相关论文: HST and VLT observations of Isolated Neutron Stars
The state of the art of optical studies of Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs) and their Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) is reviewed. In addition, results obtained from recent HST and VLT observations are presented and discussed.
Polarisation measurements of pulsars offer an unique insight into the geometry of the emission regions in the neutron star magnetosphere. Therefore, they provide observational constraints on the different models proposed for the pulsar…
HST observations have contributed significantly to our knowledge on the behaviour of Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs) as optical emitters. First, HST has been instrumental both to discover new optical counterparts (PSR B1055-52, PSR B1929+10,…
We report on deep VLT observations of the fields of two nearby, isolated millisecond pulsars PSR J1744-1134 and PSR J1024-0719. Both objects are old neutron stars with characteristic age $\tau \ge 10^9$ yr and have relatively high spin-down…
Given their intrinsic faintness, isolated neutron stars represent an elusive target for optical astronomy. Up to date, an optical counterpart has been identified only for a very tiny fraction of the overall population of more than 1000…
Forty years have gone by since the optical identification of the Crab pulsar (PSR B0531+21), and 25 isolated neutron stars of different types have been now identified. Observations with ESO telescopes historically played a pivotal role in…
With a distance of 170 pc, PSR J2144-3933 is the closest isolated radio pulsar currently known. It is also the slowest and least energetic radio pulsar; indeed, its radio emission is difficult to account for with standard pulsar models,…
Since its launch in 1990, HST has played a leading role in optical studies of isolated neutron stars, both radio-loud pulsars and radio-silent ones, paving the way to follow-up observations performed with 8m-class telescopes, like the VLT,…
Almost 30 Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs) of different flavours have been identified at optical, ultraviolet, or infrared (UVOIR) wavelengths. Here, I present a short review of the historical background and describe the scientific impact of…
Being fast rotating objects, Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs) are natural targets for high-time resolution observations across the whole electromagnetic spectrum. With the number of objects detected at optical (plus ultraviolet and infrared)…
Optical observations of pulsars are crucial to study the neutron star properties, from the structure and composition of the interior, to the properties and geometry of the magnetosphere. Historically, X and gamma-ray observations have paved…
The multi-wavelength study of old (>100 Myr) radio pulsars holds the key to understanding the long-term evolution of neutron stars, including the advanced stages of neutron star cooling and the evolution of the magnetosphere. Optical/UV…
The results of optical studies of Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs), their Pulsar-Wind Nebulae (PWNe) and Pulsar Bow Shocks are reviewed and discussed.
After reviewing the multifrequency behaviour of the Isolated Neutron Stars detected so far, we analyze for each object the efficiency of conversion of the star's rotational energy loss into optical, X and gamma radiation. Although the…
The pulsar wind nebula (PWN) associated with the Vela pulsar is a bright source in the radio, X-ray and gamma-ray bands, but not in the optical. This source is very near, lying at a distance of 290 pc, as inferred from the radio and optical…
We present the results of first deep optical observations of the field of the old ($\sim 10^8$ yr), nearby, isolated pulsar J0108-1431, in an attempt to detect its optical counterpart. The observations were performed using the FORS1…
Our knowledge of the optical spectra of Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs) is limited by their intrinsic faintness. Among the fourteen optically identified INSs, medium resolution spectra have been obtained only for a handful of objects. No…
Forty years passed since the optical identification of the first isolated neutron star (INS), the Crab pulsar. 25 INSs have been now identified in the optical (O), near-ultraviolet (nUV), or near-infrared (nIR), hereafter UVOIR, including…
About 100 millisecond (ms) pulsars have been identified in the Galaxy, and only ~10% of them are solitary, i.e. without a binary companion. Nothing is known on the optical emission properties of millisecond pulsars. Observations of solitary…
X-ray observations performed with ROSAT led to the discovery of 7 radio-silent isolated neutron stars (INSs) which are detected only through the relatively dim and purely thermal X-ray emission from the cooling star surface. A few of these…