X-ray Spectroscopy of the Highly Magnetized Pulsar PSR J1846-0258, its Wind Nebula and Hosting Supernova Remnant Kes 75

Abstract

We present broad-band X-ray spectroscopy of the energetic components that make up the supernova remnant (SNR) Kesteven 75 using concurrent 2017 Aug 17-20 XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations, during which the pulsar PSR J1846-0258 is found to be in the quiescent state. The young remnant hosts a bright pulsar wind nebula powered by the highly-energetic (Edot = 8.1E36 erg/s) isolated, rotation-powered pulsar, with a spin-down age of only P/2Pdot ~ 728 yr. Its inferred magnetic field (Bs = 4.9E13 G) is the largest known for these objects, and is likely responsible for intervals of flare and burst activity, suggesting a transition between/to a magnetar state. The pulsed emission from PSR J1846-0258 is well-characterized in the 2-50 keV range by a power-law model with photon index Gamma_PSR = 1.24+/-0.09 and a 2-10 keV unabsorbed flux of (2.3+/-0.4)E-12 erg/s/cm^2). We find no evidence for an additional non-thermal component above 10 keV in the current state, as would be typical for a magnetar. Compared to the Chandra pulsar spectrum, the intrinsic pulsed fraction is 71+/-16% in 2-10 keV band. A power-law spectrum for the PWN yields Gamma_PWN = 2.03+/-0.03 in the 1-55 keV band, with no evidence of curvature in this range, and a 2-10 keV unabsorbed flux (2.13+/-0.02)E-11 erg/s/cm^2. The NuSTAR data reveal evidence for a hard X-ray component dominating the SNR spectrum above 10 keV which we attribute to a dust-scattered PWN component. We model the dynamical and radiative evolution of the Kes 75 system to estimate the birth properties of the neutron star, the energetics of its progenitor, and properties of the PWN. This suggests that the progenitor of Kes 75 was originally in a binary system which transferred most its mass to a companion before exploding.

13 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables; Latex, aastex63 style. Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal

References in corpus (17)

• Magnetars: Properties, Origin and Evolution
• Magnetar-like Emission from the Young Pulsar in Kes 75
• On Pulsar Distance Measurements and their Uncertainties
• A Dynamical Model for the Evolution of a Pulsar Wind Nebula inside a Non-Radiative Supernova Remnant
• The magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408: radio spectrum, polarimetry, and timing
• The Distance of the SNR Kes 75 and PWN PSR J1846-0258 System
• Detailed high-energy characteristics of AXP 1RXS J170849-400910 - Probing the magnetosphere using INTEGRAL, RXTE and XMM-Newton
• Deep Chandra Observation of the Pulsar Wind Nebula Powered by the Pulsar J1846-0258 in the Supernova Remnant Kes 75
• NuSTAR Discovery of a Young, Energetic Pulsar Associated with the Luminous Gamma-ray Source HESS J1640-465
• A broadband X-ray study of the Geminga pulsar with NuSTAR and XMM-Newton
• Observations of X-rays and Thermal Dust Emission from the Supernova Remnant Kes 75
• The Exceptionally Large Debris Disk around γOphiuchi
• Learning About the Magnetar Swift J1834.9-0846 from its Wind Nebula
• X-ray and radio observations of the magnetar Swift J1834.9-0846 and its dust-scattering halo
• The Fermi LAT detection of magnetar-like pulsar PSR J1846-0258 at high-energy gamma-rays
• PSR J1119-6127 and its pulsar wind nebula following the magnetar-like bursts
• Probing the Innermost Ejecta Layers in SNR Kes 75: Implications for the Supernova Progenitor

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Multiwavelength Constraints on the Origin of a Nearby Repeating Fast Radio Burst Source in a Globular Cluster
• Reactivation of the high-magnetic field pulsar PSR J1846--0258 with magnetar-like bursts
• Discovery of GeV gamma-ray emission from PWN Kes 75 and PSR J1846-0258
• Broadband X-ray Spectroscopy of the Pulsar Wind Nebula in HESS J1640-465
• Fermi-LAT Gamma-ray Emission Discovered from the Composite Supernova Remnant B0453-685 in the Large Magellanic Cloud
• Spatio-spectral-temporal Modelling of Two Young Pulsar Wind Nebulae
• NuSTAR and XMM-Newton Observations of PSR J1930+1852 and Its Pulsar Wind Nebula
• The Eel Pulsar Wind Nebula: a PeVatron-Candidate Origin for HAWC J1826-128 and HESS J1826-130