Year: 2002
Type: article
Abstract: New astrometric analysis of four Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images of the isolated neutron star RX J185635-3754 shows that its distance is 117 ± 12 pc, nearly double the originally published distance. We argue that the star's birthplace was in the Upper Scorpius association but that a connection with ζ Ophiuchi is now unlikely. Assuming birth in Upper Sco, the revised distance yields an age of 5 × 10 5 yr and a space velocity of about 185 km s -1 . The radiation radius inferred from fitting the full spectral energy distribution lies between 12 and 26 km, with a best fit R ∞ = 16.4 ± 0.3 km for a two-blackbody model. These radii are in the range of many equations of state, both with and without exotic matter, and remove the observational support for an extremely soft equation of state.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
DOI: 10.1086/343850
Authors: Frederick M. Walter, James M. Lattimer
Institution: Stony Brook University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1994810571