NuSTAR observations of rotation-powered pulsars and magnetars
Abstract
NASA's NuSTAR observatory is the first focusing hard X-ray telescope. Launched in June 2012, NuSTAR is sensitive in the 3-79 keV range with unprecedented ~17″ FWHM angular resolution above 12 keV, a result of its multilayer-coated optics and 10-m focal length. With its large effective area (900 cm2 at 10 keV), NuSTAR has point-source sensitivity ~100 times better than previous hard X-ray telescopes. Here we describe NuSTAR and its planned work on rotation-powered pulsars and magnetars during its nominal 2-yr baseline mission that has just commenced.
- Publication:
-
Neutron Stars and Pulsars: Challenges and Opportunities after 80 years
- Pub Date:
- March 2013
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2013IAUS..291..331K
- Keywords:
-
- stars: neutron;
- pulsars: general;
- X-rays: general;
- X-rays: binaries;
- telescopes