Radiative properties of highly magnetized isolated neutron star surfaces and approximate treatment of absorption features in their spectra

TL;DR

This paper investigates theoretical models of magnetized neutron star surfaces to explain observed X-ray absorption features, developing a computational code and comparing model predictions with observations of XDINSs.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive modeling approach for neutron star surfaces, including a new code for light curves and spectra, and compares various surface models to observed absorption features.

Findings

Thin atmospheres above condensed surfaces can explain absorption features.

Strong toroidal magnetic fields are inconsistent with observed spectra.

Model spectra can be approximated by diluted blackbody with Gaussian lines.

Abstract

In the X-ray spectra of most X-ray dim isolated neutron stars (XDINSs) absorption features with equivalent widths (EWs) of 50 -- 200 eV are observed. We theoretically investigate different models to explain absorption features and compare their properties with the observations. We consider various theoretical models for the magnetized neutron star surface: naked condensed iron surfaces and partially ionized hydrogen model atmospheres, including semi-infinite and thin atmospheres above a condensed surface. The properties of the absorption features (especially equivalent widths) and the angular distributions of the emergent radiation are described for all models. A code for computing light curves and integral emergent spectra of magnetized neutron stars is developed. We assume a dipole surface magnetic field distribution with a possible toroidal component and corresponding temperature distribution. A model with two uniform hot spots at the magnetic poles can also be employed. Light curves and spectra of highly magnetized neutron stars with parameters typical for XDINSs are computed using different surface temperature distributions and various local surface models. Spectra of magnetized model atmospheres are approximated by diluted blackbody spectra with one or two Gaussian lines having parameters, which allow us to describe the model absorption features. To explain the prominent absorption features in the soft X-ray spectra of XDINSs a thin atmosphere above the condensed surface can be invoked, whereas a strong toroidal magnetic field component on the XDINS surfaces can be excluded.