A Strong X-Ray Polarization Signal from the Magnetar 1RXS J170849.0-400910
| Title: | A Strong X-Ray Polarization Signal from the Magnetar 1RXS J170849.0-400910 |
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| Authors: | Zane, S; Taverna, R; Gonzalez-Caniulef, D; Muleri, F; Turolla, R; Heyl, J; Uchiyama, K; Ng, M; Tamagawa, T; Caiazzo, I; Di Lalla, N; Marshall, HL; Bachetti, M; La Monaca, F; Gau, E; Di Marco, A; Baldini, L; Negro, M; Omodei, N; Rankin, J; Matt, G; Pavlov, GG; Kitaguchi, T; Krawczynski, H; Kislat, F; Kelly, R; Agudo, I; Antonelli, LA; Baumgartner, WH; Bellazzini, R; Bianchi, S; Bongiorno, SD; Bonino, R; Brez, A; Bucciantini, N; Capitanio, F; Castellano, S; Cavazzuti, E; Chen, CT; Ciprini, S; Costa, E; De Rosa, A; Del Monte, E; Di Gesu, L; Donnarumma, I; Doroshenko, V; Dovciak, M; Ehlert, SR; Enoto, T; Evangelista, Y; Fabiani, S; Ferrazzoli, R; Garcia, JA; Gunji, S; Hayashida, K; Iwakiri, W; Jorstad, SG; Kaaret, P; Karas, V; Kolodziejczak, JJ; Latronico, L; Liodakis, I; Maldera, S; Manfreda, A; Marin, F; Marinucci, A; Marscher, AP; Massaro, F; Mitsuishi, I; Mizuno, T; Ng, CY; O'Dell, SL; Oppedisano, C; Papitto, A; Peirson, AL; Perri, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Petrucci, PO; Pilia, M; Possenti, A; Poutanen, J; Puccetti, S; Ramsey, BD; Ratheesh, A; Roberts, OJ; Romani, RW; Sgro, C; Slane, P; Soffitta, P; Spandre, G; Swartz, DA; Tavecchio, F; Tawara, Y; Tennant, AF; Thomas, NE; Tombesi, F; Trois, A; Tsygankov, SS; Vink, J; Weisskopf, MC; Wu, KW; Xie, F |
| Contributors: | Zane, S; Taverna, R; Gonzalez-Caniulef, D; Muleri, F; Turolla, R; Heyl, J; Uchiyama, K; Ng, M; Tamagawa, T; Caiazzo, I; Di Lalla, N; Marshall, Hl; Bachetti, M; La Monaca, F; Gau, E; Di Marco, A; Baldini, L; Negro, M; Omodei, N; Rankin, J; Matt, G; Pavlov, Gg; Kitaguchi, T; Krawczynski, H; Kislat, F; Kelly, R; Agudo, I; Antonelli, La; Baumgartner, Wh; Bellazzini, R; Bianchi, S; Bongiorno, Sd; Bonino, R; Brez, A; Bucciantini, N; Capitanio, F; Castellano, S; Cavazzuti, E; Chen, Ct; Ciprini, S; Costa, E; De Rosa, A; Del Monte, E; Di Gesu, L; Donnarumma, I; Doroshenko, V; Dovciak, M; Ehlert, Sr; Enoto, T; Evangelista, Y; Fabiani, S; Ferrazzoli, R; Garcia, Ja; Gunji, S; Hayashida, K; Iwakiri, W; Jorstad, Sg; Kaaret, P; Karas, V; Kolodziejczak, Jj; Latronico, L; Liodakis, I; Maldera, S; Manfreda, A; Marin, F; Marinucci, A; Marscher, Ap; Massaro, F; Mitsuishi, I; Mizuno, T; Ng, Cy; O'Dell, Sl; Oppedisano, C; Papitto, A; Peirson, Al; Perri, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Petrucci, Po; Pilia, M; Possenti, A; Poutanen, J; Puccetti, S; Ramsey, Bd; Ratheesh, A; Roberts, Oj; Romani, Rw; Sgro, C; Slane, P; Soffitta, P; Spandre, G; Swartz, Da; Tavecchio, F; Tawara, Y; Tennant, Af; Thomas, Ne; Tombesi, F; Trois, A; Tsygankov, S; Vink, J; Weisskopf, Mc |
| Publisher Information: | IOP Publishing Ltd |
| Publication Year: | 2023 |
| Collection: | Padua Research Archive (IRIS - Università degli Studi di Padova) |
| Description: | Magnetars are the most strongly magnetized neutron stars, and one of the most promising targets for X-ray polarimetric measurements. We present here the first Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer observation of the magnetar 1RXS J170849.0-400910, jointly analyzed with a new Swift observation and archival NICER data. The total (energy- and phase-integrated) emission in the 2-8 keV energy range is linerarly polarized, at a similar to 35% level. The phase-averaged polarization signal shows a marked increase with energy, ranging from similar to 20% at 2-3 keV up to similar to 80% at 6-8 keV, while the polarization angle remains constant. This indicates that radiation is mostly polarized in a single direction. The spectrum is well reproduced by a combination of either two thermal (blackbody) components or a blackbody and a power law. Both the polarization degree and angle also show a variation with the spin phase, and the former is almost anticorrelated with the source counts in the 2-8 and 2-4 keV bands. We discuss the possible implications and interpretations, based on a joint analysis of the spectral, polarization, and pulsation properties of the source. A scenario in which the surface temperature is not homogeneous, with a hotter cap covered by a gaseous atmosphere and a warmer region in a condensed state, provides a satisfactory description of both the phase- and energy-dependent spectro-polarimetric data. The (comparatively) small size of the two emitting regions, required to explain the observed pulsations, does not allow to reach a robust conclusion about the presence of vacuum birefringence effects. |
| Document Type: | article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: | STAMPA |
| Language: | English |
| Relation: | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000953909200001; volume:944; issue:2; firstpage:27; lastpage:38; numberofpages:12; journal:THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS; https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3485900 |
| DOI: | 10.3847/2041-8213/acb703 |
| Availability: | https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3485900; https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acb703 |
| Rights: | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; license:Creative commons ; license uri:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: | edsbas.90FD7BD5 |
| Database: | BASE |