517 research outputs found
Observations of one young and three middle-aged -ray pulsars with the Gran Telescopio Canarias
We used the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias to search for the optical
counterparts to four isolated -ray pulsars, all detected in the X-rays
by either \xmm\ or \chan\ but not yet in the optical. Three of them are
middle-aged pulsars -- PSR\, J1846+0919 (0.36 Myr), PSR\, J2055+2539 (1.2 Myr),
PSR\, J2043+2740 (1.2 Myr) -- and one, PSR\, J1907+0602, is a young pulsar
(19.5 kyr). For both PSR\, J1907+0602 and PSR\, J2055+2539 we found one object
close to the pulsar position. However, in both cases such an object cannot be a
viable candidate counterpart to the pulsar. For PSR\, J1907+0602, because it
would imply an anomalously red spectrum for the pulsar and for PSR\, J2055+2539
because the pulsar would be unrealistically bright () for the
assumed distance and interstellar extinction. For PSR\, J1846+0919, we found no
object sufficiently close to the expected position to claim a possible
association, whereas for PSR\, J2043+2740 we confirm our previous findings that
the object nearest to the pulsar position is an unrelated field star. We used
our brightness limits (), the first obtained with a
large-aperture telescope for both PSR\, J1846+0919 and PSR\, J2055+2539, to
constrain the optical emission properties of these pulsars and investigate the
presence of spectral turnovers at low energies in their multi-wavelength
spectra.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, accpted for publication in MNRA
Possible optical detection of a fast, nearby radio pulsar PSR B1133+16
Aims: We performed deep optical observations of the field of an old,
fast-moving radio pulsar PSR B1133+16 in an attempt to detect its optical
counterpart and a bow shock nebula.
Methods: The observations were carried out using the direct imaging mode of
FORS1 at the ESO VLT/UT1 telescope in the B, R, and H_alpha bands. We also
used archival images of the same field obtained with the VLT in the B band and
with the Chandra/ACIS in X-rays.
Results: In the B band we detected a faint (B=28.1+/-0.3) source that may be
the optical counterpart of PSR B1133+16, as it is positionally consistent with
the radio pulsar and with the X-ray counterpart candidate published earlier.
Its upper limit in the R band implies a color index B-R <0.5, which is
compatible with the index values for most pulsars identified in the optical
range. The derived optical luminosity and its ratio to the X-ray luminosity of
the candidate are consistent with expected values derived from a sample of
pulsars detected in both spectral domains. No Balmer bow shock was detected,
implying a low density of ambient matter around the pulsar. However, in the
X-ray and H_alpha images we found the signature of a trail extending ~4"-5"
behind the pulsar and coinciding with the direction of its proper motion. If
confirmed by deeper studies, this is the first time such a trail has been seen
in the optical and X-ray wavelengths.
Conclusions: Further observations at later epochs are necessary to confirm
the identification of the pulsar by the candidate's proper motion measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, A&A, accepte
Observations of three young gamma-ray pulsars with the Gran Telescopio Canarias
We report the analysis of the first deep optical observations of three
isolated -ray pulsars detected by the {\em Fermi Gamma-ray Space
Telescope}: the radio-loud PSR\, J0248+6021 and PSR\, J0631+1036, and the
radio-quiet PSR\, J0633+0632. The latter has also been detected in the X rays.
The pulsars are very similar in their spin-down age (40--60 kyrs),
spin-down energy ( erg s), and dipolar surface
magnetic field (-- G). These pulsars are promising
targets for multi-wavelength observations, since they have been already
detected in rays and in radio or X-rays. None of them has been
detected yet in the optical band. We observed the three pulsar fields in 2014
with the Spanish 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). We could not find any
candidate optical counterpart to the three pulsars close to their most recent
radio or {\em Chandra} positions down to limits of ,
, for PSR\, J0248+6021, J0631+1036, and J0633+0632,
respectively. From the inferred optical upper limits and estimated distance and
interstellar extinction, we derived limits on the pulsar optical luminosity. We
also searched for the X-ray counterpart to PSR\, J0248+6021 with \chan\ but we
did not detect the pulsar down to a 3 flux limit of
erg cm s (0.3--10 keV). For all these pulsars, we compared the
optical flux upper limits with the extrapolations in the optical domain of the
-ray spectra and compared their multi-wavelength properties with those
of other -ray pulsars of comparable age.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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
Observations of Isolated Neutron Stars with the ESO Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics Demonstrator
High-energy observations have unveiled peculiar classes of isolated neutron
stars which, at variance with radio pulsars, are mostly radio silent and not
powered by the star rotation. Among these objects are the magnetars,
hyper-magnetized neutron stars characterized by transient X-ray/gamma-ray
emission, and neutron stars with purely thermal, and in most cases stationary,
X-ray emission (a.k.a., X-ray dim isolated neutron stars or XDINSs). While
apparently dissimilar in their high-energy behavior and age, both magnetars and
XDINSs have similar periods and unusually high magnetic fields. This suggests a
tantalizing scenario where the former evolve into the latter.Discovering so far
uninvestigated similarities between the multi-wavelength properties of these
two classes would be a further step forward to establish an evolutionary
scenario. A most promising channels is the near infrared (NIR) one, where
magnetars are characterized by a distinctive spectral flattening with respect
to the extrapolation of the soft X-ray spectrum.We observed the two XDINSs RX
J0420.0-5022 and RX J1856.5-3754 with the Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics
Demonstrator (MAD) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) as part of the instrument
guaranteed time observations program, to search for their NIR counterparts.
Both RX J1856.5-3754 and RX J0420.0-5022 were not detected down to K_s ~20 and
Ks ~21.5, respectively. In order to constrain the relation between XDINSs and
magnetars it would be of importance to perform deeper NIR observations. A good
candidate is 1RXS J214303.7+065419 which is the XDINS with the highest inferred
magnetic field.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Deep infrared observations of the puzzling central X-ray source in RCW103
1E 161348-5055 (1E 1613) is a point-like, soft X-ray source originally
identified as a radio-quiet, isolated neutron star, shining at the center of
the 2000 yr old supernova remnant RCW103. 1E 1613 features a puzzling 6.67 hour
periodicity as well as a dramatic variability over a time scale of few years.
Such a temporal behavior, coupled to the young age and to the lack of an
obvious optical counterpart, makes 1E 1613 a unique source among all compact
objects associated to SNRs. It could either be the first low-mass X-ray binary
system discovered inside a SNR, or a peculiar isolated magnetar with an
extremely slow spin period. Analysis of archival IR observations, performed in
2001 with the VLT/ISAAC instrument, and in 2002 with the NICMOS camera onboard
HST unveils a very crowded field. A few sources are positionally consistent
with the refined X-ray error region that we derived from the analysis of 13
Chandra observations. To shed light on the nature of 1E 1613, we have performed
deep IR observations of the field with the NACO instrument at the ESO/VLT,
searching for variability. We find no compelling reasons to associate any of
the candidates to 1E 1613. On one side, within the frame of the binary system
model for the X-ray source, it is very unlikely that one of the candidates be a
low-mass companion star to 1E 1613. On the other side, if the X-ray source is
an isolated magnetar surrounded by a fallback disc, we cannot exclude that the
IR counterpart be hidden among the candidates. If none of the potential
counterparts is linked to the X-ray source, 1E 1613 would remain undetected in
the IR down to Ks>22.1. Such an upper limit is consistent only with an
extremely low-mass star (an M6-M8 dwarf) at the position of 1E 1613, and makes
rather problematic the interpretation of 1E 1613 as an accreting binary system.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Discovery of 59ms Pulsations from 1RXS J141256.0+792204 (Calvera)
We report on a multi-wavelength study of the compact object candidate 1RXS
J141256.0+792204 (Calvera). Calvera was observed in the X-rays with XMM/EPIC
twice for a total exposure time of ~50 ks. The source spectrum is thermal and
well reproduced by a two component model composed of either two hydrogen
atmosphere models, or two blackbodies (kT_1~ 55/150 eV, kT_2~ 80/250 eV,
respectively, as measured at infinity). Evidence was found for an absorption
feature at ~0.65 keV; no power-law high-energy tail is statistically required.
Using pn and MOS data we discovered pulsations in the X-ray emission at a
period P=59.2 ms. The detection is highly significant (> 11 sigma), and
unambiguously confirms the neutron star nature of Calvera. The pulse profile is
nearly sinusoidal, with a pulsed fraction of ~18%. We looked for the timing
signature of Calvera in the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) database and found
a significant (~5 sigma) pulsed signal at a period coincident with the X-ray
value. The gamma-ray timing analysis yielded a tight upper limit on the period
derivative, dP/dt < 5E-18 s/s (dE_rot/dt <1E33 erg/s, B<5E10 G for magneto-
dipolar spin-down). Radio searches at 1.36 GHz with the 100-m Effelsberg radio
telescope yielded negative results, with a deep upper limit on the pulsed flux
of 0.05 mJy. Diffuse, soft (< 1 keV) X-ray emission about 13' west of the
Calvera position is present both in our pointed observations and in archive
ROSAT all-sky survey images, but is unlikely associated with the X-ray pulsar.
Its spectrum is compatible with an old supernova remnant (SNR); no evidence for
diffuse emission in the radio and optical bands was found. The most likely
interpretations are that Calvera is either a central compact object escaped
from a SNR or a mildly recycled pulsar; in both cases the source would be the
first ever member of the class detected at gamma-ray energies.Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures and 4 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Constraining the optical emission from the double pulsar system J0737-3039
We present the first optical observations of the unique system J0737-3039
(composed of two pulsars, hereafter PSR-A and PSR-B). Ultra-deep optical
observations, performed with the High Resolution Camera of the Advanced Camera
for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope could not detect any optical
emission from the system down to m_F435W=27.0 and m_F606W=28.3. The estimated
optical flux limits are used to constrain the three-component (two thermal and
one non-thermal) model recently proposed to reproduce the XMM-Newton X-ray
spectrum. They suggest the presence of a break at low energies in the
non-thermal power law component of PSR-A and are compatible with the expected
black-body emission from the PSR-B surface. The corresponding efficiency of the
optical emission from PSR-A's magnetosphere would be comparable to that of
other Myr-old pulsars, thus suggesting that this parameter may not dramatically
evolve over a time-scale of a few Myr.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, ApJ accepte
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