Tracking the footprints of the radio pulsar B1727$-$47: proper motion, host supernova remnant, and the glitches

Abstract

The bright radio pulsar B1727$-$47 with a characteristic age of 80 kyr is among the first pulsars discovered 50 yr ago. Using its regular timing observations and interferometric positions at three epochs, we measured, for the first time, the pulsar proper motion of $151 \pm 19$ mas yr$^{-1}$. At the dispersion measure distance of $\gtrsim 2.7$ kpc, this would suggest a record transverse velocity of the pulsar $\gtrsim 1900$ km s$^{-1}$. However, a backward extrapolation of the pulsar track to its birth epoch points remarkably close to the center of the evolved nearby supernova remnant RCW 114, which suggests genuine association of the two objects. In this case, the pulsar is substantially closer ($\sim 0.6$ kpc) and younger ($\sim 50$ kyr), and its velocity ($\sim400$ km s$^{-1}$) is compatible with the observed pulsar velocity distribution. We also identified two new glitches of the pulsar. We discuss implications of our results on the pulsar and remnant properties.