Tiny-scale Properties within the Interstellar Medium toward PSR J1644−4559. I. Observational Evidence of Turbulence-induced Tiny-scale Atomic Structures

We investigated H i absorption toward a single pulsar, PSR J1644−4559, and its variability over timescales from days to years, using Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes Radio Telescope. Our 19 epochs of spectral observations, spanning 1.2 yr with intervals as short as 1 day, provide the most comprehensive cad...

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Main Authors: Mengting Liu, Di Li, J. R. Dawson, Joel M. Weisberg, Snežana Stanimirović, George Hobbs, Simon Johnston, Lawrence Toomey, Siyao Xu, Chao-Wei Tsai, Donghui Quan, Stacy Mader, James A. Green, Lei Zhang, Ningyu Tang, Pei Wang, Kai Zhang, Pei Zuo, Gan Luo, Yi Feng, Shi Dai, Aditi Kaushik, Mengyao Xue, Chenchen Miao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/adbe66
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author Mengting Liu
Di Li
J. R. Dawson
Joel M. Weisberg
Snežana Stanimirović
George Hobbs
Simon Johnston
Lawrence Toomey
Siyao Xu
Chao-Wei Tsai
Donghui Quan
Stacy Mader
James A. Green
Lei Zhang
Ningyu Tang
Pei Wang
Kai Zhang
Pei Zuo
Gan Luo
Yi Feng
Shi Dai
Aditi Kaushik
Mengyao Xue
Chenchen Miao
author_facet Mengting Liu
Di Li
J. R. Dawson
Joel M. Weisberg
Snežana Stanimirović
George Hobbs
Simon Johnston
Lawrence Toomey
Siyao Xu
Chao-Wei Tsai
Donghui Quan
Stacy Mader
James A. Green
Lei Zhang
Ningyu Tang
Pei Wang
Kai Zhang
Pei Zuo
Gan Luo
Yi Feng
Shi Dai
Aditi Kaushik
Mengyao Xue
Chenchen Miao
author_sort Mengting Liu
collection DOAJ
description We investigated H i absorption toward a single pulsar, PSR J1644−4559, and its variability over timescales from days to years, using Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes Radio Telescope. Our 19 epochs of spectral observations, spanning 1.2 yr with intervals as short as 1 day, provide the most comprehensive cadence coverage for monitoring H i absorption to date. We identified two significant detections of tiny-scale atomic structure (TSAS) with spatial scales ranging from a lower limit of ∼11 au to an upper limit of 165 au, both exhibiting integrated signal-to-noise ratios exceeding 5.0. We find a relationship between linear size and optical depth variation in the cold neutral medium (CNM) component hosting the TSAS, described by a power-law relationship, Δ τ _int  = Δ τ _0 (Δ L ) ^( ^α ^−2)/2 , with α  = 4.1 ± 0.4. This is the first observational evidence explicitly connecting TSAS to turbulence in CNM. This power-law index is significantly steeper than previously reported values for the CNM, where α ranges from 2.3 to 2.9, but similar to those observed in the warm ionized gas. Additionally, we observe no significant variation in α across the entire range of spatial scales traced in our study, indicating that turbulence may be cascading down and dissipating at smaller scales. While there is no precise proper-motion measurement for this pulsar, our estimates for the turbulence dissipation in the CNM place the lower and upper limits at less than 0.03 au and 0.4 au, respectively.
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spelling doaj-art-605ff209cbf54dfe99189dd662526ea22025-08-20T02:28:50ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series0067-00492025-01-0127811310.3847/1538-4365/adbe66Tiny-scale Properties within the Interstellar Medium toward PSR J1644−4559. I. Observational Evidence of Turbulence-induced Tiny-scale Atomic StructuresMengting Liu0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7790-5498Di Li1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3010-7661J. R. Dawson2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0235-3347Joel M. Weisberg3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9096-6543Snežana Stanimirović4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3418-7817George Hobbs5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1502-100XSimon Johnston6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7122-4963Lawrence Toomey7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3186-3266Siyao Xu8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0458-7828Chao-Wei Tsai9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9390-9672Donghui Quan10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4811-2581Stacy Mader11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9332-8616James A. Green12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2670-188XLei Zhang13https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8539-4237Ningyu Tang14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2169-0472Pei Wang15https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3386-7159Kai Zhang16https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0985-6166Pei Zuo17https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3948-9192Gan Luo18https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1583-8514Yi Feng19https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0475-7479Shi Dai20https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9618-2499Aditi Kaushik21Mengyao Xue22https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8018-1830Chenchen Miao23https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9441-2190Research Center for Astronomical Computing , Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, People’s Republic of China ; donghui.quan@zhejianglab.orgNew Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Department of Astronomy, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China ; dili@tsinghua.edu.cn; National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of ChinaCSIRO Astronomy & Space Science , Australia Telescope National Facility, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia; School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre, Macquarie University , NSW 2109, AustraliaDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Carleton College , Northfield, MN 55057, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, WI 53706, USACSIRO Astronomy & Space Science , Australia Telescope National Facility, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, AustraliaCSIRO Astronomy & Space Science , Australia Telescope National Facility, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, AustraliaCSIRO Astronomy & Space Science , Australia Telescope National Facility, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, AustraliaInstitute for Advanced Study , 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, USANational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China; Institute for Frontiers in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of ChinaResearch Center for Astronomical Computing , Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, People’s Republic of China ; donghui.quan@zhejianglab.orgCSIRO Astronomy & Space Science , Parkes Observatory, P.O. Box 276, Parkes NSW 2870, AustraliaSKAO , SKA-Low Science Operations Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA 6151, AustraliaNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China; Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology , P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, AustraliaDepartment of Physics, Anhui Normal University , Wuhu, Anhui 241002, People’s Republic of ChinaNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China; Institute for Frontiers in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of ChinaNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of ChinaNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique , 300 rue de la Piscine, 38400, Saint-Martin d'Hères, FranceResearch Center for Astronomical Computing , Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, People’s Republic of China ; donghui.quan@zhejianglab.org; Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of ChinaCSIRO Astronomy & Space Science , Australia Telescope National Facility, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, AustraliaCSIRO Astronomy & Space Science , Australia Telescope National Facility, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia; School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre, Macquarie University , NSW 2109, AustraliaNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of ChinaResearch Center for Astronomical Computing , Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, People’s Republic of China ; donghui.quan@zhejianglab.orgWe investigated H i absorption toward a single pulsar, PSR J1644−4559, and its variability over timescales from days to years, using Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes Radio Telescope. Our 19 epochs of spectral observations, spanning 1.2 yr with intervals as short as 1 day, provide the most comprehensive cadence coverage for monitoring H i absorption to date. We identified two significant detections of tiny-scale atomic structure (TSAS) with spatial scales ranging from a lower limit of ∼11 au to an upper limit of 165 au, both exhibiting integrated signal-to-noise ratios exceeding 5.0. We find a relationship between linear size and optical depth variation in the cold neutral medium (CNM) component hosting the TSAS, described by a power-law relationship, Δ τ _int  = Δ τ _0 (Δ L ) ^( ^α ^−2)/2 , with α  = 4.1 ± 0.4. This is the first observational evidence explicitly connecting TSAS to turbulence in CNM. This power-law index is significantly steeper than previously reported values for the CNM, where α ranges from 2.3 to 2.9, but similar to those observed in the warm ionized gas. Additionally, we observe no significant variation in α across the entire range of spatial scales traced in our study, indicating that turbulence may be cascading down and dissipating at smaller scales. While there is no precise proper-motion measurement for this pulsar, our estimates for the turbulence dissipation in the CNM place the lower and upper limits at less than 0.03 au and 0.4 au, respectively.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/adbe66Interstellar atomic gasInterstellar mediumInterstellar absorptionPulsars
spellingShingle Mengting Liu
Di Li
J. R. Dawson
Joel M. Weisberg
Snežana Stanimirović
George Hobbs
Simon Johnston
Lawrence Toomey
Siyao Xu
Chao-Wei Tsai
Donghui Quan
Stacy Mader
James A. Green
Lei Zhang
Ningyu Tang
Pei Wang
Kai Zhang
Pei Zuo
Gan Luo
Yi Feng
Shi Dai
Aditi Kaushik
Mengyao Xue
Chenchen Miao
Tiny-scale Properties within the Interstellar Medium toward PSR J1644−4559. I. Observational Evidence of Turbulence-induced Tiny-scale Atomic Structures
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Interstellar atomic gas
Interstellar medium
Interstellar absorption
Pulsars
title Tiny-scale Properties within the Interstellar Medium toward PSR J1644−4559. I. Observational Evidence of Turbulence-induced Tiny-scale Atomic Structures
title_full Tiny-scale Properties within the Interstellar Medium toward PSR J1644−4559. I. Observational Evidence of Turbulence-induced Tiny-scale Atomic Structures
title_fullStr Tiny-scale Properties within the Interstellar Medium toward PSR J1644−4559. I. Observational Evidence of Turbulence-induced Tiny-scale Atomic Structures
title_full_unstemmed Tiny-scale Properties within the Interstellar Medium toward PSR J1644−4559. I. Observational Evidence of Turbulence-induced Tiny-scale Atomic Structures
title_short Tiny-scale Properties within the Interstellar Medium toward PSR J1644−4559. I. Observational Evidence of Turbulence-induced Tiny-scale Atomic Structures
title_sort tiny scale properties within the interstellar medium toward psr j1644 4559 i observational evidence of turbulence induced tiny scale atomic structures
topic Interstellar atomic gas
Interstellar medium
Interstellar absorption
Pulsars
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/adbe66
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