CONSTRAINING THE SPIN-DOWN OF THE NEARBY ISOLATED NEUTRON STAR RX J0806.4-4123, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POPULATION OF NEARBY NEUTRON STARS

Kaplan, D L

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/705/1/798

Title: CONSTRAINING THE SPIN-DOWN OF THE NEARBY ISOLATED NEUTRON STAR RX J0806.4-4123, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POPULATION OF NEARBY NEUTRON STARS

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Abstract

The nearby isolated neutron stars (INSs) are a group of seven relatively slowly rotating neutron stars that show thermal X-ray spectra, most with broad absorption features. They are interesting both because they may allow one to determine fundamental neutron-star properties by modeling their spectra, and because they appear to be a large fraction of the overall neutron-star population. Here, we describe a series of XMM -Newton observations of the nearby INS RX J0806.4-4123, taken as part of larger program of timing studies. From these, we limit the spin-down rate to nu-dot=(-4.3+-2.3)x10{sub -16}Hz s{sup -1}. This constrains the dipole magnetic field to be <3.7 x 10{sup 13} G at 2sigma, significantly less than the field of approx10{sup 14} G implied by simple models for the X-ray absorption found at 0.45 keV. We confirm that the spectrum is thermal and stable (to within a few percent), but find that the 0.45 keV absorption feature is broader and more complex than previously thought. Considering the population of INSs, we find that magnetic field decay from an initial field of approx<3 x 10{sup 14} G accounts most naturally for their timing and spectral properties, both qualitatively and in the context of the models formore » field decay of Pons and collaborators.« less

Authors:

Kaplan, D L ^[1]

KITP, Kohn Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

Publication Date:: Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009

OSTI Identifier:: 21389353

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Astrophysical Journal

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 705; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/705/1/798; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; 79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABSORPTION; MAGNETIC FIELDS; NEUTRON STARS; NEUTRONS; SIMULATION; SPIN; X-RAY SPECTRA; ANGULAR MOMENTUM; BARYONS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; FERMIONS; HADRONS; NUCLEONS; PARTICLE PROPERTIES; SORPTION; SPECTRA; STARS

Citation Formats


                    Kaplan, D L, and Van Kerkwijk, M. H., E-mail: dkaplan@kitp.ucsb.ed, E-mail: mhvk@astro.utoronto.c. CONSTRAINING THE SPIN-DOWN OF THE NEARBY ISOLATED NEUTRON STAR RX J0806.4-4123, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POPULATION OF NEARBY NEUTRON STARS.  United States: N. p., 2009. 
        Web.  doi:10.1088/0004-637X/705/1/798.

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                    Kaplan, D L, & Van Kerkwijk, M. H., E-mail: dkaplan@kitp.ucsb.ed, E-mail: mhvk@astro.utoronto.c. CONSTRAINING THE SPIN-DOWN OF THE NEARBY ISOLATED NEUTRON STAR RX J0806.4-4123, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POPULATION OF NEARBY NEUTRON STARS.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/705/1/798

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                    Kaplan, D L, and Van Kerkwijk, M. H., E-mail: dkaplan@kitp.ucsb.ed, E-mail: mhvk@astro.utoronto.c. 2009.  
        "CONSTRAINING THE SPIN-DOWN OF THE NEARBY ISOLATED NEUTRON STAR RX J0806.4-4123, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POPULATION OF NEARBY NEUTRON STARS".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/705/1/798.

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@article{osti_21389353,

  title        = {CONSTRAINING THE SPIN-DOWN OF THE NEARBY ISOLATED NEUTRON STAR RX J0806.4-4123, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POPULATION OF NEARBY NEUTRON STARS},

  author       = {Kaplan, D L and Van Kerkwijk, M. H., E-mail: dkaplan@kitp.ucsb.ed, E-mail: mhvk@astro.utoronto.c},

  abstractNote = {The nearby isolated neutron stars (INSs) are a group of seven relatively slowly rotating neutron stars that show thermal X-ray spectra, most with broad absorption features. They are interesting both because they may allow one to determine fundamental neutron-star properties by modeling their spectra, and because they appear to be a large fraction of the overall neutron-star population. Here, we describe a series of XMM -Newton observations of the nearby INS RX J0806.4-4123, taken as part of larger program of timing studies. From these, we limit the spin-down rate to nu-dot=(-4.3+-2.3)x10{sub -16}Hz s{sup -1}. This constrains the dipole magnetic field to be <3.7 x 10{sup 13} G at 2sigma, significantly less than the field of approx10{sup 14} G implied by simple models for the X-ray absorption found at 0.45 keV. We confirm that the spectrum is thermal and stable (to within a few percent), but find that the 0.45 keV absorption feature is broader and more complex than previously thought. Considering the population of INSs, we find that magnetic field decay from an initial field of approx<3 x 10{sup 14} G accounts most naturally for their timing and spectral properties, both qualitatively and in the context of the models for field decay of Pons and collaborators.},

  doi          = {10.1088/0004-637X/705/1/798},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21389353},
  journal      = {Astrophysical Journal},

  issn         = {0004-637X},

  number       = 1,

  volume       = 705,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009},

  month        = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009}

}

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