Kinematics of low-mass X-ray binaries and millisecond pulsars

Abstract

The kinematic properties of low-mass X-ray binaries and millisecond pulsars have been studied with the help of a Monte Carlo simulation. It is found that the kinematic properties of these two populations are consistent with each other, which supports the idea that LMXBs are the progenitors of millisecond pulsars. The speed distribution of millisecond pulsars is seen to be quite different from that of ordinary pulsars.