2003/05/01 by C. Motch, V. E. Zavlin, F. Haberl · 116 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Accretion (finance) #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Color index #Galaxy #High-pressure geophysics and materials #Interstellar medium #Neutron star #Physics #Proper motion #Pulsar #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Radio telescope #Telescope #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030802
published in Astronomy and Astrophysics 408(1), 323-330 (EDP Sciences) · Submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysics, 8 pages 5 figures
arxiv created 2003/05/01 · openalex publication_date 2003/08/22 · arxiv updated 2016/08/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
ESO 4 m class telescope and VLT deep imaging of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4–3125 reveals a proper motion of mas/yr and a blue color index. We show that a neutron star atmosphere model modified to account for a limited amount of hydrogen on the star's surface can well represent both the optical and X-ray data without invoking any additional thermal component. The large proper motion almost completely excludes the possibility that accretion from the interstellar medium is the powering mechanism of the X-ray emission. It also implies that the proposed spin down is entirely due to magnetic dipole losses. RX J0720.4–3125 is thus very likely a middle aged cooling neutron star. Its overall properties are quite similar to some of the long period radio pulsars recently discovered, giving further support to the idea that RX J0720.4–3125 may be a pulsar whose narrow radio beam does not cross the Earth.