SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL 62061

DR. ERIC V. GOTTHELF
GOTTHELF@GSFC.NASA.GOV

NASA/GSFC

GREENBELT
MD USA 20771
Tel: 301-286-1587 Fax: 301-286-1684
Medium: CD ROM
Subject: SUPERNOVA REMNANTS AND GALACTIC DIFFUSE EMISSION

THE ANOMALOUS PULSAR IN SUPERNOVA REMNANT KES 73: IS IT A MAGNETAR?


ABSTRACT

We request two 40 ksec ASCA observations of the recently discovered X-ray pulsar 1E 1841-045. The pulsar is very likely associated with the young (~2,000) supernova remnant Kes 73. Its slow 12-s rotation period is unprecedented for its youth, raising the intriguing possibility that the pulsar was born with an enormous surface dipolar field of B ~ 8 X 10E14 G, roughly fifty times larger than the next highest known pulsar field. The proposed observations, separated by several months will each yield both an independent period and spectral measurement - this should conclusively confirm or deny the important magnetar hypothesis which can potentially establish a new class of astrophysical objects.

CO-INVESTIGATORS
CO-I NAME INSTITUTE COUNTRY
GAUTAM VASISHTNSAS/JPLUSA
SHRINIVAS KULKARNICAL TECHUSA
TADAYASU DOTANIISASJAPAN

TARGETS

TARGET NAMEPRIRADECTIMETCOFFGISSIS CNTOBS
1)1E 1841-045
1
280.3300 -4.9368 40 ksY
Y
P
2.00000
2

TARGET 1

WE REQUEST THAT THE TWO OBSERVATIONS BE SEPARATED BY AT LEAST HALF A YEAR APART, BUT THE GREATER THE SEPERATION, THE BETTER.
MONITORED OBSERVATION:
Min. Interval: 15708.000ksecMax. Interval: 31415.000 ksec