EXTINCTION AND DISTANCE TO ANOMALOUS X-RAY PULSARS FROM X-RAY SCATTERING HALOS

Journal Article · Wed Feb 10 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/710/1/797· OSTI ID:21394487

Rivera-Ingraham, A

We analyze the X-ray scattering halos around three Galactic Anomalous X-ray Pulsars in order to constrain the distance and the optical extinction of each source. We obtain surface brightness distributions from EPIC-pn data obtained with XMM-Newton, compare the profiles of different sources, and fit them with a model based on the standard theory of X-ray scattering by dust grains, both for a uniform distribution of dust along the line of sight, and for dust distributions constrained by previous measurements. Somewhat surprisingly, we find that for all three sources, the uniform distribution reproduces the observed surface brightness as well as or better than the distributions that are informed by previous constraints. Nevertheless, the inferred total dust columns are robust, and serve to confirm that previous measurements based on interstellar edges in high-resolution X-ray spectra and on modeling of broadband X-ray spectra were reliable. Specifically, we find A{sub V} {approx_equal} 4, 6, and 8 mag for 4U 0142+61, 1E 1048.1 - 5937, and 1RXS J170849.0 - 400910, respectively. For 1E 1048.1 - 5937, this is well in excess of the extinction expected toward an H I bubble along the line of sight, thus casting further doubt on the suggested association with the source.

• OSTI ID: 21394487
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 710; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BARYONS
BRIGHTNESS
COHERENT SCATTERING
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DIFFRACTION
DUSTS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PULSARS
SCATTERING
SIMULATION
SPECTRA
STARS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY SPECTRA