Near-Infrared and Optical Limits for the Central X-Ray Point Source in the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

We set new near-infrared and optical magnitude limits for the central X-ray point source (XPS) in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant based on HST images. Near-infrared images of the center of Cas A taken with the NICMOS 2 camera in combination with the F110W and F160W filters (~J and H bands) have magnitude limits >=26.2 and >=24.6, respectively. These images reveal no sources within a 1.2" radius (corresponding to a 99% confidence limit) of the Chandra XPS position. The NICMOS data, taken together with broadband optical magnitude limits (R~28 mag) obtained from a deep STIS CCD exposure taken with a clear filter (50CCD), indicate that the XPS luminosities are very low in the optical/NIR bands (e.g., L_H<3×10²⁹ ergs s^-1) with no optical, J-, or H-band counterpart to the XPS easily detectable by HST. The closest detected object lies 1.8" from the XPS's nominal coordinates, with magnitudes R=25.7, m_F110W=21.9, and m_F160W=20.6, and is a foreground, late-type star as suggested by Kaplan, Kulkarni, and Murray. We discuss the nature of the Cas A central compact object on the basis of these near-infrared and optical flux limits.

Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. These observations are associated with programs GO-8692 and GO-9798.