A search for thermally emitting isolated neutron stars in the 2XMMp catalogue
Adriana M. Pires (1,2), Christian Motch (1), Eduardo Janot-Pacheco, (2) ((1) Observatoire Astronomique, Strasbourg, France, (2) IAG-USP, Brazil)

TL;DR
This study searches for thermally emitting isolated neutron stars in the 2XMMp catalogue, identifying promising candidates and providing optical follow-up to understand their nature and estimate their Galactic population density.
Contribution
It introduces a new method using XMM-Newton data to find distant thermally emitting INSs and reports the discovery of a new candidate, expanding the known population.
Findings
Discovery of a new thermally emitting INS candidate, 2XMM J104608.7-594306.
Identification of likely CVs and AGN among the candidates.
Constraints on the space density of thermally emitting INSs in the Galaxy.
Abstract
The relatively large number of nearby radio-quiet and thermally emitting isolated neutron stars (INSs) discovered in the ROSAT All-Sky Survey, dubbed the ``Magnificent Seven'' (M7), suggests that they belong to a formerly neglected major component of the overall INS population. So far, attempts to discover similar INSs beyond the solar vicinity failed to confirm any reliable candidate. The EPIC cameras onboard the XMM-Newton satellite allow to efficiently search for new thermally emitting INSs. We used the 2XMMp catalogue to select sources with no catalogued candidate counterparts and with X-ray spectra similar to those of the M7, but seen at greater distances and thus undergoing higher interstellar absorptions. Identifications in more than 170 astronomical catalogues and visual screening allowed to select fewer than 30 good INS candidates. In order to rule out alternative…
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