Constraining the Galactic millisecond pulsar population using Fermi Large Area Telescope

J\"urgen Kn\"odlseder (1) ((1) Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Plan\'etologie); Tristan Gr\'egoire (1)

RECORD

Constraining the Galactic millisecond pulsar population using Fermi Large Area Telescope

Tristan Grégoire (1), Jürgen Knödlseder (1) ((1) Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie)

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Submitted 7 May 2013

abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review

The authors' main claim Our analysis suggests that MSPs do not provide any significant contribution to the isotropic diffuse gamma-ray background emission.

how it is stated · hedged possibility 1.00 read the record →

Comment (0) Read on arXiv ↗

Cite ▾

arXiv ID1305.1584 (version 1)

Pith IDA27CMY5P, Pith's permanent record of this paper and its review

CitationJ\"urgen Kn\"odlseder (1) ((1) Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Plan\'etologie), Tristan Gr\'egoire (1). "Constraining the Galactic millisecond pulsar population using Fermi Large Area Telescope." arXiv:1305.1584 (2013). https://pith.science/paper/A27CMY5P

Claim paper

The compiled record

The paper's own sentences, arranged. Each label is drawn from a closed vocabulary; the number beside it is the probability the classifier gave that label. Numbers in the tables are the authors', checked by code. No sentence in this record was written by a model.

Open the compiled record

Compiled by classifier-1.13-20260917 via OpenRouter, question bank abstract-p1-20260923, 2026-09-23: 1 request, 7,542 input tokens, $0.0003 reported.

What the abstract itself states, as probabilities: claims first 0.91 · states limitation 0.25 · human participants 0.01 · controlled comparison 0.13 · randomized assignment 0.02 · states quantitative result 0.80 · compares with prior results 0.83 · mentions code or data availability 0.03.

The abstract, sentence by sentence

arXiv listing abstract v1. Results and the main claim are underlined; show every role.

The Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) has recently revealed a large population of gamma-ray emitting millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in our Galaxy. We aim to infer the properties of the Galactic population of gamma-ray emitting MSPs from the samples detected by the Fermi-LAT. We developed a Monte Carlo model to predict the spatial and gamma-ray luminosity distribution of the Galactic MSP population. Based on the estimated detection sensitivity of Fermi-LAT, we split the model population into detectable and undetectable samples of MSPs. Using a maximum likelihood method, we compared the detectable sample to a set of 36 MSPs detected by Fermi-LAT, and we derived the parameters of the spatial distribution and the total number of gamma-ray emitting MSPs in the Galaxy. The corresponding undetectable sample provided us with an estimate for the expected diffuse emission from unresolved MSPs in the Milky Way. We also applied our method to an extended sample of 66 MSPs that combines firmly detected MSPs and gamma-ray sources that show characteristics reminiscent of MSPs. For the first time our analysis provides gamma-ray based constraints on the Galactic population of MSPs. The radial scale length and vertical scale height of the population is consistent with estimates based on radio data. Our analysis suggests that MSPs do not provide any significant contribution to the isotropic diffuse gamma-ray background emission.

background contribution method result interpretation main claim

What the classifier reports for each sentence. The number is the probability it gave the label.
#	sentence	role	the authors' own work	states the main conclusion	strength
s0	The Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) has recently revealed a large population of gamma-ray emitting millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in our Galaxy.	background 1.00	0.10	0.03	asserted 1.00
s1	We aim to infer the properties of the Galactic population of gamma-ray emitting MSPs from the samples detected by the Fermi-LAT.	contribution 0.79	0.40	0.03	asserted 0.63
s2	We developed a Monte Carlo model to predict the spatial and gamma-ray luminosity distribution of the Galactic MSP population.	method 0.97	0.96	0.03	asserted 1.00
s3	Based on the estimated detection sensitivity of Fermi-LAT, we split the model population into detectable and undetectable samples of MSPs.	method 1.00	0.93	0.02	asserted 0.99
s4	Using a maximum likelihood method, we compared the detectable sample to a set of 36 MSPs detected by Fermi-LAT, and we derived the parameters of the spatial distribution and the total number of gamma-ray emitting MSPs in the Galaxy.	method 0.78	0.97	0.24	asserted 1.00
s5	The corresponding undetectable sample provided us with an estimate for the expected diffuse emission from unresolved MSPs in the Milky Way.	result 0.68	0.93	0.07	asserted 0.94
s6	We also applied our method to an extended sample of 66 MSPs that combines firmly detected MSPs and gamma-ray sources that show characteristics reminiscent of MSPs.	method 0.77	0.96	0.04	asserted 0.99
s7	For the first time our analysis provides gamma-ray based constraints on the Galactic population of MSPs.	contribution 0.87	0.95	0.21	asserted 1.00
s8	The radial scale length and vertical scale height of the population is consistent with estimates based on radio data.	result 0.86	0.83	0.10	hedged possibility 0.94
s9	Our analysis suggests that MSPs do not provide any significant contribution to the isotropic diffuse gamma-ray background emission.	result 0.82	0.93	0.39	hedged possibility 1.00

What kind of paper the classifier reports this is: simulation study 0.66 · evidence from analysis of existing data 0.94.

What was examined, and what was not

sources read

arXiv listing abstract v1

not examined

full text
figures and tables
references and citing sentences
relations to other papers

levels run

P abstract

not run

S sections
T body sentences
C citations
R cross-paper relations

Every quoted sentence on this record is the authors'. Every label is from Pith's closed vocabulary, with the probability shown beside it. Every number in the measurements table is the authors', checked by code. Record as JSON

The paper

Original abstract

The Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) has recently revealed a large population of gamma-ray emitting millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in our Galaxy. We aim to infer the properties of the Galactic population of gamma-ray emitting MSPs from the samples detected by the Fermi-LAT. We developed a Monte Carlo model to predict the spatial and gamma-ray luminosity distribution of the Galactic MSP population. Based on the estimated detection sensitivity of Fermi-LAT, we split the model population into detectable and undetectable samples of MSPs. Using a maximum likelihood method, we compared the detectable sample to a set of 36 MSPs detected by Fermi-LAT, and we derived the parameters of the spatial distribution and the total number of gamma-ray emitting MSPs in the Galaxy. The corresponding undetectable sample provided us with an estimate for the expected diffuse emission from unresolved MSPs in the Milky Way. We also applied our method to an extended sample of 66 MSPs that combines firmly detected MSPs and gamma-ray sources that show characteristics reminiscent of MSPs. For the first time our analysis provides gamma-ray based constraints on the Galactic population of MSPs. The radial scale length and vertical scale height of the population is consistent with estimates based on radio data. Our analysis suggests that MSPs do not provide any significant contribution to the isotropic diffuse gamma-ray background emission.

Human review

How Pith checks papers → · Full audit of this paper →

References

Forward citations

Cited by 7 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

Gaia neutron stars: demographics, birth rates, and connections to other neutron star populations
astro-ph.SR 2026-09 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

Selection-corrected inference on the 27 Gaia neutron star candidates yields an intrinsic local density near 120 kpc^-3, a decreasing period distribution, and a forecast of 300 to 650 detections in Gaia DR4.
Strong support for the millisecond pulsar origin of the Galactic center GeV excess
astro-ph.HE 2015-06 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

Wavelet peak statistics in Fermi-LAT data reveal excess sub-threshold point sources in the Inner Galaxy at 10 sigma, consistent with millisecond pulsars accounting for the Galactic center GeV excess.
Millisecond pulsars and the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess: the importance of luminosity function and secondary emission
astro-ph.HE 2014-11 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

Unresolved bulge millisecond pulsars can still account for most or all of the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess without violating Fermi LAT resolved-source limits, provided the pulsar luminosity function cuts off near ...
Challenges in Explaining the Galactic Center Gamma-Ray Excess with Millisecond Pulsars
astro-ph.HE 2014-07 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

Millisecond pulsars can produce at most about 1 to 5 percent of the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess, based on low-mass X-ray binary counts and the local pulsar luminosity function.
Composition of the Fermi-LAT isotropic gamma-ray background intensity: Emission from extragalactic point sources and dark matter annihilations
astro-ph.HE 2015-01 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

Unresolved blazars, misaligned AGN and star-forming galaxies can reproduce the Fermi-LAT isotropic gamma-ray background, and adding a dark matter component pushes annihilation cross-section limits to near the thermal ...

Show 2 more citing papers

The Characterization of the Gamma-Ray Signal from the Central Milky Way: A Compelling Case for Annihilating Dark Matter
astro-ph.HE 2014-02 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

A sharper re-analysis of Fermi data confirms a round, centrally peaked GeV gamma-ray excess around the Galactic Center whose spectrum and radial profile are consistent with a 36 to 51 GeV dark matter particle annihila...
The nature of the Diffuse Gamma-Ray Background
astro-ph.CO 2015-02 accept novelty 3.0 of 10

The review concludes that known astrophysical populations can plausibly account for most of the Fermi LAT diffuse gamma-ray background, leaving limited but not excluded room for a dark matter contribution.

How the literature uses it

9 arXiv papers cite this in 18 sentences

Each citing sentence is taken from the citing paper's LaTeX source and typed by Pith's classifier. A label appears at probability 0.8 or more (0.95 for support), a contest at 0.7 or more; the quoted words are the citing authors'. How each label was checked · JSON

Papers citing it · 13 sentences without a confident label

Uses its method or tool 1 paper

The probability of such a coincidence can be estimated with population synthesis simulations [ref] .

Astrophysical explanations of suspected dark matter signals in dwarf galaxies · Pulsars · 0.86

Uses its data or values 1 paper

The upper limit for $σ_r$ was $10.0$, this was chosen as it is expected to be approximately $5$ kpc [ref] .

Consistency Between the Luminosity Function of Resolved Millisecond Pulsars and the Galactic Center Excess · Markov Chain Monte Carlo · 0.81

Compares with it 1 paper

This value is lower than the previous estimates from Refs. [ref] , in which a different modeling of the MSP population was adopted.

The nature of the Diffuse Gamma-Ray Background · Millisecond pulsars · 0.89

Cites it as support 1 paper

It is, therefore, reasonable to speculate that these sources can contribute significantly to the DGRB emission [ref] .

The nature of the Diffuse Gamma-Ray Background · Millisecond pulsars · 0.99

Cites it as background 1 paper

However, it is expected that many $γ$-ray source classes contribute to the IGRB over this energy range, including $γ$-ray emitting classes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) [ref] , star-forming galaxies [ref] , Galactic millisecond pulsars (MSPs) [ref] , as well as proposed source classes such as annihilating or decaying dark matter [ref] .

Fermi-LAT gamma-ray anisotropy and intensity explained by unresolved Radio-Loud Active Galactic Nuclei · Introduction · 0.97

Discussion

Know something about this paper? Leave a comment, or highlight any passage above to comment on it.