The X-ray Source at the Center of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

Details The X-ray Source at the Center of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant The X-ray Source at the Center of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

2001-11-19

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0111357v2

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

15 pages, latex, 3 figures, to appear in The Astrophysical Journal; Revised version with more details on spectral analysis, fi

Scientific paper

10.1086/339277

We present the first results of an XMM-Newton observation of the central X-ray source in the Cas A supernova remnant. The spectrum can be fit equally well with an absorbed steep power law (alpha~3, N_H~1.5x10^22 cm^-2) or with a bremsstrahlung with temperature kT~2.4 keV and N_H~10^22 cm^-2. A blackbody model (kT~0.7 keV) gives a slightly worse fit and requires a column density N_H~5x10^21 cm^-2 and an emitting area with radius ~0.3 km (for d=3.4 kpc). A search for pulsations for periods longer than 150 ms gave negative results. The 3 sigma upper limits on the pulsed fraction are ~13% for P>0.3 s and ~7% for P>3 s. The overall properties of the central X-ray source in Cas A are difficult to explain in terms of a rapidly spinning neutron star with a canonical magnetic field of ~10^12 G, and are more similar to those of slowly rotating neutron stars such as the Anomalous X-ray Pulsars.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

The X-ray Source at the Center of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with The X-ray Source at the Center of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The X-ray Source at the Center of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-394375