RXTE Observations of the Anomalous Pulsar 4U 0142+61

Preprint

2 September 1998

preprint
Published by arXiv in arXiv

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.astro-ph/9809016

Abstract

We observed the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61 using the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) aboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in March 1996. The pulse frequency was measured as f = 0.11510039(3) Hz with an upper limit of df/dt < 4 * 10^(-13) Hz/s upon the short term change in frequency over the 4.6 day span of the observations. A compilation of all historical measurements showed an overall spin-down trend with slope df/dt = (-3.0 +/- 0.1) * 10^(-14) Hz/s. Searches for orbital modulations in pulse arrival times yielded an upper limit of a_x sin i < 0.26 lt-s (99% confidence) for the period range 70 s to 2.5 days. These limits combined with previous optical limits and evolutionary arguments suggest that 4U 0142+61 is probably not a member of a binary system.

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Version 1, 1998-09-02, ArXiv
Published version: The Astrophysical Journal, 513 (1), 464.

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