Cooling of the super-heated neutron star in MAXI J0556-332
Abstract
Observing the cooling of neutron stars reheated by accretion provides unique insights into neutron-star structure. Here we propose an observation of the cooling neutron star in MAXI J0556-332, a transient that had been accreting at near-Eddington rates for 16 months when it returned to quiescence in May 2012. XMM and Chandra observations in quiescence have revealed a rapidly cooling neutron star with by far the highest temperatures observed to date for such systems. We request a 70 ks XMM observation of MAXI J0556-332 to cover a period during which rapid cooling may start evolving into a temperature plateau. Knowing when and at what level this occurs will help us in understanding the properties of the neutron-star crust, as we start probing its deeper layers.
- Publication:
-
XMM-Newton Proposal
- Pub Date:
- October 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013xmm..prop..189H
- Keywords:
-
- White Dwarf Binaries;
- Neutron Star Binaries;
- Cataclysmic Variables;
- ULXs;
- Black Holes;
- MAXI J0556-332