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Optical pulsations from the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U0142+61
被引:90
作者:
Kern, B
[1
]
Martin, C
[1
]
机构:
[1] CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
来源:
基金:
美国国家卫生研究院;
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词:
D O I:
10.1038/417527a
中图分类号:
O [数理科学和化学];
P [天文学、地球科学];
Q [生物科学];
N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号:
07 ;
0710 ;
09 ;
摘要:
Anomalous X-ray pulsars(1) (AXPs) differ from ordinary radio pulsars in that their X-ray luminosity is orders of magnitude greater than their rate of rotational energy loss, and so they require an additional energy source. One possibility is that AXPs are highly magnetized neuron stars(2)-or 'magnetars'-having surface magnetic fields greater than 10(14) G. This would make them similar to the soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs)(3), but alternative models that do not require extreme magnetic fields also exist. An optical counterpart to the AXP 4U0142+61 was recently discovered(4), consistent with emission from a magnetar, but also from a magnetized hot white dwarf(5), or an accreting isolated(6) neutron star(7). Here we report the detection of optical pulsations from 4U0142+61. The pulsed fraction of optical light (27 per cent) is five to ten times greater than that of soft X-rays, from which we conclude that 4U0142+61 is a magnetar. Although this establishes a direct relationship between AXPs and the soft gamma-ray repeaters, the evolutionary connection between AXPs, SGRs and radio pulsars remains controversial.
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页码:527 / 529
页数:3
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