XMM-Newton RGS spectrum of RX J0720.4-3125: An absorption feature at 0.57 keV

Abstract

We found a narrow absorption feature at 0.57keV in the co-added RGS spectrum of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125 with an equivalent width of 1.35+/-0.3eV and FWHM ~6.0eV. The feature was identified with an absorption line of highly ionized oxygen OVII, most probably originating in the ambient medium of RX J0720.4-3125. An extensive investigation with the photo-ionization code CLOUDY indicates the possibility that the optical flux excess observed in the spectrum of RX J0720.4-3125 at least partially originates in a relatively dense (e.g. nH~10^8 cm^-3) slab, located in the vicinity of the neutron star (e.g. ~10^10cm).

4 pages,4 figures, A&A accepted

References in corpus (5)

• The Magnificent Seven: Magnetic fields and surface temperature distributions
• X-Ray Absorption from the Milky Way Halo and the Local Group
• Isolated neutron stars: Magnetic fields, distances, and spectra
• Evidence for precession of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125
• X-ray and UV spectroscopy of Galactic diffuse hot gas along the LMC X--3 sight line

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