Astron. Astrophys. 354, 1011-1013 (2000)

Research Note

The Vela pulsar (PSR B0833-45) proper motion revisited with HST astrometry ^*

A. De Luca ^1,2, R.P. Mignani ³ and P.A. Caraveo <sup>2,4

1</sup> Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Fisica Nucleare e Teorica, Via Bassi 6, 27100 Pavia, Italy
² Istituto di Fisica Cosmica del CNR "G. Occhialini", Via Bassini 15, 20133 Milan, Italy
³ STECF-ESO, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, 85740 Garching bei München, Germany
⁴ Istituto Astronomico, Via Lancisi 29, 00161 Rome, Italy

Received 2 December 1999 / Accepted 16 December 1999

Abstract

Using all the HST WFC/WFPC2 images of the field collected so far, we have performed an accurate relative astrometry analysis to re-assess the value of the Vela pulsar proper motion. Although covering a much shorter time span, our measurement clearly confirms the previous result obtained by Nasuti et al. (1997) using ground-based optical data and nails down the proper motion value to mas yr^-1.

Key words: astrometry stars: pulsars: individual: PSR B0833-45

* Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc. under contract No NAS 5-26555

Send offprint requests to: P.A. Caraveo (pat@ifctr.mi.cnr.it)

SIMBAD Objects

Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. The data analysis
• 3. The proper motion
• 4. Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 2000

Online publication: February 25, 2000
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