181 research outputs found
The isolated neutron star X-ray pulsars RX J0420.0–5022 and RX J0806.4–4123 : new X-ray and optical observations
No full textWe report on the analysis of new X-ray data obtained with XMM-Newton and Chandra from two ROSAT-discovered X-ray dim isolated neutron stars (XDINs). RX J0806.4−4123 was observed with XMM-Newton in April 2003, 2.5 years after
the first observation. The EPIC-pn data confirm that this object is an X-ray pulsar with 11.371 s neutron star spin period. The X-ray spectrum is consistent with absorbed black-body emission with a temperature kT = 96 eV and N H = 4 × 10 19 cm −2 without significant changes between the two observations. Four XMM-Newton observations of RX
J0420.0−5022 between December 2002 and July 2003 did not confirm the 22.7 s pulsations originally indicated in ROSAT data, but clearly reveal a 3.453 s period. A fit to the X-ray spectrum using an absorbed black-body model yields kT = 45 eV, the lowest value found from the small group of XDINs and N H = 1.0 × 10 20 cm −2. Including a broad absorption line improves the quality of the spectral fits considerably for both objects and may indicate the presence of absorption features similar to those reported from RBS1223, RX J1605.3+3249 and RX J0720.4−3125. For both targets we derive accurate X-ray positions from the Chandra data and present an optical counterpart candidate for RX J0420.0−5022 with B = 26.6 ± 0.3 mag from VLT imaging
Étude des populations d étoiles à neutrons isolées détectées par leur rayonnement X thermique
No full textThe main objective of the thesis is to study the properties of the Galactic population of radio-quiet and thermally emitting isolated neutron stars (INSs). This is done by studying further the existing neutron star sample of nearby seven sources, known as the Magnificent Seven (M7), as well as by searching for new candidates and constraining possible populations. During the thesis, we investigated the proper motions of three of the faintest M7 in X-rays with the satellite Chandra. This work allowed us to constrain the neutron star displacement in two cases as well as to accurately determine the high proper motion of a third source, for the first time in X-rays with a significance approaching 10 standard deviations (Motch, Pires, Haberl, & Schwope, 2007, Ap&SS, 308, 217; Motch, Pires, Haberl, Schwope, & Zavlin, 2009, A&A 497, 423). The search of new INS candidates in the serendipitous catalogue of the XMM-Newton Observatory, with more than 120; 000 X-ray sources, had as well the aim to constrain the spatial density of thermally emitting sources located beyond the solar vicinity. This work allowed the long awaited discovery of a new thermally emitting INS with properties similar to those of the seven nearby sources discovered by ROSAT (Pires, Motch, Turolla, Treves, & Popov, 2009, A&A 498, 233). Moreover, deep optical observations with SOAR and the ESO-VLT have been obtained during the thesis work in order to optically identify a handful of INS candidates that have been selected among more than 72; 000 sources (Pires, Motch, & Janot-Pacheco, 2009, A&A, 504, 185). Finally, population synthesis of Galactic thermally emitting INSs allows constraining the global properties of this population based on the whole sample of XMM-Newton observations. By estimating the density of similar sources at more remote distances in the Milky Way, the final objective is to determine whether the spatial density derived from the group of seven nearby sources is a local anomaly caused by the Sun s current location near regions of active stellar formation of the Gould Belt.La présente thèse de doctorat porte sur la population d'étoiles a neutrons isolées thermiques dénuées d'émission radio dans la Galaxie. Les mouvements propres de trois étoiles à neutrons ont été étudiés avec le satellite Chandra. Ce travail a permis de contraindre le déplacement dans deux cas et a mis en évidence pour la première fois dans le domaine des rayons X le mouvement propre d'une troisième source (Motch, Pires et al. 2007, Ap&SS, 308, 217; Motch, Pires el al. 2009, A&A 497, 423). La recherche de nouveaux candidats dans le catalogue du satellite XMM~Newton, avec plus de 120 mille sources, a eu également comme but de contraindre la densité spatiale des sources X thermiques situées à grandes distances. Ce travail a mené a la découverte très attendue d'une nouvelle étoile à neutrons isolée (Pires, Motch et al. 2009, A&A 498, 233). En outre, des observations optiques profondes ont été utilisées pour identifier l'échantillon des candidats qui ont été sélectionnées parmi plus de 72 milles sources (Pires, Motch and Janot-Pacheco, 2009, A&A, 504, 185). Finalement, le travail de modélisation permet de contraindre les propriétés globales de cette population a partir du relevé constitue par l'ensemble des observations failes par XMM-Newton. Ce travail a pour but de déterminer si la densité spatiale déduite du groupe de sept étoiles connues est une anomalie causée par notre position actuelle proche des zones actives de formation d'étoiles de la ceinture de Gould en estimant la densité des sources similaires dans la Voie Lactée à plus grande distance.STRASBOURG-Sc. et Techniques (674822102) / SudocSudocFranceBrazilFRB
Modelling the spin pulse profile of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125 observed with XMM-Newton
No full textWe model the spin pulse intensity and hardness ratio profiles of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125 using XMM-Newton data. The observed variation is approximately sinusoidal with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 15%, and the hardness ratio is softest slightly before flux maximum. By using polar cap models we are able to derive maximum polar cap sizes and acceptable viewing geometries. The inferred sizes of the caps turn out to be more compatible with a scenario in which the neutron star is heated by accretion, and place limits on the magnetic field strength. The hardness ratio modulation can then be explained in terms of energy-dependent beaming effects, and this constrains the acceptable models of the emerging radiation to cases in which softer photons are more strongly beamed than harder photons. An alternative explanation in terms of spatially variable absorption co-rotating in the magnetosphere is also discussed
Periodicities in the high-mass X-ray binary system RXJ0146.9+6121/LSI+61 235
No full textThe high-mass X-ray binary RX J0146.9+6121, with optical counterpart LS I+61°235 (V831 Cas), is an intriguing system on the outskirts of the open cluster NGC 663. It contains the slowest Be type X-ray pulsar known with a pulse period of around 1400 s and, primarily from the study of variation in the emission line profile of Hα, it is known to have a Be decretion disc with a one-armed density wave period of approximately 1240 d. Here we present the results of an extensive photometric campaign, supplemented with optical spectroscopy, aimed at measuring short time-scale periodicities. We find three significant periodicities in the photometric data at, in order of statistical significance, 0.34, 0.67 and 0.10 d. We give arguments to support the interpretation that the 0.34 and 0.10 d periods could be due to stellar oscillations of the B-type primary star and that the 0.67 d period is the spin period of the Be star with a spin axis inclination of 23+10−8 degrees. We measured a systemic velocity of −37.0 ± 4.3 km s−1 confirming that LS I+61°235 has a high probability of membership in the young cluster NGC 663 from which the system's age can be estimated as 20–25 Myr. From archival RXTE All Sky Monitor (ASM) data we further find ‘super’ X-ray outbursts roughly every 450 d. If these super outbursts are caused by the alignment of the compact star with the one-armed decretion disc enhancement, then the orbital period is approximately 330 d
Cataclysmic variables from a ROSAT/2MASS selection. I, Four new intermediate polars
No full textWe report the first results from a new search for cataclysmic variables (CVs) using a combined X-ray (ROSAT)/infrared (2MASS) target selection that discriminates against background active galactic nuclei. Identification spectra were obtained at the Isaac Newton Telescope for a total of 174 targets, leading to the discovery of 12 new CVs. Initially devised to find short-period low-mass-transfer CVs, this selection scheme has been very successful in identifying new intermediate polars. Photometric and spectroscopic follow-up observations identify four of the new CVs as intermediate polars: 1RXS J063631.9+353537 P(orb)similar or equal to 201 min, P-spin= 1008.3408 s or 930.5829 s), 1RXS J070407.9+262501 (P(orb)similar or equal to 250 min, P-spin= 480.708 s) 1RXS J173021.5-055933 (P-orb= 925.27 min, P-spin= 128.0 s), and 1RXS J180340.0+401214 (P-orb= 160.21 min, P-spin= 1520.51 s). RX J1730, also a moderately bright hard X-ray source in the INTEGRAL/IBIS Galactic plane survey, resembles the enigmatic AE Aqr. It is likely that its white dwarf is not rotating at the spin equilibrium period, and the system may represent a short-lived phase in CV evolution
VLT/FORS2 observations of the optical counterpart of the isolated neutron star RBS 1774
No full textContext. The X-ray observations performed with the Röntgen Satellite (ROSAT) have led to the discovery of a group (seven to date) of X-ray dim and radio-silent, middle-aged isolated neutron stars (a.k.a. XDINSs), which are characterised by pure blackbody spectra (kT ≈ 40-100 eV) and long X-ray pulsations (P = 3-12 s), and appear to be endowed with relatively high magnetic fields, (B ≈ 1013-1014 G). Optical observations of XDINSs are important, together with the X-ray ones, for studying the cooling of the neutron star surface and for investigating the relation between XDINSs and other isolated neutron star classes. RBS 1774 is one of the few XDINSs with a candidate optical counterpart, which we discovered with the Very Large Telescope (VLT).
Aims: We aim at constraining the optical spectrum of RBS 1774, for which only two B-band flux measurements are available, and to determine whether its optical emission has either a thermal or a non-thermal origin.
Methods: We performed deep observations of RBS 1774 in the R band with the VLT to disentangle a non-thermal power-law spectrum from a Rayleigh-Jeans, whose contributions are expected to be very different in the red part of the spectrum.
Results: We did not detect the RBS 1774 candidate counterpart down to a 3σ limiting magnitude of R ~ 27. The constraint on its colour, (B - R) ≲ 0.6, rules out its being a background object, positionally coincident with the X-ray source. Our R-band upper limit is consistent with the extrapolation of the B-band flux (assuming a 3σ uncertainty) for a set of power laws Fν ∝ ν-α with spectral indices α ≤ 0.07. If the optical spectrum of RBS 1774 were non-thermal, its power-law slope would be very much unlike those of all isolated neutron stars with non-thermal optical emission, suggesting that it is most likely thermal. For instance, a Rayleigh-Jeans with temperature TO = 11 eV, for an optically emitting radius rO = 15 km and a source distance d = 150 pc, would be consistent with the optical measurements. The implied low distance is compatible with the 0.04 X-ray pulsed fraction if either the star spin axis is nearly aligned with the magnetic axis or with the line of sight or it is slightly misaligned with respect to both the magnetic axis and the line of sight by 5-10°.
Conclusions: New observations, both from the ground and from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), are important to characterise the optical/near-ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of RBS 1774, to better constrain the values of rO, d, and TO and measure the source's proper motion from which indirect constraints on the source distance can be inferred
The ROSAT Galactic Plane Survey: analysis of a low latitude sample area in Cygnus
No full text. The analysis of the part of the ROSAT allsky survey covering the galactic plane is the scope of a dedicated project called the ROSAT Galactic Plane Survey. In order to statistically understand the nature of the ß 14,000 sources discovered by ROSAT at jbj 20 ffi , a number of sample areas have been chosen for follow-up optical identification. In this paper we present the X-ray and optical material gathered in a region located in the Cygnus constellation, centered at l = 90 ffi , b = 0 ffi and covering an area of 64.5 deg 2 . A total of 95 and 128 sources are detected with a maximum likelihood larger than 10 and 8 respectively. With a typical survey exposure time of the order of 700 to 900 s the flux completeness level is ß 0.02 cts s \Gamma1 corresponding to ß 2 10 \Gamma13 erg cm \Gamma2 s \Gamma1 . The position of the sample area allows to investigate the soft Xray content of a rather typical region of the galactic plane. In this paper we describe the details of t..
NewXMM-Newtonobservation of the thermally emitting isolated neutron star 2XMM J104608.7-594306
No full textContext. The isolated neutron star (INS) 2XMM J104608.7-59430
VLT optical observations of the isolated neutron star RX J0420.0-5022
No full textContext: X-ray observations performed with the Röntgen Satellite (ROSAT) led to the discovery of seven radio-silent isolated neutron stars (INSs) which are detected only through the relatively dim and purely thermal X-ray emission from the cooling star surface. A few of these INSs (X-ray Dim INSs, or XDINSs) have been also detected at optical wavelengths where they seem to feature thermal spectra. Optical studies of XDINSs thus play a crucial role in mapping the temperature distribution on the neutron star surface and in investigating the existence of an atmosphere around the neutron star.
Aims: The aim of this work is to investigate the optical identification of the XDINS RX J0420.0-5022, tentatively proposed in the literature based on Very Large Telescope (VLT) observations.
Methods: We re-analysed the original VLT observations of the proposed counterpart to assess its detection significance and we performed deeper VLT observations aiming at a higher confidence detection.
Results: With a ̃ 2 σ detection significance and a re-computed flux of B=27.52 ± 0.61, we cannot rule out that the proposed counterpart was spurious and produced by the halo of a very bright nearby star. While we could not detect the proposed counterpart in our deeper VLT observations, we found evidence for a marginally significant (~ 3.9 σ) detection of a similarly faint object (B= 27.5± 0.3), ≈ 0.5 arcsec north of it and coincident with the updated Chandra position of RX J0420.0-5022. Interestingly, the angular separation is consistent with the upper limit on the RX J0420.0-5022 proper motion, which suggests that we might have actually detected the originally proposed counterpart. From the flux of the putative RX J0420.0-5022 counterpart we can rule out a > 7 optical excess with respect to the extrapolation of the XMM-Newton spectrum.
Conclusions: High spatial resolution observations with the refurbished Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are the only way to confirm the detection of the putative candidate counterpart and to validate its identification with RX J0420.0-5022
An optical counterpart candidate for the isolated neutron star RBS 1774
No full textMultiwavelength studies of the seven identified X-ray-dim isolated neutron stars (XDINSs) offer a unique opportunity to investigate their surface thermal and magnetic structure and the matter-radiation interaction in presence of strong gravitational and magnetic fields. As a part of an ongoing campaign aimed at a complete identification and spectral characterization of XDINSs in the optical band, we performed deep imaging with the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the field of the XDINS RBS 1774 (1RXS J214303.7 +065419). The recently upgraded FORS1 instrument mounted on the VLT provided the very first detection of a candidate optical counterpart in the B band. The identification is based on a very good positional coincidence with the X-ray source (chance probability ~2×10-3). The source has B=27.4+/-0.2 (1 σ confidence level), and the optical flux exceeds the extrapolation of the X-ray blackbody at optical wavelengths by a factor ~35 (+/-20 at 3 σ confidence level). This is barely compatible with thermal emission from the neutron star surface, unless the source distance is d~200-300 pc, and the star is an almost aligned rotator or its spin axis is nearly aligned with the line of sight. At the same time, such a large optical excess appears difficult to reconcile with rotation-powered magnetospheric emission, unless the source has an extremely large optical emission efficiency. The implications and possible similarities with the optical spectra of other isolated NSs are discussed
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