SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL 62070
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
525 DAVEY LAB
UNIVERSITY PARK
PA USA 16802
Tel: 814 865 9482 Fax: 814 863 3399
Medium: 2GB8MM
Subject: SUPERNOVA REMNANTS AND GALACTIC DIFFUSE EMISSION
PSR B0656+14: SPECTRUM OF A NEUTRON STAR ATMOSPHERE
ABSTRACT
PSR B0656+14 is the brightest pulsar whose X-rays are dominated by surface thermal emission, without contamination from magnetospheric emission or a synchrotron nebula. As such, it affords us the best opportunity to examine the properties of a magnetized neutron star atmosphere through its effects on the emergent X-ray spectrum and pulse profile. A long observation of PSR B0656+14 will collect enough photons to enable us to study in detail the modifications from a Planck spectrum that are expected from such atmospheres, and to use them to determine the actual surface temperature and chemical composition. Evidence for the presence or absence of atomic absorption features shifted to X-ray energies by the strong surface magnetic field will be collected for the first time.
CO-INVESTIGATORS
| CO-I NAME | INSTITUTE | COUNTRY |
|---|
| JULES HALPERN | COLUMBIA U. | USA |
| FRANK WANG | COLUMBIA U. | USA |
| VYATCHESLAV ZAVLIN | MPE-GARCHING | GERMANY |
TARGETS
| TARGET NAME | PRI | RA | DEC | TIME | TC | OFF | GIS | SIS CNT | OBS |
|---|
| 1)PSR B0656+14 | 2 | 104.9504 | 14.2389 | 160 ks | N | Y | P | 0.07000 | 1 |