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Narrow absorption features in the co-added XMM-Newton RGS spectra of isolated neutron stars.
- Source :
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . Jan2012, Vol. 419 Issue 2, p1525-1536. 12p. - Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- ABSTRACT We co-added the available XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) spectra for each of the isolated X-ray pulsars RX J0720.4−3125, RX J1308.6+2127 (RBS1223), RX J1605.3+3249 and RX J1856.4−3754 (four members of the 'Magnificent Seven') and the 'Three Musketeers' Geminga, PSR B0656+14 and PSR B1055−52. We confirm the detection of a narrow absorption feature at 0.57 keV in the co-added RGS spectra of RX J0720.4−3125 and RX J1605.3+3249 (including most recent observations). In addition, we found similar absorption features in the spectra of RX J1308.6+2127 (at 0.53 keV) and maybe PSR B1055−52 (at 0.56 keV). The absorption feature in the spectra of RX J1308.6+2127 is broader than the feature e.g. in RX J0720.4−3125. The narrow absorption features are detected with 2-5.6σ significance. Although very bright and frequently observed, there are no absorption features visible in the spectra of RX J1856.4−3754 and PSR B0656+14, while the co-added XMM-Newton RGS spectrum of Geminga has not enough counts to detect such a feature. We discuss a possible origin of these absorption features as lines caused by the presence of highly ionized oxygen (in particular O vii and/or O vi at 0.57 keV) in the interstellar medium and absorption in the neutron star atmosphere, namely the absorption features at 0.57 keV as gravitational redshifted ( gr= 1.17) O viii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00358711
- Volume :
- 419
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 69734255
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19809.x