PSR J1907+0918 - a young radio pulsar near SGR 1900+14 and G42.8+0.6

Abstract

We have extensively searched for periodic signals from the soft-gamma repeater SGR 1900+14, at 430 and 1410 MHz with the Arecibo telescope. Our observations did not reveal the 5.16-s periodicity discovered at X-ray wavelengths by Hurley et al. (1998). We place pulsed flux-density upper limits of 150 and 30 uJy at 430 and 1410 MHz respectively. In the course of the 1410 MHz search we discovered a 226-ms radio pulsar, PSR J1907+0918. Its period derivative implies that the age of J1907+0918 is only 38 kyr, making it one of the youngest members of the known pulsar population. Independent lines of evidence in support of this apparent youth are the unusually high degree of circular polarization and a relatively flat radio spectrum. The close proximity of this young radio pulsar to the supernova remnant G42.8+0.6 poses a problem for the proposed association between the G42.8+0.6 and SGR 1900+14.