4: Improved Astrometry

Authors: H.B. Richer, R. Ibata, G.G. Fahlman, M. Huber

• ApJ 597, L45, 2003
  
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Abstract: A young and undermassive white dwarf has been identified as the possible companion to the millisecond pulsar PSR B1620-26 in M4. This association is important since it then helps constrain the mass of the third body in the system to be of order a few times that of Jupiter. The presence of this planet in M4 has critical implications for planetary formation mechanisms in metal-poor environments such as globular clusters and the early universe. The identification of the white dwarf is purely via the agreement in position between it and the pulsar and was limited by the accuracy of the pointing of the H ubble Space T elescope, which is +/-0.7". We have redetermined the position of the white dwarf using ground-based data tied to the USNO-B1.0 catalog and find that the pulsar and white dwarf are now coincident to within 0.12"+/-0.13", further strengthening the case for an association between the two. We have also attempted to improve the proper-motion measurement of the white dwarf by a maximum likelihood analysis of the stellar positions measured over a baseline of 5 years. While the errors are reduced by almost a factor of 6 from our previous work, we still have not resolved the cluster's intrinsic dispersion in proper motion. Thus, the proper motion of the white dwarf with respect to the cluster itself is still not known, although it is very small and is within 2 sigma; of that of the cluster's internal dispersion.