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The X-ray Spectrum of the Plerionic System PSR B1509-58/MSH 15-52

Astrophysics 2009-10-30 v1

Abstract

We present the results of observations of the PSR B1509-58/MSH 15-52 system in X-rays (22502-250 keV) by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. The spectra of the peak of the pulsed component (radio phase 0.170.530.17-0.53) is fit by a power law of photon index 1.36±0.011.36\pm0.01, with no evidence of a high energy spectral break seen up to 200\sim200 keV. For the off-pulse spectral component, the spectrum from 22502-250 keV is fit by a power law of photon index 2.215±0.0052.215\pm0.005. An iron emission line at 6.7 keV with an equivalent width of 129 eV improves the fit, but only at a marginal significance. Thermal bremsstrahlung and Raymond-Smith models produce much worse fits to the unpulsed data. The lack of a high energy spectral break in the pulsed emission implies an efficiency of 3\geq 3% in the conversion of pulsar spindown energy to pulsed X-rays in the system.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9710114,
  title  = {The X-ray Spectrum of the Plerionic System PSR B1509-58/MSH 15-52},
  author = {D. Marsden and P. R. Blanco and D. E. Gruber and W. A. Heindl and M. R. Pelling and L. E. Peterson and R. E. Rothschild and A. H. Rots and K. Jahoda and D. J. Macomb},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9710114},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

Accepted by ApJ Letters, 18 pages, 4 postscript figures