XMM-Newton observations of the isolated neutron star RX J0806.4-4123 *

The isolated neutron star  was observed with XMM-Newton in November 2000. The data from the three EPIC instruments allowed us (i) to derive an improved X-ray position to an accuracy of 2–3´´, (ii) to accumulate the first medium-resolution soft X-ray spectra of high statistical quality and (iii) to find a candidate for the neutron star rotation period. Although this period of 11.3714 s is formally detected at a 3.5σlevel in the EPIC-pn data, the similar pulse profiles deduced from all three EPIC instruments increase the confidence that the period is real. The pulsed fraction of ~6% would then be the weakest X-ray flux modulation detected from dim isolated neutron stars. We fitted the X-ray spectra with blackbody and neutron star atmosphere models and discuss the results with respect to the brightness limit placed by optical images. The reduced size of the error circle on the X-ray position should allow deeper searches for an optical counterpart.