The Geminga pulsar is unique among gamma-ray pulsars in having a precise andcontinuous, phase-connected ephemeris from 1973 up to the present. Since thedemise of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory in June 2000, the only practicalmethod of maintaining Geminga.s ephemeris has been with X-ray observations. Thisis the final request for our XMM-Newton program on Geminga, which will phaseconnect with GLAST and/or AGILE in 2007. The principal scientific need for aphase-connected ephemeris is to provide an absolute phase reference forground-based observations, and to monitor glitch activity such as that whichrecurred in 2002.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2007-09-18T08:33:36Z/2008-03-08T21:15:10Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Prof Jules Halpern, 2009, 'Connecting the Ephemeris of the Geminga Pulsar to GLAST', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-0snjcbn
