Detection of Pulsed X-Ray Emission from XMM-Newton Observations of PSR J0538+2817
Abstract
We report on the XMM-Newton observations of the 143 ms pulsar PSR J0538+2817. We present evidence for the first detections of pulsed X-rays from the source at a frequency that is consistent with the predicted radio frequency. The pulse profile is broad and asymmetric, with a pulse fraction of 18%+/-3%. We find that the spectrum of the source is well-fitted with a blackbody with T∞=(2.12+0.04-0.03)×106 K and NH=2.5×1021 cm-2. The radius determined from the model fit of 1.68+/-0.05 km suggests that the emission is from a heated polar cap. A fit to the spectra with an atmospheric model reduces the inferred temperature and, hence, increases the radius of the emitting region; however, the pulsar distance determined from the fit is then smaller than the dispersion distance.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- July 2003
- DOI:
- 10.1086/375332
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0303380
- Bibcode:
- 2003ApJ...591..380M
- Keywords:
-
- Stars: Pulsars: Individual: Alphanumeric: PSR J0538+2817;
- X-Rays: Stars;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 24 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ. Error in radius calculation corrected, discussion and conclusions remain unchanged