Exploring the physics of neutron stars with high-resolution, high-throughput X-ray spectroscopy

Jeremy Heyl; Ilaria Caiazzo; Samar Safi-Harb; Craig Heinke; Sharon Morsink; Edward Cackett; Alessandra De Rosa; Marco Feroci; Daniel S. Swetz; Andrea Damascelli; Pinder Dosanjh; Sarah Gallagher; Luigi Gallo; Daryl Haggard; Kelsey Hoffman; Adam R. Ingram; Demet Kirmizibayrak; Herman Marshall; Wolfgang Rau; Paul Ripoche; Gregory R. Sivakoff; Ingrid Stairs; Luigi Stella; Joel N. Ullom

arXiv · 1903.06777

Exploring the physics of neutron stars with high-resolution, high-throughput X-ray spectroscopy

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Abstract

The advent of moderately high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy with Chandra and XMM promised to usher in a new age in the study of neutron stars: we thought we would study neutron stars like stars, with resolved absorption spectra revealing their surface chemical composition and physical conditions (e.g. surface gravity, pressure, temperature). Nature, however, did not cooperate in this endeavor, as observations of neutron stars have not revealed verified atomic absorption lines yet. In the near future, advancements in transition-edge sensors (TES) technology will allow for electron-volt-resolution spectroscopy combined with nanoseconds-precision timing. Combining these detectors with collector optics will also us to study neutron stars in much greater detail by achieving high-energy resolution with much larger collecting areas to uncover even weak spectral features over a wide range of the photon energies. Perhaps we will finally be able to study neutron stars like stars.

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Jeremy Heyl, Ilaria Caiazzo, Samar Safi-Harb, Craig Heinke, Sharon Morsink, Edward Cackett, Alessandra De Rosa, Marco Feroci, Daniel S. Swetz, Andrea Damascelli, Pinder Dosanjh, Sarah Gallagher, Luigi Gallo, Daryl Haggard, Kelsey Hoffman, Adam R. Ingram, Demet Kirmizibayrak, Herman Marshall, Wolfgang Rau, Paul Ripoche, Gregory R. Sivakoff, Ingrid Stairs, Luigi Stella, Joel N. Ullom. 2019-03-15. Exploring the physics of neutron stars with high-resolution, high-throughput X-ray spectroscopy. https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.06777

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