Multicolor Photometry of the Vela Pulsar

Abstract

Multicolor photometry of the Vela pulsar (PSR B0833-45), updated by recent HST/WFPC2 observations obtained in the 555W, 675W and 814W filters, is presented. The available data provide the best characterization so far of the pulsar spectral shape, which is dominated by a flat power law continuum with spectral index α= -0.2 +/- 0.2, consistent with the extrapolation in the optical domain of the power law component of the X-ray spectrum detected by Chandra. In addition, a marginally significant dip (~ 3 sigma) seems to be present at about 6500 AA. Spectroscopic observations with the VLT, now in progress, will undoubtly provide a much better assessment of the reality and characteristics of this feature.

4 pages, LaTex, 2 Postscript figures. Astronomy & Astrophysics, accepted

References in corpus (2)

• The X-ray Spectrum of the Vela Pulsar Resolved with Chandra
• Optical spectroscopy and photometry of the isolated neutron star RX J1856.5-3754

Cited by in corpus (25)

• The distance to the Vela pulsar gauged with HST parallax oservations
• A two-dimensional electrodynamical outer gap model for gamma-ray pulsars: Gamma-ray spectrum
• The Nearby Neutron Star RX J0720.4-3125 from Radio to X-rays
• The Multi-Component Nature of the Vela Pulsar Nonthermal X-ray Spectrum
• The Vela Pulsar in the Near-Infrared
• Constraints on pulsar magnetospheric and wind parameters for the compact nebulae of Vela and PSR B1706-44
• The Crab pulsar and its red knot in the near-infrared
• The Vela Pulsar in the Ultraviolet
• Evidence for Infrared-Faint Radio Sources as z > 1 Radio-Loud AGN
• The Optical Spectrum of the Vela Pulsar
• Search for the Optical Counterpart of the Vela Pulsar X-ray Nebula
• Search for the optical counterpart of the nearby pulsar J0108-1431
• Subaru optical observations of the old pulsar PSR B0950+08
• HST optical polarimetry of the Vela pulsar & nebula
• On the PSR B1133+16 optical counterpart
• Deep optical observations of the fields of two nearby millisecond pulsars with the VLT
• Possible optical detection of a fast, nearby radio pulsar PSR B1133+16
• Near-infrared observations of Rotating Radio Transients
• The Vela Pulsar With an Active Fallback Disk
• Deep BVR Imaging of the Field of the Millisecond Pulsar PSR J0030+0451 with the VLT
• Search for the elusive optical counterpart of PSR J0537-6910 with the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys
• Timing analysis and pulse profile of the Vela pulsar in the optical band from Iqueye observations
• New VLT observations of the Fermi pulsar PSR J1048-5832
• Large Binocular Telescope observations of PSR J2043+2740
• A new interesting source in Chandra field: a pulsar wind nebula?