The pulsed hard X-ray spectrum of PSR B1509-58

S. M. Matz; M. P. Ulmer; D. A. Grabelsky; W. R. Purcell; J. E. Grove; W. N. Johnson; R. L. Kinzer; J. D. Kurfess; M. S. Strickman; G. V. Jung

doi:10.1086/174727

The pulsed hard X-ray spectrum of PSR B1509-58

S. M. Matz^*, M. P. Ulmer, D. A. Grabelsky, W. R. Purcell, J. E. Grove, W. N. Johnson, R. L. Kinzer, J. D. Kurfess, M. S. Strickman, G. V. Jung

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

OSSE observed the 150 ms X-ray pulsar PSR B1509-58 in the supernova remnant MSH 15-52 for 4 weeks in 1992. The pulsed spectrum from 50 keV to 5 MeV is well represented by a single power-law photon spectrum of the form (3.14 ± 0.16) × 10^-6 × (E/118.5 keV)^{-1.68 ± 0.09} photons cm^-2 s^-1 keV^-1. This is significantly harder than the Crab pulsar spectrum in this energy range. The Ginga soft X-ray spectrum (2-60 keV) reported by Kawai et al. is significantly harder than the observed OSSE spectrum and predicts a flux 2 times higher than we observe in the ∼55-170 keV energy band. This requires a break to a steeper spectrum somewhere in the intermediate energy range (∼20-80 keV). The spectrum must soften again at higher energies or the pulsar would have easily been detected by EGRET, COS B, and SAS 2.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	288-291
Number of pages	4
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	434
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/174727
State	Published - Oct 10 1994

Keywords

Gamma rays: observations
Pulsars: individual (PSR B1509-58)
X-rays: stars

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/174727

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title = "The pulsed hard X-ray spectrum of PSR B1509-58",

abstract = "OSSE observed the 150 ms X-ray pulsar PSR B1509-58 in the supernova remnant MSH 15-52 for 4 weeks in 1992. The pulsed spectrum from 50 keV to 5 MeV is well represented by a single power-law photon spectrum of the form (3.14 ± 0.16) × 10-6 × (E/118.5 keV)-1.68 ± 0.09 photons cm-2 s-1 keV-1. This is significantly harder than the Crab pulsar spectrum in this energy range. The Ginga soft X-ray spectrum (2-60 keV) reported by Kawai et al. is significantly harder than the observed OSSE spectrum and predicts a flux 2 times higher than we observe in the ∼55-170 keV energy band. This requires a break to a steeper spectrum somewhere in the intermediate energy range (∼20-80 keV). The spectrum must soften again at higher energies or the pulsar would have easily been detected by EGRET, COS B, and SAS 2.",

keywords = "Gamma rays: observations, Pulsars: individual (PSR B1509-58), X-rays: stars",

author = "Matz, {S. M.} and Ulmer, {M. P.} and Grabelsky, {D. A.} and Purcell, {W. R.} and Grove, {J. E.} and Johnson, {W. N.} and Kinzer, {R. L.} and Kurfess, {J. D.} and Strickman, {M. S.} and Jung, {G. V.}",

year = "1994",

month = oct,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1086/174727",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Matz, S. M.

AU - Ulmer, M. P.

AU - Grabelsky, D. A.

AU - Purcell, W. R.

AU - Grove, J. E.

AU - Johnson, W. N.

AU - Kinzer, R. L.

AU - Kurfess, J. D.

AU - Strickman, M. S.

AU - Jung, G. V.

PY - 1994/10/10

Y1 - 1994/10/10

N2 - OSSE observed the 150 ms X-ray pulsar PSR B1509-58 in the supernova remnant MSH 15-52 for 4 weeks in 1992. The pulsed spectrum from 50 keV to 5 MeV is well represented by a single power-law photon spectrum of the form (3.14 ± 0.16) × 10-6 × (E/118.5 keV)-1.68 ± 0.09 photons cm-2 s-1 keV-1. This is significantly harder than the Crab pulsar spectrum in this energy range. The Ginga soft X-ray spectrum (2-60 keV) reported by Kawai et al. is significantly harder than the observed OSSE spectrum and predicts a flux 2 times higher than we observe in the ∼55-170 keV energy band. This requires a break to a steeper spectrum somewhere in the intermediate energy range (∼20-80 keV). The spectrum must soften again at higher energies or the pulsar would have easily been detected by EGRET, COS B, and SAS 2.

AB - OSSE observed the 150 ms X-ray pulsar PSR B1509-58 in the supernova remnant MSH 15-52 for 4 weeks in 1992. The pulsed spectrum from 50 keV to 5 MeV is well represented by a single power-law photon spectrum of the form (3.14 ± 0.16) × 10-6 × (E/118.5 keV)-1.68 ± 0.09 photons cm-2 s-1 keV-1. This is significantly harder than the Crab pulsar spectrum in this energy range. The Ginga soft X-ray spectrum (2-60 keV) reported by Kawai et al. is significantly harder than the observed OSSE spectrum and predicts a flux 2 times higher than we observe in the ∼55-170 keV energy band. This requires a break to a steeper spectrum somewhere in the intermediate energy range (∼20-80 keV). The spectrum must soften again at higher energies or the pulsar would have easily been detected by EGRET, COS B, and SAS 2.

KW - Gamma rays: observations

KW - Pulsars: individual (PSR B1509-58)

KW - X-rays: stars

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The pulsed hard X-ray spectrum of PSR B1509-58

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