Is the birth of PSR J0538+2817 accompanied by a gamma-ray burst?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recently, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope measured the three-dimensional velocity of PSR J0538+2817 with respect to its associated supernova remnant S147 and found a possible spin–velocity alignment for this pulsar. Here, we show that the high velocity and the spin–velocity alignment of this pulsar can be explained by the so-called electromagnetic rocket mechanism. In this framework, the pulsar is kicked in the direction of the spin axis, which naturally explains the spin–velocity alignment. We scrutinize the evolution of the pulsar and show that the kick process can create a highly relativistic jet at the opposite direction of the kick velocity. The lifetime and energetics of the jet is estimated. It is argued that the jet can generate a gamma-ray burst (GRB). The long-term dynamical evolution of the jet is calculated. It is found that the shock radius of the jet should expand to about 32 pc at present, which is well consistent with the observed radius of the supernova remnant S147 (32.1 ± 4.8 pc). Additionally, our calculations indicate that the current velocity of the GRB remnant should be about 440 km s−1, which is also roughly consistent with the observed blast-wave velocity of the remnant of S147 (500 km s−1).