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X-ray studies of the black widow pulsar PSR B1957+20

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2013

R. H. H. Huang ,
A. K. H. Kong ,
J. Takata ,
C. Y. Hui ,
L. C. C. Lin  and
K. S. Cheng
R. H. H. Huang
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy and Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan email: rhuang@phys.nthu.edu.tw
A. K. H. Kong
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy and Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan email: rhuang@phys.nthu.edu.tw
J. Takata
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
C. Y. Hui
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy and Space Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
L. C. C. Lin
Affiliation:
General Education Center of China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
K. S. Cheng
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Abstract

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We report on Chandra observations of the black widow pulsar, PSR B1957+20. Evidence for a binary-phase dependence of the X-ray emission from the pulsar is found with a deep observation. The binary-phase resolved spectral analysis reveals non-thermal X-ray emission of PSR B1957+20, confirming the results of previous studies. This suggests that the X-rays are mostly due to intra-binary shock emission which is strongest when the pulsar wind interacts with the ablated material from the companion star. The geometry of the peak emission is determined in our study. The marginal softening of the spectrum of the non-thermal X-ray tail may indicate that particles injected at the termination shock is dominated by synchrotron cooling.

Keywords

binaries: eclipsingpulsars: individual (PSR B1957+20)
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 8 , Symposium S291: Neutron Stars and Pulsars: Challenges and Opportunities after 80 years , August 2012 , pp. 405 - 407
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2013

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