The X-ray Source at the Center of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

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  • 19 November 2001
Abstract
We present the first results of an XMM-Newton observation of the central X-ray source in the Cas A supernova remnant. The spectrum can be fit equally well with an absorbed, steep power law (alpha=3.01+/-0.24, N_H=(1.64+/-0.29) X 10^22 cm^-2) or with a blackbody of temperature kT= 0.70+/-0.05 keV and column density N_H=(0.53+/-0.14) X 10^22 cm^-2. A search for pulsations for periods longer than 150 ms gave negative results. The 3 sigma upper limits on the pulsed fraction are ~13% for P>0.3 s and ~7% for P>3 s. The overall properties of the central X-ray source in Cas A are difficult to explain in terms of a rapidly spinning neutron star with a canonical magnetic field of ~10^12 G, and are more similar to those of slowly rotating neutron stars such as the Anomalous X-ray Pulsars.

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