Neutron stars are the remnants of massive stars whose cores collapse during the supernova explosions. The project of this PhD Thesis consisted in the study of the X-ray emission from isolated neutron stars older than about 100000 years. The work was based mainly on data obtained with the XMM-Newton satellite (ESA). To extract the best possible information from the data, I implemented a maximum likelihood (ML) technique and used it to derive the X-ray spectra and pulse profiles of several old pulsars, that were then studied with state-of-the-art models of X-ray emission. The Thesis is structured as follows: in the first three chapters I outline the main properties of neutron stars, with a major focus on the thermal and nonthermal processes that produce X-rays. The nonthermal X-rays are produced by relativistic particles accelerated by rotation-induced electric fields and moving along the magnetic field lines. A fraction of these particles is accelerated backward and returns on the stellar surface, heating the magnetic polar caps. The thermal component, that can be produced by the whole stellar surface or by small hot spots, can be described, in a first approximation, by a blackbody. However, the presence of intense surface magnetic fields strongly affects the properties of matter, and the emergent radiation is widely anisotropic. In Chapter 4, I describe how I generated synthetic spectra and pulse profiles using thermal emission models that consider polar caps covered by a magnetized hydrogen atmosphere or with a condensed iron surface. I relied on an existing software that, given a set of stellar parameters, evaluates the emerging intensity of the radiation. A second software, which I adapted on the sources I analyzed in the Thesis, collects the contribution of surface elements which are in view at different rotation phases from a stationary observer. Then, in Chapter 5, I describe how I implemented an analysis software that relies on the ML method. It estimates the most probable number of source and background counts by comparing the spatial distribution of the observed counts with the expected distribution for a point source plus an uniform background. I demonstrated that the ML method is particularly effective for dim sources, as most old pulsars are. Subsequently, I applied the methods described above to some old pulsars. In Chapter 6, I report the analysis of PSR J0726-2612, a radio pulsars that shares some properties with the radio-silent XDINSs, as the long period, the high magnetic field, and the thermal X-ray emission from the cooling surface. Thanks to an in-depth analysis of the combined spectrum and pulse profile, I showed that the presence of radio pulses from PSR J0726-2612, as well as the absence from the XDINSs, might simply be due to different viewing geometries. In Chapter 7, I present the case of PSR B0943+10, a pulsar with a nonthermal and thermal X-ray spectrum but that, despite being an aligned rotator, has a large pulsed fraction. I could reconcile the two opposite properties analyzing with the ML the spectrum and the pulse profile, and considering the magnetic beaming of a magnetized atmosphere model, that well fits the thermal component. In Chapter 8, I applied the ML method to seven old and dim pulsars, of which four had controversial published results, and three were so far undetected. I found convincing evidence of thermal emission only in the phase-averaged spectrum of two of them, plus a hint for a thermal pulsed spectrum in a third object. Finally, I considered all the old thermal emitters and I compared their observed temperatures, radii and luminosities to the expectations of the current theoretical models for these objects. In particular, I found that the emitting area are generally in agreement with the polar cap regions evaluated in a dipole approximation, if the combined effects of geometry projections plus realistic thermal models (as the magnetic atmosphere) are taken into account.

Le stelle di neutroni sono il risultato dell'evoluzione di stelle massive dopo l'esplosione di supernova. Il progetto di questa Tesi di PhD consiste nello studio dell'emissione di raggi X da parte di stelle di neutroni isolate di età superiore a 100000 anni. Sono stati analizzati dati provenienti dal satellite XMM-Newton (ESA). Per estrarre la miglior informazione possibile dai dati, ho implementato un metodo di maximum likelihood (ML) e l'ho utilizzato per estrarre spettri e profili pulsati di pulsar vecchie in banda X, che poi sono stati analizzati con raffinati di emissione. La Tesi è strutturata come segue: nei primi tre capitoli illustro le proprietà principali delle stelle di neutroni, con particolare attenzione ai processi termici e non termici che producono raggi X. I raggi X non termici sono prodotti da particelle relativistiche accelerate da campi elettromagnetici; una frazione di queste particelle viene accelerata verso la superficie della stella, e riscalda le zone delle calotte polari magnetiche. La componente termica, che può essere prodotta dall'intera superficie o da una parte, viene solitamente descritta come un corpo nero; tuttavia, la presenza di intensi campi magnetici superficiali influenza le proprietà della materia, e la radiazione emessa è ampiamente anisotropa. Nel Capitolo 4 descrivo come ho generato spettri e profili pulsati sintetici, utilizzando modelli di emissione che considerano calotte polari ricoperte di un'atmosfera di idrogeno magnetizzata. Mi sono basata su un software esistente che, dato un certo set di parametri relativi alle proprietà fisiche della stella, stima l'intensità della radiazione prodotta. Successivamente, esso somma i contributi degli elementi di superficie che sono visibili all'osservatore alle differenti fasi di rotazione. Quindi, nel Capitolo 5 descrivo come ho implementato un software di analisi che si basa sul metodo di ML. Dato un certo modello, esso stima i parametri più probabili che ricostruiscono i dati osservati, nella fattispecie il numero di conteggi relativo alla sorgente e al background. Ho validato il metodo e dimostrato che esso è particolarmente efficace per sorgenti deboli, quali sono la maggior parte delle pulsar vecchie. Successivamente, ho applicato i metodi finora descritti ad alcune pulsar vecchie. Nel Capitolo 6 riporto l'analisi di PSR J0726-2612, una pulsar radio che ha alcune delle caratteristiche delle XDINSs: un periodo di rotazione lungo, un intenso campo magnetico, ed emissione X termica. Grazie ad un'analisi congiunta dello spettro e del profilo pulsato, ho mostrato che la presenza di impulsi radio in PSR J0726-2612, così come la loro assenza nelle XDINSs, potrebbe essere dovuta ad un'orientazione differente rispetto all'osservatore. Nel Capitolo 7 presento il caso di PSR B0943+10, una pulsar con emissione X sia termica sia non termica ma che, nonostante sia un rotatore allineato, ha una grande frazione pulsata. Sono riuscita a riappacificare i due diversi aspetti grazie ad un'attenta analisi di ML e all'intrinseca anisotropia dell'emissione termica prodotta da un'atmosfera magnetizzata. Nel Capitolo 8 ho invece applicato il metodo di ML su sette pulsar poco brillanti, delle quali quattro avevano diverse analisi già pubblicate in letteratura, ma con risultati discordanti, mentre le altre tre non erano ancora state rivelate in banda X. Ho trovato tracce evidenti di emissione termica solo in due oggetti, più un accenno nello spettro pulsato di un terzo oggetto. Infine, ho considerato tutte le pulsar vecchie che emettono raggi X termici e ho confrontato le misure di temperatura, raggio e luminosità alle aspettative dei modelli teorici. In particolare, ho scoperto che le aree di emissione sono generalmente in accordo con quelle previste dal modello di dipolo magnetico rotante, purché vengano considerati anche effetti di proiezione geometrica e modelli di emissione realistici, quali appunto i modelli di atmosfera magnetizzata.

(2020). X-ray emission from the magnetic polar caps of old rotation-powered pulsars. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2020).

X-ray emission from the magnetic polar caps of old rotation-powered pulsars

RIGOSELLI, MICHELA
2020

Abstract

Neutron stars are the remnants of massive stars whose cores collapse during the supernova explosions. The project of this PhD Thesis consisted in the study of the X-ray emission from isolated neutron stars older than about 100000 years. The work was based mainly on data obtained with the XMM-Newton satellite (ESA). To extract the best possible information from the data, I implemented a maximum likelihood (ML) technique and used it to derive the X-ray spectra and pulse profiles of several old pulsars, that were then studied with state-of-the-art models of X-ray emission. The Thesis is structured as follows: in the first three chapters I outline the main properties of neutron stars, with a major focus on the thermal and nonthermal processes that produce X-rays. The nonthermal X-rays are produced by relativistic particles accelerated by rotation-induced electric fields and moving along the magnetic field lines. A fraction of these particles is accelerated backward and returns on the stellar surface, heating the magnetic polar caps. The thermal component, that can be produced by the whole stellar surface or by small hot spots, can be described, in a first approximation, by a blackbody. However, the presence of intense surface magnetic fields strongly affects the properties of matter, and the emergent radiation is widely anisotropic. In Chapter 4, I describe how I generated synthetic spectra and pulse profiles using thermal emission models that consider polar caps covered by a magnetized hydrogen atmosphere or with a condensed iron surface. I relied on an existing software that, given a set of stellar parameters, evaluates the emerging intensity of the radiation. A second software, which I adapted on the sources I analyzed in the Thesis, collects the contribution of surface elements which are in view at different rotation phases from a stationary observer. Then, in Chapter 5, I describe how I implemented an analysis software that relies on the ML method. It estimates the most probable number of source and background counts by comparing the spatial distribution of the observed counts with the expected distribution for a point source plus an uniform background. I demonstrated that the ML method is particularly effective for dim sources, as most old pulsars are. Subsequently, I applied the methods described above to some old pulsars. In Chapter 6, I report the analysis of PSR J0726-2612, a radio pulsars that shares some properties with the radio-silent XDINSs, as the long period, the high magnetic field, and the thermal X-ray emission from the cooling surface. Thanks to an in-depth analysis of the combined spectrum and pulse profile, I showed that the presence of radio pulses from PSR J0726-2612, as well as the absence from the XDINSs, might simply be due to different viewing geometries. In Chapter 7, I present the case of PSR B0943+10, a pulsar with a nonthermal and thermal X-ray spectrum but that, despite being an aligned rotator, has a large pulsed fraction. I could reconcile the two opposite properties analyzing with the ML the spectrum and the pulse profile, and considering the magnetic beaming of a magnetized atmosphere model, that well fits the thermal component. In Chapter 8, I applied the ML method to seven old and dim pulsars, of which four had controversial published results, and three were so far undetected. I found convincing evidence of thermal emission only in the phase-averaged spectrum of two of them, plus a hint for a thermal pulsed spectrum in a third object. Finally, I considered all the old thermal emitters and I compared their observed temperatures, radii and luminosities to the expectations of the current theoretical models for these objects. In particular, I found that the emitting area are generally in agreement with the polar cap regions evaluated in a dipole approximation, if the combined effects of geometry projections plus realistic thermal models (as the magnetic atmosphere) are taken into account.
COLPI, MONICA
MEREGHETTI, SANDRO
stelle: neutroni; pulsar: generale; pulsar: indivuduali; raggi X: stelle; raggi X: emissione
stars: neutron; pulsars: general; pulsars: individual; X-rays: stars; raggi X: emissione
FIS/05 - ASTRONOMIA E ASTROFISICA
English
4-feb-2020
FISICA E ASTRONOMIA
32
2018/2019
open
(2020). X-ray emission from the magnetic polar caps of old rotation-powered pulsars. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2020).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/277373
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