Hubble space telescope detection of the double pulsar system J0737-3039 in the far-ultraviolet

Martin Durant, Oleg Kargaltsev, George G. Pavlov

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4 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report on detection of the double pulsar system J0737-3039 in the far-UV with the Advanced Camera for Surveys/Solar-blind Channel detector aboard Hubble Space Telescope. We measured the energy flux F = (4.6 ± 1.0) × 10-17 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 1250-1550 Å band, which corresponds to the extinction-corrected luminosity L 1.5 × 1028 erg s-1 for the distance d = 1.1 kpc and a plausible reddening E(B-V) = 0.1. If the detected emission comes from the entire surface of one of the neutron stars with a 13 km radius, the surface blackbody temperature is in the range T ≃ (2-5) × 105 K for a reasonable range of interstellar extinction. Such a temperature requires an internal heating mechanism to operate in old neutron stars, or, less likely, it might be explained by heating of the surface of the less energetic Pulsar B by the relativistic wind of Pulsar A. If the far-ultraviolet emission is non-thermal (e.g., produced in the magnetosphere of Pulsar A), its spectrum exhibits a break between the UV and X-rays.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberL22
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume783
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2014

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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