Discovery of X-ray cyclotron absorption lines measures the magnetic field of an isolated neutron star

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dc.creatorBignami, G. F.
dc.creatorCaraveo, P. A.
dc.creatorDe Luca, A.
dc.creatorMereghetti, S.
dc.date2003-06-10
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-25T11:59:46Z
dc.descriptionIsolated neutron stars are higly magnetized, fast rotating end points of stellar evolution. They are now becoming directly observable through X-ray astronomy, owing to their high surface temperatures. In particular, features in their X-ray spectra could reveal the presence of atmospheres, or gauge their unknown magnetic fields through the cyclotron process, as in the classic case of X-ray binaries. All isolated neutron stars spectra observed so far, however, appear as featureless thermal continua. The unique exception is 1E 1207.4-5209. In its spectrum, previous observations had detected two deep absorption features, still too undefined for any unambiguous interpretation. Here we report on a much longer X-ray observation, in which the star's spectrum shows three distinct features, regularly spaced at 0.7, 1.4 and 2.1 keV, plus a fourth, lower significance one, at 2.8 keV. Such features vary in phase with the star rotation. Cyclotron resonant absorption is their logical interpretation, yielding a magnetic field strenght of 8x10^10 Gauss in the case of electrons. This is the first direct measure of an isolated neutron star magnetic field.
dc.descriptionTo appear in Nature (June 12, 2003 issue). Note: The content of this paper is embargoed until June, 12
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0306189
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0306189
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.dare.co.zw/handle/123456789/7030
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleDiscovery of X-ray cyclotron absorption lines measures the magnetic field of an isolated neutron star
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