Recent progress on anomalous X-ray pulsars

2006/10/11 by V. M. Kaspi · 5 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #High-pressure geophysics and materials #Magnetar #Neutron star #Physics #Pulsar #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s10509-007-9309-y

published as Astrophys.SpaceSci.308:1-11,2007 · 10 pages, 6 figures; to appear in proceedings of the conference "Isolated Neutron Stars: From the Interior to the Surface" eds. S. Zane, R. Turolla, D. Page; Astrophysics & Space Science in press

arxiv created 2006/10/11 · openalex publication_date 2007/03/15 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

I review recent observational progress on Anomalous X-ray Pulsars, with an emphasis on timing, variability, and spectra. Highlighted results include the recent timing and flux stabilization of the notoriously unstable AXP 1E 1048.1-5937, the remarkable glitches seen in two AXPs, the newly recognized variety of AXP variability types, including outbursts, bursts, flares, and pulse profile changes, as well as recent discoveries regarding AXP spectra, including their surprising hard X-ray and far-infrared emission, as well as the pulsed radio emission seen in one source. Much has been learned about these enigmatic objects over the past few years, with the pace of discoveries remaining steady. However additional work on both observational and theoretical fronts is needed before we have a comprehensive understanding of AXPs and their place in the zoo of manifestations of young neutron stars.

Citations

• The two-component X-ray spectrum of the 6.4 s pulsar 1E 1048.1-5937
• A Second Glitch from the "Anomalous" X-Ray Pulsar 1RXS J170849.0-4000910
• Imaging X‐Ray, Optical, and Infrared Observations of the Transient Anomalous X‐Ray Pulsar XTE J1810−197
• The Multicomponent Nature of the Vela Pulsar Nonthermal X‐Ray Spectrum
• The Broadband Spectrum and Infrared Variability of the Magnetar AXP 1E 1048.1−5937
• Extinction Columns and Intrinsic X‐Ray Spectra of the Anomalous X‐Ray Pulsars

Cited by

• Magnetars: the physics behind observations. A review
• THE 2006–2007 ACTIVE PHASE OF ANOMALOUS X-RAY PULSAR 4U 0142+61: RADIATIVE AND TIMING CHANGES, BURSTS, AND BURST SPECTRAL FEATURES
• X-ray intensity-hardness correlation and deep IR observations of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 1RXS J170849-400910
• X-ray emission from isolated neutron stars
• Searching for debris disks around isolated pulsars