Limits from the soft x-ray background on the temperature of old neutron stars and on the flux of superheavy magnetic monopoles

Journal Article · Thu Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/162645· OSTI ID:5760840

Kolb, E W; Turner, M S

Using recent observations of the diffuse, soft X-ray background, we obtain upper limits of 49 eV to the average surface temperature and 10/sup 32/ ergs s/sup -1/ to the total photon luminosity of old (approx.10/sup 10/ yr) neutron stars in the Galaxy. If neutron stars are kept hot through monopole-induced nucleon decay, this limit corresponds to a monopole flux limit of F/sub M/(sigma/sub 0/..beta..)< or =3r x 10/sup -23/ cm/sup -2/ sr/sup -1/ s/sup -1/, where the cross section for catalyzed nucleon decay times the monopole-nucleon relative velocity is sigma..nu.. = 10/sup -28/(sigma/sub 0/..beta..c) cm/sup 2/ (..beta.. = ..nu../c), and r = L/sub TOT//L/sub ..gamma../ is the ratio of the total luminosity to the photon luminosity of a neutron star whose surface temperature Troughly-equal50 eV. For conventional neutron star equations of state rroughly-equal1, while for the more exotic ones r can be O(10/sup 3/-10/sup 4/). Although our temperature limit places a very stringent limit on the monopole flux, it does not significantly constrain other mechanisms for heating old neutron stars.

• Research Organization: Theoretical Astrophysics Group, Fermi National Acceleratory Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-80ER10773
• OSTI ID: 5760840
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 286:2; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics &amp; Cosmology-- Stars &amp; Quasi-Stellar
Radio &amp; X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
BARYONS
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LUMINOSITY
MAGNETIC MONOPOLES
MONOPOLES
NEUTRON STARS
NUCLEONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POSTULATED PARTICLES
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATIONS
SOFT X RADIATION
STARS
X RADIATION