ROSAT Observation of PSR 1509-58 in MSH 15-52

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Session 37 -- Pulsars
Display presentation, Thursday, January 13, 9:30-6:45, Salons I/II Room (Crystal Gateway)

[37.02] ROSAT Observation of PSR 1509-58 in MSH 15-52

Christopher Greiveldinger, Hakk\i\ B. \"Ogelman (Univ of Wisc--Madison)

We will present data acquired by ROSAT's Position Sensitive Proportional Counter for PSR 1509-58. PSR 1509-58 is a young pulsar with dynamical age $\tau=P/(2 \dot P) \approx$ 1600 yr. MSH 15-52, the supernova remnant in which it is located, has an estimated age of 10$^4$ years and is at a distance of 4.2 kpc. This environment is similar to that of the Crab Pulsar and Nebula association. PSR 1509-58 has a period of 150 ms, and a period derivative of 1.5 $ \times 10^{-12} ss^{-1}$, the largest period derivative observed for a pulsar. The pulsar also has a large fraction of it's emission in x-rays pulsed.

The pulsar was detected with a count rate of $\sim$ 0.23 c/s. The spectrum of the pulsar is hard and power-law like with a photon index of -2.1. The results of pulse phased spectral analysis will be presented and compared to other x-ray pulsars.

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