Search for the optical counterpart to SGR 0418+5729

Martin Durant, Oleg Kargaltsev, George G. Pavlov

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12 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report broadband Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the field of soft γ-ray repeater SGR 0418+5729 with Advanced Camera for Surveys/Wide Field Channel and Wide Field Camera 3/IR. Observing in two wide filters, F606W and F110W, we find no counterpart within the positional error circle derived from Chandra observations, to limiting magnitudes m F606W > 28.6 and m F110W > 27.4 (Vega system), equivalent to reddening-corrected luminosity limits L F606W < 5 × 1028 and L F110W < 6 × 1028ergs-1 for a distance d = 2kpc, at 3σ confidence. This, in turn, imposes lower limits on the contemporaneous X-ray/optical flux ratio of ≃1100 and the X-ray/near-infrared flux ratio of ≃1000. We derive an upper limit on the temperature and/or size of any fall-back disk around the magnetar. We also compare the detection limits with observations of other magnetars.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number77
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume742
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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