Modelling of the waveform of the X-ray pulsations of accreting ms pulsars (AMSP)is one of the most promising ways to constrain the equation of state of neutronstars. However, it requires an extremely high number of counts to break thedegeneracy between the many parameters that shape the X-ray pulse profiles. Thepolarimetric information granted by the forthcoming IXPE mission will measurethe geometry of the hot spots independently, easing the requirement. We proposea 120 ks XMM-NuSTAR ToO observation of the next outburst of an AMSP to measurethe pulsar ephemeris and fold simultaneous IXPE data, model the broadbandspectrum, and derive a high statistics energy-resolved pulse profile. Theproposed observation will measure the mass and the radius with an accuracy of a few per cent.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2022-09-09T11:05:29Z/2022-09-11T01:07:09Z
Version
20.08_20220509_1852
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, Dr Alessandro Papitto, 2023, 'X-ray pulse waveform from an accreting ms pulsar and the equation of state', 20.08_20220509_1852, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.57780/esa-5vt70nt
