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A cold neutron star in the transient low-mass X-ray binary HETE J1900.1–2455 after 10 yr of active accretion

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Degenaar, N 
Ootes, LS 
Reynolds, MT 
Wijnands, R 
Page, D 

Abstract

jats:titleAbstract</jats:title> jats:pThe neutron star low-mass X-ray binary and intermittent millisecond X-ray pulsar HETE J1900.1–2455 returned to quiescence in late 2015, after a prolonged accretion outburst of ≃10 yr. Using a Chandra observation taken ≃180 d into quiescence, we detect the source at a luminosity of ≃4.5 × 1031 (D/4.7 kpc)2 erg s−1 (0.5–10 keV). The X-ray spectrum can be described by a neutron star atmosphere model with a temperature of ≃54 eV for an observer at infinity. We perform thermal evolution calculations based on the 2016 quiescent data and a ≲98 eV temperature upper limit inferred from a Swift observation taken during an unusually brief (≲2 weeks) quiescent episode in 2007. We find no evidence in the present data that the thermal properties of the crust, such as the heating rate and thermal conductivity, are different than those of non-pulsating neutron stars. Finding this neutron star so cold after its long outburst imposes interesting constraints on the heat capacity of the stellar core; these become even stronger if further cooling were to occur.</jats:p>

Description

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Oxford University Press via https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slw197

Keywords

stars: neutron, pulsars: individual: (HETE J1900.1–2455), X-rays: binaries

Journal Title

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1745-3925
1745-3933

Volume Title

465

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)
Sponsorship
ND is supported via an Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research Vidi grant and European Commission Marie Curie Intra-European fellowship. RW and LO are supported by an NWO Top grant, module 1, awarded to RW. DP is partially supported by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología with a CB-2014-1 grant #240512.