Thermal properties of the middle-aged pulsar J1741-2054

TL;DR

This study analyzes X-ray data of pulsar J1741-2054, confirming thermal emission from its surface, which is hotter than standard cooling models predict, providing insights into neutron star cooling processes.

Contribution

First detailed spectral analysis confirming thermal surface emission from pulsar J1741-2054 using archival Chandra data.

Findings

Thermal emission best described by a blackbody model with temperature ~60 eV.

Emitting area radius consistent with entire neutron star surface at ~0.8 kpc.

Surface temperature higher than standard cooling models predict.

Abstract

We present results of the spectral analysis of the X-ray emission from the middle-aged Fermi pulsar J1741$-$2054 using all Chandra archival data collected in 2010 and 2013. We confirm early findings by Romani et al. 2010 that the pulsar spectrum contains a thermal emission component. The component is best described by the blackbody model with the temperature $\approx$ 60 eV and the emitting area radius $\approx$ 17 $D_{\rm kpc}$ km. The thermal emission likely originates from the entire surface of the cooling neutron star if the distance to the pulsar is $\approx$ 0.8 kpc. The latter is supported by a large absorbing column density inferred from the X-ray fit and empirical optical extinction--distance relations along the pulsar line of sight. The neutron star surface temperature and characteristic age make it similar to the well studied middle-aged pulsar B1055$-$52. Like the latter PSR J1741$-$2054 is hotter than the standard cooling scenario predicts.