González Caniulef, D;
Zane, S;
Taverna, R;
Turolla, R;
Wu, K;
(2016)
Polarized thermal emission from X-ray dim isolated neutron stars: the case of RX J1856.5−3754.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
, 459
(4)
pp. 3585-3595.
10.1093/mnras/stw804.
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Abstract
The observed polarization properties of thermal radiation from isolated, cooling neutron stars depend on both the emission processes at the surface and the effects of the magnetized vacuum which surrounds the star. Here, we investigate the polarized thermal emission from X-ray dim isolated neutron stars, taking RX J1856.5−3754 as a representative case. The physical conditions of the star outermost layers in these sources is still debated, and so we consider emission from a magnetized atmosphere and a condensed surface, accounting for the effects of vacuum polarization as the radiation propagates in the star magnetosphere. We have found that, for a significant range of viewing geometries, measurement of the phase-averaged polarization fraction and phase-averaged polarization angle at both optical and X-ray wavelengths allow us to determine whether this neutron star has an atmosphere or a condensed surface. Our results may therefore be relevant in view of future developments of soft X-ray polarimeters.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Polarized thermal emission from X-ray dim isolated neutron stars: the case of RX J1856.5−3754 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1093/mnras/stw804 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw804 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2016 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. |
| Keywords: | Polarization, Radiation mechanisms: thermal, stars: neutron, X-rays: stars |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Space and Climate Physics |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1508071 |
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