Deep XMM-Newton Spectroscopic and Timing Observations of the Isolated Radio Millisecond Pulsar PSR J0030+0451
Abstract
We present deep XMM-Newton European Photon Imaging Camera spectroscopic and timing X-ray observations of the nearby solitary radio millisecond pulsar, PSR J0030+0451. Its emission spectrum in the 0.1-10 keV range is found to be remarkably similar to that of the nearest and best-studied millisecond pulsar, PSR J0437-4715, being well described by a predominantly thermal two-temperature model plus a faint hard tail evident above ~2 keV. The pulsed emission in the 0.3-2 keV band is characterized by two broad pulses with pulsed fraction ~60%-70%, consistent with a mostly thermal origin of the X-rays only if the surface polar cap radiation is from a light-element atmosphere. Modeling of the thermal pulses permits us to place constraints on the neutron star radius of R > 10.7 (95% confidence) and R > 10.4 km (at 99.9% confidence) for M = 1.4 M sun.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- October 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/703/2/1557
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0908.1971
- Bibcode:
- 2009ApJ...703.1557B
- Keywords:
-
- pulsars: general;
- pulsars: individual: PSR J0030+0451;
- relativity;
- stars: neutron;
- X-rays: stars;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 8 pages, 7 figures