Observed luminosity difference between isolated and binary MSPs

Abstract

We perform a brief census of velocities of isolated versus binary millisecond pulsars. We find the velocities of the two populations are indistinguishable. However, the scale height of the binary population is twice that of the isolated population and the luminosity functions of the two populations are different. We suggest that the scale height difference may be an artifact of the luminosity difference. We examine the magnetic fields of the two populations as a possible source of the luminosity difference.