| Description |
We propose to observe eight nearby, slowly rotating, strongly magnetized neutron stars with the Herschel PACS detector to search for dusty fallback disks and infer their properties. Such disks are generally predicted to be created after the supernova explosion by ejecta that fail to escape and remain bound. However, despite several searches, neutron star fallback disks remain elusive. Only one possible fallback disk has been detected so far -- around the slowly rotating (P = 8.7 s)
magnetar 4U 0142+61 at a distance of around 4 kpc.
Our proposed target sample includes seven radio-quiet, middle-aged neutron stars with similar periods, P = 3 - 12 s, and strong magnetic fields, B = (1 - 3) x 10^(13) G (the so-called Magnificent Seven), and one radio pulsar with similar P and B. All targets are much closer than
4U 0142+61 (d < 1 kpc). Their slow rotations allow the fallback disks to survive and increase the chance for disk detections. Our targets belong to the class of neutron stars that is discussed as a link between the ordinary rotation-powered pulsars and the magnetars. The possession of a fallback disk is one of the key parameters for understanding these different populations. |
