This model has been superseded by nsmaxg.
This model interpolates from a grid of neutron star (NS) atmosphere spectra to produce a final spectrum that depends on the parameters listed below. The atmosphere spectra are obtained using the latest equation of state and opacity results for a partially ionized, strongly magnetized hydrogen or mid-Z element plasma. The models are constructed by solving the coupled radiative transfer equations for the two photon polarization modes in a magnetized medium, and the atmosphere is in radiative and hydrostatic equilibrium. The atmosphere models mainly depend on the surface effective temperature and magnetic field strength and inclination ; there is also a dependence on the surface gravity , where is the gravitational redshift and and are the NS mass and radius, respectively.
Two sets of models are given: one set with a single surface and and a set which is constructed with and varying across the surface according to the magnetic dipole model (for the latter, is the angle between the direction to the observer and the magnetic axis). The effective temperatures span the range for hydrogen and for mid-Z elements. The models with single (,) cover the energy range 0.05-10 keV, while the models with (,)-distributions cover the range 0.09-5 keV.
par1 | , surface (unredshifted) effective temperature |
par2 | , gravitational redshift |
par3 | switch indicating model to use |
norm | , normalization, where is the size (in km) of the emission region and is the distance (kpc) to the object Note: A is added automatically by XSPEC. |
The models available by setting par3 are:
Switch | Element | ( G) | (cm/s) | (keV) | |||
1000 | H | 0.01 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.5 - 6.7 | 0.05 - 10 |
1060 | H | 0.04 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.5 - 6.7 | 0.05 - 10 |
1085 | H | 0.07 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.5 - 6.7 | 0.05 - 10 |
1100 | H | 0.1 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.5 - 6.7 | 0.05 - 10 |
1200 | H | 1.0 | 0 | N/A | 0.4 - 2.5 | 5.5 - 6.7 | 0.05 - 10 |
1230 | H | 2.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.05 - 10 |
1260 | H | 4.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.05 - 10 |
1280 | H | 7.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.05 - 10 |
1300 | H | 10.0 | 0 | N/A | 0.4 - 2.5 | 5.5 - 6.7 | 0.05 - 10 |
1330 | H | 20.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.6 - 6.8 | 0.05 - 10 |
1350 | H | 30.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.7 - 6.8 | 0.05 - 10 |
1211 | H | 1.26 | 0 | N/A | 1.6 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.05 - 10 |
1281 | H | 7.0 | 0 | N/A | 1.6 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.05 - 10 |
12006 | C | 1.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.8 - 6.9 | 0.05 - 10 |
13006 | C | 10.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.8 - 6.9 | 0.05 - 10 |
12008 | O | 1.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.8 - 6.9 | 0.05 - 10 |
13008 | O | 10.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.8 - 6.9 | 0.05 - 10 |
12010 | Ne | 1.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.8 - 6.9 | 0.05 - 10 |
13010 | Ne | 10.0 | 0 | N/A | 2.4 | 5.8 - 6.9 | 0.05 - 10 |
123100 | H | 1.0 - 1.82 | 0-90 | 0 | 1.6 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.09 - 5 |
123190 | H | 1.0 - 1.82 | 0-90 | 90 | 1.6 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.09 - 5 |
130100 | H | 5.5 - 10.0 | 0-90 | 0 | 1.6 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.09 - 5 |
130190 | H | 5.5 - 10.0 | 0-90 | 90 | 1.6 | 5.5 - 6.8 | 0.09 - 5 |
If you publish results obtained using nsmax, please reference Ho, Potekhin & Chabrier (2008 and also Mori & Ho (2007 if using the mid-Z models. See Ho (2014) for discussion of nsmaxg and nsmax.