TY - JOUR
T1 - A limit on the number of isolated neutron stars detected in the rosat all-sky-survey bright source catalog
AU - Turner, Monica L.
AU - Rutledge, Robert E.
AU - Letcavage, Ryan
AU - Shevchuk, Andrew S.H.
AU - Fox, Derek B.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Using new and archival observations made with the Swift satellite and other facilities, we examine 147 X-ray sources selected from the ROSAT All-Sky-Survey Bright Source Catalog (RASS/BSC) to produce a new limit on the number of isolated neutron stars (INSs) in the RASS/BSC, the most constraining such limit to date. Independent of X-ray spectrum and variability, the number of INSs is ≤48 (90% confidence). Restricting attention to soft (kT eff < 200eV), non-variable X-ray sources - as in a previous study - yields an all-sky limit of ≤31INSs. In the course of our analysis, we identify five new high-quality INS candidates for targeted follow-up observations. A future all-sky X-ray survey with eROSITA, or another mission with similar capabilities, can be expected to increase the detected population of X-ray-discovered INSs from the 8-50 in the BSC, to (for a disk population) 240-1500, which will enable a more detailed study of neutron star population models.
AB - Using new and archival observations made with the Swift satellite and other facilities, we examine 147 X-ray sources selected from the ROSAT All-Sky-Survey Bright Source Catalog (RASS/BSC) to produce a new limit on the number of isolated neutron stars (INSs) in the RASS/BSC, the most constraining such limit to date. Independent of X-ray spectrum and variability, the number of INSs is ≤48 (90% confidence). Restricting attention to soft (kT eff < 200eV), non-variable X-ray sources - as in a previous study - yields an all-sky limit of ≤31INSs. In the course of our analysis, we identify five new high-quality INS candidates for targeted follow-up observations. A future all-sky X-ray survey with eROSITA, or another mission with similar capabilities, can be expected to increase the detected population of X-ray-discovered INSs from the 8-50 in the BSC, to (for a disk population) 240-1500, which will enable a more detailed study of neutron star population models.
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U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/714/2/1424
DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/714/2/1424
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77951684628
SN - 0004-637X
VL - 714
SP - 1424
EP - 1440
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
IS - 2
ER -