The High Time Resolution Universe survey - IX. Polarimetry of long-period pulsars

Abstract

We present a polarimetric analysis of 49 long-period pulsars discovered as part of the High Time Resolution Universe (HTRU) southern survey. The sources exhibit the typical characteristics of 'old' pulsars, with low fractional linear and circular polarization and narrow, multi-component profiles. Although the position angle swings are generally complex, for two of the analysed pulsars (J1622-3751 and J1710-2616) we obtained an indication of the geometry via the rotating vector model. We were able to determine a value of the rotation measure (RM) for 34 of the sources which, when combined with their dispersion measures (DM), yields an integrated magnetic field strength along the line of sight. With the data presented here, the total number of values of RM associated with pulsars discovered during the HTRU southern survey sums to 51. The RMs are not consistent with the hypothesis of a counter-clockwise direction of the Galactic magnetic field within an annulus included between 4 and 6 kpc from the Galactic Centre. A partial agreement with a counter-clockwise sense of the Galactic magnetic field within the spiral arms is, however, found in the area of the Carina-Sagittarius arm.