Phase-Resolved Spectroscopy of Geminga Shows Rotating Hot Spot(s)

Isolated neutron stars are seen in x-rays through their nonthermal and/or surface thermal emissions. X-ray Multimirror Mission-Newton observations of the Geminga pulsar show a 43-electron volt spectrum from the whole neutron star surface, as well as a power-law component above 2 kiloelectron volts....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2004-07, Vol.305 (5682), p.376-379
Main Authors: Caraveo, P. A., De Luca, A., Mereghetti, S., Pellizzoni, A., Bignami, G. F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Atoms & subatomic particles
Earth, ocean, space
Energy
Exact sciences and technology
Geometry
Late stages of stellar evolution (including black holes)
Light
Light curves
Magnetic fields
Neutron stars
Observation
Photons
Power laws
Properties
Pulsars
Spectroscopy
Spectrum analysis
Stars
Stellar evolution
Stellar radii
Technology application
Thermal radiation
X-ray astronomy
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Summary:Isolated neutron stars are seen in x-rays through their nonthermal and/or surface thermal emissions. X-ray Multimirror Mission-Newton observations of the Geminga pulsar show a 43-electron volt spectrum from the whole neutron star surface, as well as a power-law component above 2 kiloelectron volts. In addition, we have detected a hot (170 electron volts) thermal emission from an ~60-meter-radius spot on the pulsar's surface. Such a thermal emission, only visible at selected phase intervals, may be coming from polar hot spot(s), long thought to exist as a result of heating from magnetospheric accelerated particles. It may provide the missing link between the x-ray and gamma-ray emission of the pulsar.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1097173