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[139.06] The end of a mystery? Results from a combined XMM-Newton and Chandra analysis of the SNR MSH 11-62.

I. Harrus (NASA GSFC), P. O. Slane (CXC), B. Gaensler (Harvard University), J. P. Hughes (Rutgers University), D. A. Moffett (Furman University), R. D. Dodson (University of Tasmania)

We present results from a preliminary analysis of XMM-Newton and Chandra data on the SNR MSH 11-62. Our previous ASCA analysis had shown that MSH 11-62 is most likely a composite remnant whose strong non-thermal emission is powered by a still undetected pulsar.

The present analysis confirms in a spectacular fashion the early detection of a compact source. The Chandra data reveal a small region (3 pixels in extension) with a hard nonthermal spectrum located at the tip of the central radio emission seen in data taken at the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). Although pulsations have not yet been detected this source is likely the young rapidly rotating neutron star powering the synchrotron nebula in MSH 11-62. Our spectral analysis of the Chandra data implies a rotational loss for the putative pulsar of about 3\times10^{\rm 33} erg s^{\rm -1}.

We will discuss the implications of our results in the larger context of composite SNRs.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.