Published December 10, 2011 | Version v1
Journal article

THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE X-RAY COUNTERPART TO PSR J2021+4026

  • 1. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Space Science Office, VP62, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)
  • 2. Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)
  • 3. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy)
  • 4. Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, Department of Physics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)
  • 5. Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
  • 6. Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, 452 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)
  • 7. Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 663, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
  • 8. Universities Space Research Association, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Space Science Office, VP62, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)
  • 9. Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Tonantzintla, Puebla 72840 (Mexico)
  • 10. Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, 85741 Garching bei München (Germany)
  • 11. INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, I-20133 Milano (Italy)
  • 12. Astroparticle Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

Description

We report the probable identification of the X-ray counterpart to the γ-ray pulsar PSR J2021+4026 using imaging with the Chandra X-ray Observatory Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer and timing analysis with the Fermi satellite. Given the statistical and systematic errors, the positions determined by both satellites are coincident. The X-ray source position is R.A. 20h21m30.s733, decl. +40°26'46.''04 (J2000) with an estimated uncertainty of 1.''3 combined statistical and systematic error. Moreover, both the X-ray to γ-ray and the X-ray to optical flux ratios are sensible assuming a neutron star origin for the X-ray flux. The X-ray source has no cataloged infrared-to-visible counterpart and, through new observations, we set upper limits to its optical emission of i' > 23.0 mag and r' > 25.2 mag. The source exhibits an X-ray spectrum with most likely both a power law and a thermal component. We also report on the X-ray and visible light properties of the 43 other sources detected in our Chandra observation.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/743/1/74

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal
Journal Volume
743
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
[12 p.]
ISSN
0004-637X
CODEN
ASJOAB

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
43094594
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES; COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES; NEUTRON STARS; PULSARS; SPECTROMETERS; SUPERNOVAE; X-RAY SPECTRA
Descriptors DEC
BINARY STARS; COSMIC RADIO SOURCES; COSMIC RAY SOURCES; ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SPECTRA; STARS; VARIABLE STARS