X-ray Observations of PSR B1259$-$63 at Periastron

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Session 102 -- X-Ray Variables, Binaries and Transients
Display presentation, Thursday, 12, 1995, 9:20am - 6:30pm

[102.13] X-ray Observations of PSR B1259$-$63 at Periastron

V.M.Kaspi (IPAC/Caltech/JPL), M.Tavani (Columbia U.), F.Nagase, M.Hoshino, T.Aoki, M. Hirayama (ISAS, Japan), N.Kawai (RIKEN, Japan), J. Arons (UC Berkeley)

We report on ASCA observations of the radio pulsar/Be star binary PSR B1259$-$63 made at three epochs around the most recent periastron passage. The pulsar was clearly detected at all three epochs, with the X-ray emission characterized by a power-law spectrum, modest luminosity, modest photoelectric absorption, and absence of detectable pulsations. We interpret these results as non-thermal shock-powered emission produced by the interaction of the relativistic pulsar wind with the Be star circumbinary material.

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