Evidence for 1.01 s Pulsations of the Central Compact Object in the Supernova Remnant RCW 103 with ASCA, XMM-Newton, and NuSTAR

TL;DR

This study confirms 1.01-second pulsations from the neutron star in RCW 103, revealing its spin-down behavior and magnetic properties, providing insights into its nature and relation to magnetars.

Contribution

The paper provides the first consistent detection of a 1.01 s spin period in RCW 103 across multiple X-ray observations, clarifying its pulsation characteristics.

Findings

Detected 1.01 s pulsations across six datasets.

Measured a steady spin-down rate of 1.097x10^{-12} s/s.

Estimated magnetic field strength of ~4.6x10^{13} G.

Abstract

The neutron-star X-ray source 1E 161348-5055, associated with the supernova remnant RCW 103, exhibits clear intensity variations with a period of 6.67 hr. To clarify the nature of this object and its long periodicity, detailed timing studies were applied to its archival X-ray data, taken with ASCA (in 1993), XMM-Newton (in 2001, 2005, and 2016), and NuSTAR (2016 and 2017). It was assumed that the 6.67 hr period arises due to the beat between the rotation and free precession periods of the star that is slightly aspherical. By removing timing perturbations to be caused by this long periodicity, the six data sets consistently yielded evidence for pulsations at periods of P~1.01 s, to be interpreted as the objects' spin period, although the optimum energy range differed among the data sets. The measured six periods accurately line up on a linear spin-down trend of dP/dt = 1.097x 10^{-12} s/s. The object is implied to have a characteristic age of 14.7 kyr, a spin-down luminosity of 4.2x10^{34} erg/s, which is insufficient to power the X-ray luminosity, a dipole magnetic field of ~4.6x10^{13} G, and a toroidal field of ~7 x10^{15} G. Its similarity and dissimilarity to magnetars are discussed. An emission geometry, which crudely explain these results, is presented.