Multicolor Photometry of the Vela Pulsar

Multicolor photometry of the Vela pulsar (PSR B0833-45), updated by recent HST/WFPC2 observations obtained in the 555W, 675W and 814W filters, is presented. The available data provide the best characterization so far of the pulsar spectral shape, which is dominated by a flat power law continuum with spectral index \alpha = -0.2 +/- 0.2, consistent with the extrapolation in the optical domain of the power law component of the X-ray spectrum detected by Chandra. In addition, a marginally significant dip (~ 3 sigma) seems to be present at about 6500 AA. Spectroscopic observations with the VLT, now in progress, will undoubtly provide a much better assessment of the reality and characteristics of this feature.Comment: 4 pages, LaTex, 2 Postscript figures. Astronomy & Astrophysics, accepte

The Vela Pulsar in the Near-Infrared

We report on the first detection of the Vela pulsar in the near-infrared with the VLT/ISAAC in the Js and H bands. The pulsar magnitudes are Js=22.71 +/- 0.10 and H=22.04 +/- 0.16. We compare our results with the available multiwavelength data and show that the dereddened phase-averaged optical spectrum of the pulsar can be fitted with a power law F_nu propto nu^(-alpha_nu) with alpha_nu = 0.12 +/- 0.05, assuming the color excess E(B-V)=0.055 +/-0.005 based on recent spectral fits of the emission of the Vela pulsar and its supernova remnant in X-rays. The negative slope of the pulsar spectrum is different from the positive slope observed over a wide optical range in the young Crab pulsar spectrum. The near-infrared part of the Vela spectrum appears to have the same slope as the phase-averaged spectrum in the high energy X-ray tail, obtained in the 2-10 keV range with the RXTE. Both of these spectra can be fitted with a single power law suggesting their common origin. Because the phase-averaged RXTE spectrum in this range is dominated by the second X-ray peak of the pulsar light curve, coinciding with the second main peak of its optical pulse profile, we suggest that this optical peak can be redder than the first one. We also detect two faint extended structures in the 1.5''-3.1'' vicinity of the pulsar, projected on and aligned with the south-east jet and the inner arc of the pulsar wind nebula, detected in X-rays with Chandra. We discuss their possible association with the nebula.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, the associated near-infrared images in the fits format are available at http://www.ioffe.ru/astro/NSG/obs/vela-ir

Subaru optical observations of the old pulsar PSR B0950+08

We report the B band optical observations of an old (17.5 Myr) radiopulsar PSR B0950+08 obtained with the Suprime-Cam at the Subaru telescope. We detected a faint object, B=27.07(16). Within our astrometrical accuracy it coincides with the radio position of the pulsar and with the object detected earlier by Pavlov et al. (1996) in UV with the HST/FOC/F130LP. The positional coincidence and spectral properties of the object suggest that it is the optical counterpart of PSR B0950+08. Its flux in the B band is two times higher than one would expect from the suggested earlier Rayleigh-Jeans interpretation of the only available HST observations in the adjacent F130LP band. Based on the B and F130LP photometry of the suggested counterpart and on the available X-ray data we argue in favour of nonthermal origin of the broad-band optical spectrum of PSR B0950+08, as it is observed for the optical emission of the younger, middle-aged pulsars PSR B0656+14 and Geminga. At the same time, the optical efficiency of PSR B0950+08, estimated from its spin-down power and the detected optical flux, is by several orders of magnitude higher than for these pulsars, and comparable with that for the much younger and more energetic Crab pulsar. We cannot exclude the presence of a compact, about 1'', faint pulsar nebula around PSR B0950+08, elongated perpendicular to the vector of its proper motion, unless it is not a projection of a faint extended object on the pulsar position.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, aa.cls style, 5 PS figures, submitted to A&A. Image is available in FITS format at http://www.ioffe.rssi.ru/astro/NSG/obs/0950-subar

Deep BVR Imaging of the Field of the Millisecond Pulsar PSR J0030+0451 with the VLT

We report on deep BVR-imaging of the field of the nearby millisecond pulsar PSR J0030+0451 obtained with the ESO/VLT/FORS2. We do not detect any optical counterpart down to B>27.3, V>27.0 and R>27.0 in the immediate vicinity of the radio pulsar position. The closest detected sources are offset by >3'', and they are excluded as counterpart candidates by our astrometry. Using our upper limits in the optical, and including recent XMM-Newton X-ray data we show that any nonthermal power-law spectral component of neutron star magnetospheric origin, as suggested by the interpretation of X-ray data, must be suppressed by at least a factor of ~500 in the optical range. This either rules out the nonthermal interpretation or suggests a dramatic spectral break in the 0.003-0.1 keV range of the power-law spectrum. Such a situation has never been observed in the optical/X-ray spectral region of ordinary pulsars, and the origin of such a break is unclear. An alternative interpretation with a purely thermal X-ray spectrum is consistent with our optical upper limits. In this case the X-ray emission is dominated by hot polar caps of the pulsar.Comment: 6 pages, LaTeX aa.cls style, 5 EPS figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Internal Heating of Old Neutron Stars: Contrasting Different Mechanisms

Context: The standard cooling models of neutron stars predict temperatures $T10^{7}$ yr. However, the likely thermal emission detected from the millisecond pulsar J0437-4715, of spin-down age $t_s \sim 7\times10^9$ yr, implies a temperature $T\sim 10^5$ K. Thus, a heating mechanism needs to be added to the cooling models in order to obtain agreement between theory and observation. Aims: Several internal heating mechanisms could be operating in neutron stars, such as magnetic field decay, dark matter accretion, crust cracking, superfluid vortex creep, and non-equilibrium reactions ("rotochemical heating"). We study these mechanisms in order to establish which could be the dominant source of thermal emission from old pulsars. Methods: We show by simple estimates that magnetic field decay, dark matter accretion, and crust cracking mechanism are unlikely to have a significant effect on old neutron stars. The thermal evolution for the other mechanisms is computed using the code of Fern\'andez and Reisenegger. Given the dependence of the heating mechanisms on the spin-down parameters, we study the thermal evolution for two types of pulsars: young, slowly rotating "classical" pulsars and old, fast rotating millisecond pulsars. Results: We find that magnetic field decay, dark matter accretion, and crust cracking do not produce detectable heating of old pulsars. Rotochemical heating and vortex creep can be important both for classical pulsars and millisecond pulsars. More restrictive upper limits on the surface temperatures of classical pulsars could rule out vortex creep as the main source of thermal emission. Rotochemical heating in classical pulsars is driven by the chemical imbalance built up during their early spin-down, and therefore strongly sensitive to their initial rotation period.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted version to be published in A&

X-Ray Observations of the supernova remnant G21.5-0.9

We present the analysis of archival X-ray observations of the supernova remnant (SNR) G21.5-0.9. Based on its morphology and spectral properties, G21.5-0.9 has been classified as a Crab-like SNR. In their early analysis of the CHANDRA calibration data, Slane et al. (2000) discovered a low-surface-brightness, extended emission. They interpreted this component as the blast wave formed in the supernova (SN) explosion. In this paper, we present the CHANDRA analysis using a total exposure of ~150 ksec. We also include ROSAT and ASCA observations. Our analysis indicates that the extended emission is non-thermal -- a result in agreement with XMM observations. The entire remnant of radius ~ 2'.5 is best fitted with a power law model with a photon index steepening away from the center. The total unabsorbed flux in the 0.5-10 keV is 1.1E-10 erg/cm2/s with an 85% contribution from the 40" radius inner core. Timing analysis of the High-Resolution Camera (HRC) data failed to detect any pulsations. We put a 16% upper limit on the pulsed fraction. We derive the physical parameters of the putative pulsar and compare them with those of other plerions (such as the Crab and 3C 58). G21.5-0.9 remains the only plerion whose size in X-rays is bigger than in the radio. Deep radio observations will address this puzzle.Comment: 23 pages including 11 figures and 3 tables; accepted by ApJ June 22, 2001; to appear in Oct 20, 2001 issue of Ap

The Optical Spectrum of the Vela Pulsar

Our knowledge of the optical spectra of Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs) is limited by their intrinsic faintness. Among the fourteen optically identified INSs, medium resolution spectra have been obtained only for a handful of objects. No spectrum has been published yet for the Vela pulsar (PSR B0833-45), the third brightest (V=23.6) INS with an optical counterpart. Optical multi-band photometry underlines a flat continuum.In this work we present the first optical spectroscopy observations of the Vela pulsar, performed in the 4000-11000 A spectral range.Our observations have been performed at the ESO VLT using the FORS2 instrument. The spectrum of the Vela pulsar is characterized by a flat power-law (alpha = -0.04 +/- 0.04), which compares well with the values obtained from broad-band photometry. This confirms, once more, that the optical emission of Vela is entirely of magnetospheric origin. The comparison between the optical spectral indeces of rotation-powered INSs does not show evidence for a spectral evolution suggesting that, as in the X-rays, the INS aging does not affect the spectral properties of the magnetospheric emission. At the same time, the optical spectral indeces are found to be nearly always flatter then the X-rays ones, clearly suggesting a general spectral turnover at lower energies.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Optical spectroscopy of the radio pulsar PSR B0656+14

We have obtained the spectrum of a middle-aged PSR B0656+14 in the 4300-9000 AA range with the ESO/VLT/FORS2. Preliminary results show that at 4600-7000 AA the spectrum is almost featureless and flat with a spectral index $\alpha_nu ~ -0.2 that undergoes a change to a positive value at longer wavelengths. Combining with available multiwavelength data suggests two wide, red and blue, flux depressions whose frequency ratio is about 2 and which could be the 1st and 2nd harmonics of electron/positron cyclotron absorption formed at magnetic fields ~10^8G in upper magnetosphere of the pulsar.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, To appear in Astrophysics and Space Science, Proceedings of "Isolated Neutron Stars: from the Interior to the Surface", eds. D. Page, R. Turolla and S. Zan