83 research outputs found
Constraining the evolutionary fate of central compact objects: “old” radio pulsars in supernova remnants
published_or_final_versio
Magnetar-like X-ray Bursts from an Anomalous X-ray Pulsar
Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) are a class of rare X-ray pulsars whose energy
source has been perplexing for some 20 years. Unlike other, better understood
X-ray pulsars, AXPs cannot be powered by rotation or by accretion from a binary
companion, hence the designation ``anomalous.'' AXP rotational and radiative
properties are strikingly similar to those of another class of exotic objects,
the Soft Gamma Repeaters (SGRs). However, the defining property of SGRs, namely
their low-energy gamma-ray and X-ray bursts, have heretofore not been seen in
AXPs. SGRs are thought to be ``magnetars,'' young neutron stars powered by the
decay of an ultra-high magnetic field. The suggestion that AXPs are magnetars
has been controversial. Here we report the discovery, from the direction of AXP
1E 1048-5937, of two X-ray bursts that have many properties similar to those of
SGR bursts. These events imply a close relationship between AXPs and SGRs, with
both being magnetars.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Nature. Note: The
content of this paper is embargoed until 1900 hrs London time / 1400 US
Eastern Time on Sept 1
Repeated, Delayed Torque Variations Following X-Ray Flux Enhancements in the Magnetar 1E 1048.1-5937
published_or_final_versio
Probing the Neutron Star Interior with Glitches
With the aim of constraining the structural properties of neutron stars and
the equation of state of dense matter, we study sudden spin-ups, glitches,
occurring in the Vela pulsar and in six other pulsars. We present evidence that
glitches represent a self-regulating instability for which the star prepares
over a waiting time. The angular momentum requirements of glitches in Vela
indicate that at least 1.4% of the star's moment of inertia drives these
events. If glitches originate in the liquid of the inner crust, Vela's
`radiation radius' must exceed ~12 km for a mass of 1.4 solar
masses. The isolated neutron star RX J18563-3754 is a promising candidate for a
definitive radius measurement, and offers to further our understanding of dense
matter and the origin of glitches.Comment: Invited talk at the Pacific Rim Conference on Stellar Astrophysics,
Hong Kong, Aug. 1999. 9 pages, 5 figure
An Anti-Glitch in a Magnetar
Magnetars are neutron stars showing dramatic X-ray and soft -ray
outbursting behaviour that is thought to be powered by intense internal
magnetic fields. Like conventional young neutron stars in the form of radio
pulsars, magnetars exhibit "glitches" during which angular momentum is believed
to be transferred between the solid outer crust and the superfluid component of
the inner crust. Hitherto, the several hundred observed glitches in radio
pulsars and magnetars have involved a sudden spin-up of the star, due
presumably to the interior superfluid rotating faster than the crust. Here we
report on X-ray timing observations of the magnetar 1E 2259+586 which we show
exhibited a clear "anti-glitch" -- a sudden spin down. We show that this event,
like some previous magnetar spin-up glitches, was accompanied by multiple X-ray
radiative changes and a significant spin-down rate change. This event, if of
origin internal to the star, is unpredicted in models of neutron star spin-down
and is suggestive of differential rotation in the neutron star, further
supporting the need for a rethinking of glitch theory for all neutron stars
Pulsar Results with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
The launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has heralded a new era in
the study of gamma-ray pulsars. The population of confirmed gamma-ray pulsars
has gone from 6-7 to more than 60, and the superb sensitivity of the Large Area
Telescope (LAT) on Fermi has allowed the detailed study of their spectra and
light curves. Twenty-four of these pulsars were discovered in blind searches of
the gamma-ray data, and twenty-one of these are, at present, radio quiet,
despite deep radio follow-up observations. In addition, millisecond pulsars
have been confirmed as a class of gamma-ray emitters, both individually and
collectively in globular clusters. Recently, radio searches in the direction of
LAT sources with no likely counterparts have been highly productive, leading to
the discovery of a large number of new millisecond pulsars. Taken together,
these discoveries promise a great improvement in the understanding of the
gamma-ray emission properties and Galactic population of pulsars. We summarize
some of the results stemming from these newly-detected pulsars and their timing
and multi-wavelength follow-up observations.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, to appear in Proceedings of ICREA Workshop on
The High-Energy Emission from Pulsars and their Systems, Sant Cugat, Spain,
2010 April 12-16 (Springer
Strongly magnetized pulsars: explosive events and evolution
Well before the radio discovery of pulsars offered the first observational
confirmation for their existence (Hewish et al., 1968), it had been suggested
that neutron stars might be endowed with very strong magnetic fields of
-G (Hoyle et al., 1964; Pacini, 1967). It is because of their
magnetic fields that these otherwise small ed inert, cooling dead stars emit
radio pulses and shine in various part of the electromagnetic spectrum. But the
presence of a strong magnetic field has more subtle and sometimes dramatic
consequences: In the last decades of observations indeed, evidence mounted that
it is likely the magnetic field that makes of an isolated neutron star what it
is among the different observational manifestations in which they come. The
contribution of the magnetic field to the energy budget of the neutron star can
be comparable or even exceed the available kinetic energy. The most magnetised
neutron stars in particular, the magnetars, exhibit an amazing assortment of
explosive events, underlining the importance of their magnetic field in their
lives. In this chapter we review the recent observational and theoretical
achievements, which not only confirmed the importance of the magnetic field in
the evolution of neutron stars, but also provide a promising unification scheme
for the different observational manifestations in which they appear. We focus
on the role of their magnetic field as an energy source behind their persistent
emission, but also its critical role in explosive events.Comment: Review commissioned for publication in the White Book of
"NewCompStar" European COST Action MP1304, 43 pages, 8 figure
Physics of Neutron Star Kicks
It is no longer necessary to `sell' the idea of pulsar kicks, the notion that
neutron stars receive a large velocity (a few hundred to a thousand km
s) at birth. However, the origin of the kicks remains mysterious. We
review the physics of different kick mechanisms, including hydrodynamically
driven, neutrino and magnetically driven kicks.Comment: 8 pages including 1 figure. To be published in "Stellar Astrophysics"
(Pacific Rim Conference Proceedings), (Kluwer Pub.
X-ray emission from isolated neutron stars
X-ray emission is a common feature of all varieties of isolated neutron stars
(INS) and, thanks to the advent of sensitive instruments with good
spectroscopic, timing, and imaging capabilities, X-ray observations have become
an essential tool in the study of these objects. Non-thermal X-rays from young,
energetic radio pulsars have been detected since the beginning of X-ray
astronomy, and the long-sought thermal emission from cooling neutron star's
surfaces can now be studied in detail in many pulsars spanning different ages,
magnetic fields, and, possibly, surface compositions. In addition, other
different manifestations of INS have been discovered with X-ray observations.
These new classes of high-energy sources, comprising the nearby X-ray Dim
Isolated Neutron Stars, the Central Compact Objects in supernova remnants, the
Anomalous X-ray Pulsars, and the Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters, now add up to
several tens of confirmed members, plus many candidates, and allow us to study
a variety of phenomena unobservable in "standard'' radio pulsars.Comment: Chapter to be published in the book of proceedings of the 1st Sant
Cugat Forum on Astrophysics, "ICREA Workshop on the high-energy emission from
pulsars and their systems", held in April, 201
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