2006ApJ...646.1139K -
Astrophys. J., 646, 1139-1148 (2006/August-1)
X-ray emission from the double neutron star binary B1534+12: powered by the pulsar wind?
KARGALTSEV O., PAVLOV G.G. and GARMIRE G.P.
Abstract (from CDS):
We report the detection of the double neutron star binary (DNSB) B1534+12 (=J1537+1155) with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. This DNSB (Porb=10.1 hr) consists of the millisecond (recycled) pulsar J1537+1155A (PA=37.9 ms) and a neutron star not detected in the radio. After the remarkable double pulsar binary J0737-3039, it is the only other DNSB detected in X-rays. We measured the flux of (2.2±0.6)x10–15 ergs.s–1.cm–2 in the 0.3-6 keV band. The small number of collected counts allows only crude estimates of spectral parameters. The power-law fit yields the photon index Γ=3.2±0.5 and the unabsorbed 0.2-10 keV luminosity LX~6x1029 ergs.s–1~3x10–4E{dot}A, where E{dot}A is the spin-down power of J1537+1155A. Alternatively, the spectrum can be fitted by a blackbody model with T~2.2 MK and the projected emitting area of ∼5x103 m2. The distribution of photon arrival times over binary orbital phase shows a deficit of X-ray emission around apastron, which suggests that the emission is caused by interaction of the relativistic wind from J1537+1155A with its neutron star companion. We also reanalyzed the Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of J0737-3039 and found that its X-ray spectrum is similar to the spectrum of B1534+12, and its X-ray luminosity is about the same fraction of E{dot}A, which suggests similar X-ray emission mechanisms. However, the X-ray emission from J0737-3039 does not show orbital phase dependence. This difference can be explained by the smaller eccentricity of J0737-3039 or a smaller misalignment between the equatorial plane of the millisecond pulsar and the orbital plane of the binary.
Abstract Copyright:
∼
Journal keyword(s):
pulsars: individual (PSR B1534+12=PSR J1537+1155) - Stars: Pulsars: Individual: Alphanumeric: PSR J0737-3039A - Stars: Pulsars: Individual: Alphanumeric: PSR J0737-3039B - Stars: Neutron - X-Rays: Stars
Simbad objects:
6
Full paper
View the references in ADS
To bookmark this query, right click on this link: simbad:2006ApJ...646.1139K and select 'bookmark this link' or equivalent in the popup menu