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Issue A&A
Volume 375, Number 2, August IV 2001
Page(s) 397 - 404
Section Formation, structure and evolution of stars
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20010884



A&A 375, 397-404 (2001)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20010884

The curved X-ray spectrum of PSR B1509-58 observed with BeppoSAX

G. Cusumano1, T. Mineo1, E. Massaro2, L. Nicastro1, E. Trussoni3, S. Massaglia4, W. Hermsen5 and L. Kuiper5

1  Istituto di Fisica Cosmica ed Applicazioni all'Informatica CNR, Via U. La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
2  Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale CNR, via Fosso del Cavaliere, 00113 Roma, Italy
3  Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, Strada Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese, Italy
4  Dipartimento di Fisica Generale dell'Università, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
5  SRON-Utrecht, Sorbonnelaan 2, 3584 CA Utrecht, The Netherlands

(Received 22 October 2000 / Accepted 5 June 2001)

Abstract
We report timing and spectral results for PSR B1509-58 observed by BeppoSAX in February 1998. We obtained pulse profiles with high statistical significance from 0.1 to 300 keV that exhibit the well-known broad asymmetric single pulse. The shape of this pulse does not change across this energy window and can be described as the sum of a narrow and a broader Gaussian component separated ${\sim} 0.13$ in phase. The spectral distribution can be accurately represented, over the entire BeppoSAX energy range, by a curved function rather than a simple power-law shape. The extrapolation of this model to higher energies is also consistent with the COMPTEL fluxes in the 0.75-30 MeV range, with the maximum luminosity for the broad pulse of PSR B1509-58 reached at ${\sim}5.4$ MeV. The comparison with the Crab pulsar spectrum suggests a possible origin of the X-ray emission in terms of synchrotron radiation from secondary pair particles near the neutron star.


Key words: stars: neutron -- pulsars: individual: PSR B1509-58 -- X-rays: stars

Offprint request: G. Cusumano, cusumano@ifcai.pa.cnr.it
on leave from Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.

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