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arXiv 0804.4394astro-ph
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孤立中子星RBS1774的一个光学对应物候选者

An Optical Counterpart Candidate for the Isolated Neutron Star RBS1774

S. Zane, R. Mignani, R. Turolla, A. Treves, F. Haberl, C. Motch, L. Zampieri, M. Cropper

摘要:

对7颗已确认的X射线昏暗孤立中子星(XDINS)的多波长研究为研究它们的表面热结构和磁结构以及在强引力场和磁场存在下的物质-辐射相互作用提供了一个独特的机会。作为正在进行的活动的一部分,旨在对光学波段的XDINS进行完整的识别和光谱表征,我们使用ESO超大望远镜(VLT)对XDINS RBS 1774(1 RXS J214303.7 +065419)进行了深度成像。最近升级的FORS 1仪器安装在VLT上,首次探测到了B波段的候选光学对应物。识别是基于与X射线源的非常好的位置重合(机会概率~ 2 E-3)。源具有B=27.4 +/- 0.2(1 sigma置信水平),并且光通量超过X射线黑体在光学波长处的外推因子~35(+/- 20,在3 sigma置信水平)。这与中子星表面的热辐射几乎不相容,除非源距离为d~200-300 pc,并且恒星是一个几乎对齐的旋转体或其自旋轴几乎与视线对齐。与此同时,如此大的光学过剩似乎很难与旋转驱动的磁层发射相协调,除非源具有非常大的光学发射效率。的影响和可能的相似之处与其他孤立的NS的光谱进行了讨论。

英文摘要:

Multiwavelength 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 RBS1774 (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 ~2E-3). The source has B=27.4 +/- 0.2 (1 sigma confidence level), and the optical flux exceeds the extrapolation of the X-ray blackbody at optical wavelengths by a factor ~35 (+/- 20 at 3sigma 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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