• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.153-158
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• 2013

In this review paper we explain the following gamma-ray emission features from the millisecond pulsars. (1) Why is the dipolar field of millisecond pulsars so weak but the magnetic pair creation process may still be able to control the size of the outergap? (2) A sub-GeV pulse component could occur in the vicinity of the radio pulse of millisecond pulsars. (3) Orbital modulated gamma-rays should exist in the black widow systems for large viewing angle.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.47-64
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• 1992

Cores of globular clusters are an ideal place for close encounters between stars. The outcome of tidal capture can be stellar mergers, close binaries between normal stars (W UMa type), cataclysmic variables composed of white dwarf and normal star pairs, or low-mass X-ray binaries consisting of a neutron star and a normal star pairs. Stellar mergers can be the origin of blue stragglers in dense globular clusters although they are hard to observe. Low mass X-ray binaries would eventually become binary pulsars with short pulse periods after the neutron stars accrete sufficient amount of matter from the companion. However, large number of recently discovered, isolated millisecond pulsars (as opposed to binary pulsars) in globular clusters may imply that they do not have to gain angular speeds during the X-ray binary phase. We propose that these isolated millisecond pulsars may have formed through the disruptive encounters, which lead to the formation of accretion disk without Roche lobe filling companion, between a neutron star and a main-sequence star. Based on recently developed multicomponent models for the dynamical evolution of globular clusters, we compute the expected numbers of various systems formed by tidal capture as a function of time.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.19-19
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• 2006

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.171-183
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• 2018

To celebrate the tenth anniversary since the launch of Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, we take a retrospect to a series of breakthroughs Fermi has contributed to pulsar astronomy in the last decade. Apart from significantly enlarging the population of ${\gamma}$-ray pulsars, observations with the Large Area Telescope onboard Fermi also show the population is not homogeneous. Instead, many classes and sub-classes have been revealed. In this paper, we will review the properties of different types of ${\gamma}$-ray pulsars, including radio-quiet ${\gamma}$-ray pulsars, millisecond pulsars, ${\gamma}$-ray binaries. Also, we will discuss the prospects of pulsar astronomy in the high energy regime.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.159-162
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• 2013

We report the detection of a quasi-sinusoidally modulated optical flux with a period of 4.6343 hour in the optical and infrared band of the Fermi source 2FGL J2339.7-0531. Comparing the multi-wavelength observations, we suggest that 2FGL J2339.7- 0531 is a ${\gamma}$-ray emitting millisecond pulsar (MSP) in a binary system with an optically visible late-type companion accreted by the pulsar, where the MSP is responsible for the ${\gamma}$-ray emission while the optical and infrared emission originate from the heated side of the companion. Based on the optical properties, the companion star is believed to be heated by the pulsar and reaches peak magnitude when the heated side faces the observer. We conclude that 2FGL J2339.7-0531 is a member of a subclass of ${\gamma}$-ray emitting pulsars -the 'black widows'- recently revealed to be evaporating their companions in the late-stage of recycling as a prominent group of these newly revealed Fermi sources.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.101-120
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• 2014

The nature of the exotic stellar corpses which reincarnate by consuming their companion is reviewed. Apart from sucking life from their partners, they are actually eating the doomed companions away by their deadly and powerful particle/radiation beams. Such situation resembles that a female "black widow" spider that eats its mate after mating. These celestial zombies are called - Millisecond pulsars (MSPs). In this review article, I will focus on the effort of Fermi Asian Network (FAN) in exploring these intricating objects over the last five years. Two special classes of MSPs are particularly striking. Since Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has started surveying the gamma-ray sky, the population of "black widows" has been boosted. Another dramatic class is so-called "redbacks" (Australian cousin of "black widows") which has just emerged in the last few years. These MSPs provide us with a long-sought missing link in understanding the transition between accretion-powered and rotation-powered systems. The strategy of hunting MSPs through mulitwavelength observations of the unidentified Fermi objects is also reviewed.