The X-ray luminosity of rotation-powered neutron stars.
Abstract
As a result of recent observations with ROSAT and ASCA the number of rotation-powered pulsars seen at X-ray energies has increased substantially. In this paper we review the phenomenology of the observed X-ray emission properties. At present 27 pulsars are detected, representing a wide range of ages (10^3^-7x10^9^yrs), magnetic field strength (10^8^-10^13^G) and spin periods (1.6-530ms). Despite these dispersions in parameters all pulsars show an X-ray luminosity closely correlated with the rotational energy loss. This suggests that most of the observed X-rays are produced by magnetospheric emission originating from the co-rotating magnetosphere. Only for three middle aged pulsars (PSR 0656+14, Geminga and PSR 1055-52) and probably for the Vela-pulsar an additional thermal component is detected which can be attributed to thermal emission from the neutron stellar surface.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- October 1997
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.astro-ph/9708169
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/9708169
- Bibcode:
- 1997A&A...326..682B
- Keywords:
-
- PULSARS: GENERAL;
- X-RAYS: STARS;
- STARS: NEUTRON;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, LaTex, 5 figures in eps-format, 4 tables one in eps-format, to appear in Astronomy and Astrophysics (in press), MPE-Preprint 384