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G. Vasisht (Caltech), E.V. Gotthelf (Columbia), B.M. Gaensler (MIT), K. Torii (NASDA)
We present a follow-up X-ray and radio study of the field containing the 7-s X-ray pulsar AX~J1845-0258, the serendipitous ASCA source whose characteristics are found to be similar to those of the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs). Newly acquired ASCA data confirms a dramatic reduction in flux from the pulsar and reveals instead a faint X-ray point source, AX~J184453.3-025642, within the pulsar's error circle. This X-ray source is surrounded by a partial shell of emission coincident with a newly discovered young shell-type radio supernova remnant, G29.6+0.1. The central X-ray source is too faint to provide a detection of the expected pulsations which might confirm AX~J184453.3-025642 as the pulsar. We argue that this system is similar to that of RCW~103, another AXP-like object whose central source displays low/high flux states (but no pulsations). The alternative interpretation of a binary system, perhaps associated with a supernova remnant, is still possible. In either case, this result may have profound implication on the evolution of young neutron stars.
\bigskip Acknowledgments: G.V. and E.V.G's research is supported in part by NASA LTSA grant NAG5-7935. B.M.G. is supported in part by NASA Hubble Fellowship grant HF-01107.01-98A.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: gv@astro.caltech.edu