Modeling Phase-resolved Observations of the Surfaces of Magnetic Neutron Stars

Journal Article · Wed Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2008 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2900178· OSTI ID:21136719

Ho, Wynn C. G. ^[1]; Mori, Kaya ^[2]

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1. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA, 02138 (United States)
2. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H4 (Canada)

Recent observations by XMM-Newton detected rotational pulsations in the total brightness and spectrum of several neutron stars. To properly interpret the data, accurate modeling of neutron star emission is necessary. Detailed analysis of the shape and strength of the rotational variations allows a measurement of the surface composition and magnetic field, as well as constrains the nuclear equation of state. We discuss our models of the spectra and light curves of two of the most observed neutron stars, RX J1856.5-3754 and 1E 1207.4-5209, and discuss some implications of our results and the direction of future work.

• OSTI ID: 21136719
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 983, Issue 1; Conference: International conference on 40 years of pulsars: Millisecond pulsars, magnetars and more, Montreal (Canada), 12-17 Aug 2007; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2900178; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASTROPHYSICS
COSMIC PHOTONS
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ENERGY SPECTRA
EQUATIONS OF STATE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEUTRON STARS
POLARIZATION
VARIATIONS