X-ray Pulsations and Spectrum of the Central Source in Puppis A

Details X-ray Pulsations and Spectrum of the Central Source in Puppis A X-ray Pulsations and Spectrum of the Central Source in Puppis A

Dec 1998

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1998aas...193.4310p&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, 193rd AAS Meeting, #43.10; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 30, p.1314

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We show that X-rays detected with the ROSAT and ASCA observatories from the radio-quiet neutron star candidate RX J0822--4300 in the Puppis A supernova remnant can be interpreted as radiation from a hydrogen or helium neutron star atmosphere. Fittting the observed X-ray spectra with the atmosphere models gives more realistic values for the effective temperatures and radiating areas than the commonly used blackbody model. The temperature obtained, T_eff(infty ) =(1.6-1.8)x 10(6) K, is consistent with the standard neutron star cooling models. The corresponding distance and hydrogen column density are in good agreement with those obtained from independent estimates. We also searched for pulsations of the X-ray flux from this object. An analysis of two ROSAT observations separated by 4.56 yr enabled us to find a period P =~ 75.3 ms and its derivative dot {P} =~ 1.49x 10(-13) s s(-1) . The corresponding characteristic parameters of the neutron star, age tau =P/(2dot {P}) = 8.0 kyr, magnetic field B=3.4x 10(12) G, and rotational energy loss dot {E}=1.4x 10(37) erg s(-1) , are typical for young radio pulsars. These results indicate that RX J0822--4300 is a rotating magnetized neutron star whose radio flux is not seen because of an unfavorable orientation of the pulsar beam. Since the X-ray radiation has a thermal-like spectrum, its pulsations may be due to a nonuniform temperature distribution over the neutron star surface caused by anisotropy of the heat conduction in the strongly magnetized crust.

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