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arXiv · 1801.01517

Probing the nature of AX J0043-737: Not an 87 ms pulsar in the SMC

C. Maitra·J. Ballet·P. Esposito·F. Haberl·A. Tiengo·M. D. Filipovic·F. Acero
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Abstract

AX J0043-737 is a source in the ASCA catalogue, the nature of which is uncertain. It is most commonly classified as a Crab-like pulsar in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) following apparent detection of pulsations at ~ 87 ms from a single ASCA observation. A follow-up ASCA observation was not able to confirm this, and the X-ray detection of the source has not been reported since. With a dedicated XMM-Newton, observation, we studied the nature of the source. We ascertained the source position, searched for the most probable counterpart and studied the X-ray spectrum. We also analysed other archival observations with the source in the field of view to study its long-term variability. With the good position localisation capability of XMM-Newton, we identify the counterpart of the source as MQS J004241.66--734041.3, an AGN behind the SMC at a redshift of 0.95. The X-ray spectrum can be fitted with an absorbed power law with a photon-index of $\Gamma=1.7$ which is consistent with that expected from AGNs. By comparing the current XMM-Newton, observation with an archival XMM-Newton and two other ASCA observations of the source, we find signatures of long-term variability which is also a common phenomenon in AGNs. All of the above are consistent with AX J0043-737 being an AGN behind the SMC.

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C. Maitra, J. Ballet, P. Esposito, F. Haberl, A. Tiengo, M. D. Filipovic, F. Acero. 2018-01-04. Probing the nature of AX J0043-737: Not an 87 ms pulsar in the SMC. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%2F201732239

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