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arXiv · 1703.04708

A multi-observatory database of X-ray pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds

J. Yang·S. G. T. Laycock·J. J. Drake·M. J. Coe·S. Fingerman·J. Hong·V. Antoniou·A. Zezas
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Abstract

Using hundreds of XMM-Newton and Chandra archival observations and nearly a thousand RXTE observations, we have generated a comprehensive library of the known pulsars in the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC, LMC). The pulsars are detected multiple times across the full parameter spaces of X-ray luminosity ($L_X= 10^{31-38}$~erg/s) and spin period ( P$<$1s -- P$>$1000s) and the library enables time-domain studies at a range of energy scales. The high time-resolution and sensitivity of the EPIC cameras are complemented by the angular resolution of Chandra and the regular monitoring of RXTE. Our processing %$\sim$15 year pipeline uses the latest calibration files and software to generate a suite of useful products for each pulsar detection: event lists, high time-resolution light curves, periodograms, spectra, and complete histories of $\dot{P}$, the pulsed fraction, etc., in the broad (0.2-12 keV), soft (0.2-2 keV), and hard (2-12 keV) energy bands. After combining the observations from these telescopes, we found that 28 pulsars show long-term spin up and 25 long-term spin down. We also used the faintest and brightest sources to map out the lower and upper boundaries of accretion-powered X-ray emission: the propeller line and the Eddington line, respectively. We are in the process of comparing the observed pulse profiles to geometric models of X-ray emission in order to constrain the physical parameters of the pulsars. Finally we are preparing a public release of the library so that it can be used by others in the astronomical community.

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J. Yang, S. G. T. Laycock, J. J. Drake, M. J. Coe, S. Fingerman, J. Hong, V. Antoniou, A. Zezas. 2017-03-14. A multi-observatory database of X-ray pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds. https://doi.org/10.1002/asna.201713334

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