The Chandra X-ray Spectrum of the 10.6 s Pulsar in Westerlund 1: Testing the Magnetar Hypothesis

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dc.creatorSkinner, S. L.
dc.creatorPerna, R.
dc.creatorZhekov, S. A.
dc.date2006-07-23
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T10:39:39Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T10:39:39Z
dc.descriptionTwo sensitive Chandra X-ray observations of the heavily-reddened galactic starburst cluster Westerlund 1 in May and June 2005 detected a previously unknown X-ray pulsar (CXO J164710.20-455217). Its slow 10.6 s pulsations, moderate X-ray temperature kT $\approx$ 0.5 keV, and apparent lack of a massive companion tentatively suggest that it is an Anomalous X-ray Pulsar (AXP). An isothermal blackbody model yields an acceptable spectral fit but the inferred source radius is much less than that of a neutron star, a result that has also been found for other AXPs. We analyze the X-ray spectra with more complex models including a model that assumes the pulsar is a strongly magnetized neutron star (``magnetar'') with a light element atmosphere. We conclude that the observed X-ray emission cannot be explained as global surface emission arising from the surface of a cooling neutron star or magnetar. The emission likely arises in one or more localized regions (``hot spots'') covering a small fraction of the surface. We discuss these new results in the context of both accretion and magnetar interpretations for the X-ray emission.
dc.description14 pages, 5 figures; to appear in ApJ
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0607528
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0607528
dc.identifierAstrophys.J.653:587-592,2006
dc.identifierdoi:10.1086/508059
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/181100
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleThe Chandra X-ray Spectrum of the 10.6 s Pulsar in Westerlund 1: Testing the Magnetar Hypothesis
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