2011ApJ...743..183S -
Astrophys. J., 743, 183 (2011/December-3)
The X-ray counterpart of the high-b pulsar PSR J0726-2612.
SPEAGLE J.S., KAPLAN D.L. and VAN KERKWIJK M.H.
Abstract (from CDS):
Middle-aged, cooling neutron stars are observed both as relatively rapidly spinning radio pulsars and as more slowly spinning, strongly magnetized isolated neutron stars (INSs), which stand out by their thermal X-ray spectra. The difference between the two classes may be that the INSs initially had much stronger magnetic fields, which decayed. To test this, we used the Chandra X-ray Observatory to observe 1RXS J072559.8-261229, a possible X-ray counterpart to PSR J0726-2612, which, with its 3.44 s period and 3x1013 G inferred magnetic field strength, is the nearest and least extincted among the possible slowly spinning, strong-field INS progenitors (it likely is in the Gould Belt, at ∼1 kpc). We confirm the identification and find that the pulsar has a spectrum consistent with being purely thermal, with blackbody temperature kT = 87±5 eV and radius R = 5.7+2.6_- 1.3_ km at a distance of 1 kpc. We detect sinusoidal pulsations at twice the radio period with a semi-amplitude of 27%±5%. The properties of PSR J0726-2612 strongly resemble those of the INSs, except for its much shorter characteristic age of 200 kyr (instead of several Myr). We conclude that PSR J0726-2612 is indeed an example of a young INS, one that started with a magnetic field strength on the low end of those inferred for the INSs, and that, therefore, decayed by a relatively small amount. Our results suggest that the long-period, strong-field pulsars and the INSs are members of the same class, and open up new opportunities to understand the puzzling X-ray and optical emission of the INSs through radio observations of PSR J0726-2612.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
stars: individual: PSR J0726-2612 - stars: neutron - X-rays: individual: 1RXS J072559.8-261229 - X-rays: stars
Simbad objects:
20
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