Zane, S;
Haberl, F;
Israel, GL;
Pellizzoni, A;
Burgay, M;
Mignani, RP;
Turolla, R;
... Kramer, M; + view all
(2011)
Discovery of 59 ms pulsations from 1RXS J141256.0+792204 (Calvera).
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
, 410
(4)
2428 - 2445.
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17619.x.
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Abstract
We report on the results of a multi-wavelength study of the compact object candidate 1RXS J141256.0+792204 (Calvera). Calvera was observed in the X-rays with XMM–Newton/EPIC twice for a total exposure time of ∼50 ks. The source spectrum is thermal and well reproduced by a two-component model composed of either two (absorbed) hydrogen atmosphere models or two blackbodies with temperatures kT1∼ 55/150 eV, kT2∼ 80/250 eV, respectively (as measured at infinity). Evidence was found for an absorption feature at ∼0.65 keV while no power-law high-energy tail is statistically required. Using pn and MOS data we discovered pulsations in the X-ray emission at a period P = 59.2 ms. The detection is highly significant (≳11σ), and unambiguously confirms the neutron star nature of Calvera. The pulse profile is nearly sinusoidal, with a pulsed fraction of ∼18 per cent. We looked for the timing signature of Calvera in the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data base and found a significant (∼5σ) pulsed signal at a period coincident with the X-ray value. The gamma-ray timing analysis yielded a tight upper limit on the period derivative, s s−1 ( erg s−1, B < 5 × 1010 G for magneto-dipolar spin-down). Radio searches at 1.36 GHz with the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope yielded negative results, with a deep upper limit on the pulsed flux of 0.05 mJy. Diffuse, soft (<1 keV) X-ray emission about 13 arcmin west of the Calvera position is present both in our pointed observations and in archive ROSAT all-sky survey images, but is unlikely associated with the X-ray pulsar. Its spectrum is compatible with an old supernova remnant (SNR); no evidence for diffuse emission in the radio and optical bands was found. The most likely interpretations are that Calvera is either a central compact object escaped from a SNR or a mildly recycled pulsar; in both cases the source would be the first ever member of the class detected at gamma-ray energies.
Type: | Article |
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Title: | Discovery of 59 ms pulsations from 1RXS J141256.0+792204 (Calvera) |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17619.x |
Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17619.x |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | © 2010 RAS Definitive versions of articles pre-2013 are available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2966, now published by http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org |
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/191714 |
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