TY - JOUR
T1 - The spectrum of the recycled PSR J0437-4715 and its white dwarf companion
AU - Durant, Martin
AU - Kargaltsev, Oleg
AU - Pavlov, George G.
AU - Kowalski, Piotr M.
AU - Posselt, Bettina
AU - Van Kerkwijk, Marten H.
AU - Kaplan, David L.
PY - 2012/2/10
Y1 - 2012/2/10
N2 - We present extensive spectral and photometric observations of the recycled pulsar/white dwarf binary containing PSR J0437-4715, which we analyzed together with archival X-ray and gamma-ray data, to obtain the complete mid-infrared to gamma-ray spectrum. We first fit each part of the spectrum separately, and then the whole multi-wavelength spectrum. We find that the optical-infrared part of the spectrum is well fit by a cool white dwarf atmosphere model with pure hydrogen composition. The model atmosphere (T eff = 3950 150K, log g = 6.98 ± 0.15, R WD = (1.9 ± 0.2) × 10 9cm) fits our spectral data remarkably well for the known mass and distance (M = 0.25 ± 0.02 M, d = 156.3 ± 1.3pc), yielding the white dwarf age (τWD = 6.0 ± 0.5Gyr). In the UV, we find a spectral shape consistent with thermal emission from the bulk of the neutron star surface, with surface temperature between 1.25 × 105 and 3.5 × 105K. The temperature of the thermal spectrum suggests that some heating mechanism operates throughout the life of the neutron star. The temperature distribution on the neutron star surface is non-uniform. In the X-rays, we confirm the presence of a high-energy tail which is consistent with a continuation of the cutoff power-law component (Γ = 1.56 ± 0.01, E cut = 1.1 ± 0.2GeV) that is seen in gamma rays and perhaps even extends to the near-UV.
AB - We present extensive spectral and photometric observations of the recycled pulsar/white dwarf binary containing PSR J0437-4715, which we analyzed together with archival X-ray and gamma-ray data, to obtain the complete mid-infrared to gamma-ray spectrum. We first fit each part of the spectrum separately, and then the whole multi-wavelength spectrum. We find that the optical-infrared part of the spectrum is well fit by a cool white dwarf atmosphere model with pure hydrogen composition. The model atmosphere (T eff = 3950 150K, log g = 6.98 ± 0.15, R WD = (1.9 ± 0.2) × 10 9cm) fits our spectral data remarkably well for the known mass and distance (M = 0.25 ± 0.02 M, d = 156.3 ± 1.3pc), yielding the white dwarf age (τWD = 6.0 ± 0.5Gyr). In the UV, we find a spectral shape consistent with thermal emission from the bulk of the neutron star surface, with surface temperature between 1.25 × 105 and 3.5 × 105K. The temperature of the thermal spectrum suggests that some heating mechanism operates throughout the life of the neutron star. The temperature distribution on the neutron star surface is non-uniform. In the X-rays, we confirm the presence of a high-energy tail which is consistent with a continuation of the cutoff power-law component (Γ = 1.56 ± 0.01, E cut = 1.1 ± 0.2GeV) that is seen in gamma rays and perhaps even extends to the near-UV.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84856238970&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84856238970&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/746/1/6
DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/746/1/6
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84856238970
SN - 0004-637X
VL - 746
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
IS - 1
M1 - 6
ER -