Chandra studies of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae: A deeper X-ray source catalogue, five new X-ray counterparts to millisecond radio pulsars, and new constraints to r-mode instability window

TL;DR

This study combines multiple Chandra observations to create a deeper X-ray source catalog of 47 Tucanae, identifies new sources, analyzes millisecond pulsars' X-ray properties, and constrains neutron star r-mode oscillation models.

Contribution

It provides an improved X-ray source catalog for 47 Tuc, identifies new X-ray counterparts to MSPs, and offers new constraints on r-mode instability in neutron stars.

Findings

Detected 370 X-ray sources, including 81 new ones.

Analyzed spectra of several MSPs, finding typical temperatures and luminosities.

Set upper limits on r-mode oscillation amplitude in MSP 47 Tuc aa.

Abstract

We combined Chandra ACIS observations of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae (hereafter, 47 Tuc) from 2000, 2002, and 2014-15 to create a deeper X-ray source list, and study some of the faint radio millisecond pulsars (MSPs) present in this cluster. We have detected 370 X-ray sources within the half-mass radius (2$'$.79) of the cluster, 81 of which are newly identified, by including new data and using improved source detection techniques. The majority of the newly identified sources are in the crowded core region, indicating cluster membership. We associate five of the new X-ray sources with chromospherically active BY Dra or W UMa variables identified by Albrow et al. (2001). We present alternative positions derived from two methods, centroiding and image reconstruction, for faint, crowded sources. We are able to extract X-ray spectra of the recently discovered MSPs 47 Tuc aa, 47 Tuc ab, the newly timed MSP 47 Tuc Z, and the newly resolved MSPs 47 Tuc S and 47 Tuc F. Generally, they are well fit by black body or neutron star atmosphere models, with temperatures, luminosities and emitting radii similar to those of other known MSPs in 47 Tuc, though 47 Tuc aa and 47 Tuc ab reach lower X-ray luminosities. We limit X-ray emission from the full surface of the rapidly spinning (542 Hz) MSP 47 Tuc aa, and use this limit to put an upper bound for amplitude of r-mode oscillations in this pulsar as $\alpha<2.5\times 10^{-9}$ and constrain the shape of the r-mode instability window.