A Debris Disk Around An Isolated Young Neutron Star

Abstract

Pulsars are rotating, magnetized neutron stars that are born in supernova explosions following the collapse of the cores of massive stars. If some of the explosion ejecta fails to escape, it may fall back onto the neutron star or it may possess sufficient angular momentum to form a disk. Such 'fallback' is both a general prediction of current supernova models and, if the material pushes the neutron star over its stability limit, a possible mode of black hole formation. Fallback disks could dramatically affect the early evolution of pulsars, yet there are few observational constraints on whether significant fallback occurs or even the actual existence of such disks. Here we report the discovery of mid-infrared emission from a cool disk around an isolated young X-ray pulsar. The disk does not power the pulsar's X-ray emission but is passively illuminated by these X-rays. The estimated mass of the disk is of order 10 Earth masses, and its lifetime (at least a million years) significantly exceeds the spin-down age of the pulsar, supporting a supernova fallback origin. The disk resembles protoplanetary disks seen around ordinary young stars, suggesting the possibility of planet formation around young neutron stars.

5 pages, 3 figures. To appear in Nature (6 Apr 2006)

References in corpus (13)

• How Massive Single Stars End their Life
• An exceptionally bright flare from SGR1806-20 and the origins of short-duration gamma-ray bursts
• An Accretion Model for Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars
• On Young Neutron Stars as Propellers and Accretors with Conventional Magnetic Fields
• An Optical Counterpart to the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61
• Emission Spectra of Fallback Disks Around Young Neutron Stars
• Long-Term RXTE Monitoring of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
• Accretion-Assisted Spindown of Young Radio Pulsars
• Correlated Infrared and X-ray Flux Changes Following the 2002 June Outburst of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 1E 2259+586
• Where Are All The Fallback Disks? Constraints on Propeller Systems
• The Broad-Band Spectrum and Infrared Variability of the Magnetar AXP 1E1048.1-5937
• Implications of the PSR 1257+12 Planetary System for Isolated Millisecond Pulsars
• A Search for Cold Dust around Neutron Stars

Cited by in corpus (198)

• Magnetars
• The strongest cosmic magnets: Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
• Magnetars: the physics behind observations
• Unifying the observational diversity of isolated neutron stars via magneto-thermal evolution models
• The Masses and Spins of Neutron Stars and Stellar-Mass Black Holes
• The 2004 Hyperflare from SGR 1806-20: Further Evidence for Global Torsional Vibrations
• Short Gamma-Ray Bursts from the Merger of Two Black Holes
• Rocking the Lighthouse: Circumpulsar Asteroids and Radio Intermittency
• A long-period, violently-variable X-ray source in a young SNR
• Magnetar outbursts: an observational review
• Surface Emission from Neutron Stars and Implications for the Physics of their Interiors
• Light-switchable propulsion of active particles with reversible interactions
• A Planetary Mass Companion to the K0 Giant HD 17092
• Spinning down newborn neutron stars: nonlinear development of the r-mode instability
• Off-equatorial orbits in strong gravitational fields near compact objects -- II: halo motion around magnetic compact stars and magnetized black holes
• Isolated neutron stars: Magnetic fields, distances, and spectra
• Origin of apparent period variations in eclipsing post-common-envelope binaries
• A Trio of Metal-Rich Dust and Gas Disks Found Orbiting Candidate White Dwarfs with K-Band Excess
• Magnetically-driven explosions of rapidly-rotating white dwarfs following Accretion-Induced Collapse
• The spectral energy distribution of quiescent black hole X-ray binaries: new constraints from Spitzer
• Neutron star oscillations and QPOs during magnetar flares
• Recent Progress on Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
• An Asteroid Belt Interpretation for the Timing Variations of the Millisecond Pulsar B1937+21
• Electrically charged matter in rigid rotation around magnetized black hole
• A Braking Index for the Young, High-Magnetic-Field, Rotation-Powered Pulsar in Kes 75
• The fate of fallback matter around newly born compact objects
• A Dusty Disk Around WD1150-153: Explaining the Metals in White Dwarfs by Accretion from the Interstellar Medium versus Debris Disks
• Anomalous X-ray pulsars: Persistent States with Fallback Disks
• Mid-Infrared Emission from Dust around Quiescent Low-Mass X-ray Binaries
• Hall drift and the braking indices of young pulsars
• Magnetars: a short review and some sparse considerations
• Optical, ultraviolet, and infrared observations of isolated neutron stars
• Fission and fusion scenarios for magnetic microswimmer clusters
• On the evolution of anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma ray repeaters with fallback disks
• X-ray and Near-IR Variability of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 1E 1048.1-5937: From Quiescence Back to Activity
• Evidence for the magnetar nature of 1E 161348-5055 in RCW 103
• On the Nature of Part Time Radio Pulsars
• The superflares of soft Gamma-ray repeatres: giant quakes in solid quark stars?
• Ejecta, Dust, and Synchrotron Radiation in B0540-69.3: A More Crab-Like Remnant than the Crab
• Extinction Columns and Intrinsic X-ray Spectra of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
• Planet formation from the ejecta of common envelopes
• Heating and cooling of magnetars with accreted envelopes
• An accretion model for the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61
• A Mid-Infrared Counterpart to the Magnetar 1E 2259+586
• Two types of glitches in a solid quark star model
• Pulsar radiation belts and transient radio emission
• Hyperaccreting Disks around Magnetars for Gamma-Ray Bursts: Effects of Strong Magnetic Fields
• Multi-wavelength variability of the magnetar 4U 0142+61
• Evidence of an asteroid encountering a pulsar
• A JWST Survey of the Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A
• A Comprehensive Study of Short Bursts from SGR 1806-20 and SGR 1900+14 Detected by HETE-2
• The Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61: A Neutron Star with a Gaseous Fallback Disk
• Exoplanet recycling in massive white-dwarf debris discs
• Quadrupole moment of a magnetically confined mountain on an accreting neutron star: effect of the equation of state
• First Fruits of the Spitzer Space Telescope: Galactic and Solar System Studies
• The Nature of the Compact X-ray Source in Supernova Remnant RCW 103
• Long-period Pulsars as Possible Outcomes of Supernova Fallback Accretion
• Pulsars and magnetars
• The Discovery of a Companion to the Lowest Mass White Dwarf
• The Energy Spectrum of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters
• Optical and Infrared Emission from the AXPs and SGRs
• Soft and Hard X-Ray Emissions from the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61 Observed with Suzaku
• A Search for Fallback Disks in Four Young Supernova Remnants
• Periodicity in fast radio bursts due to forced precession by a fallback disk
• Long-term X-ray changes in the emission from the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61
• AXPs/SGRs: Magnetars or Quark-stars?
• Spectral modelling of the high energy emission of the magnetar 4U 0142+614
• SGR 0418+5729 - How does a Young Neutron Star Spin Down to a 9 s Period with a Dipole Field less than 10^13 G?
• Limits on Planet Formation Around Young Pulsars and Implications for Supernova Fallback Disks
• No Expanding Fireball: Resolving the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi with Infrared Interferometry
• Adaptive optics near-infrared observations of magnetars
• 1E161348-5055 in the Supernova Remnant RCW 103: A Magnetar in a Young Low Mass Binary System?
• Evidence for a Black Hole Remnant in the Type IIL Supernova 1979C
• Rotational evolution of magnetars in the presence of a fallback disk
• Why are pulsar planets rare?
• A white dwarf merger as progenitor of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61?
• The Pulsar Planets: A Test Case of Terrestrial Planet Assembly
• Multiwavelength spectroscopy of PSR B0656+14
• Deep infrared observations of the puzzling central X-ray source in RCW103
• Merger of a White Dwarf-Neutron Star Binary to $10^{29}$ Carat Diamonds: Origin of the Pulsar Planets
• Dependence of pulsar death line on the equation of state
• The Detection of Dust around NN Ser
• Ejector and propeller spin-down: How might a superluminous supernova millisecond magnetar become the 6.67 hr pulsar in RCW103
• On the X-Ray Light Curve, Pulsed-Radio Emission, and Spin Frequency Evolution of the Transient Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar Xte J1810--197 During its X-Ray Outburst
• The Vela and Geminga pulsars in the mid-infrared
• Long-term multi-wavelength studies of GRS 1915+105 I. A high-energy and mid-infrared focus with RXTE, INTEGRAL, and Spitzer
• Neutron stars colliding with binary companions: formation of hypervelocity stars, pulsar planets, bumpy superluminous supernovae and Thorne-Żytkow objects
• On The Evolution of The Radio Pulsar PSR J1734-3333
• Discovery of extended infrared emission around the neutron star RX J0806.4-4123
• Search for continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars in globular cluster NGC 6544
• Magnetic white dwarfs with debris discs
• Studies of Neutron Stars at Optical/IR Wavelengths
• Where are the magnetar binary companions? Candidates from a comparison with binary population synthesis predictions
• Optical/Infrared Observations of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 1E 1048.1-5937 During Its 2007 X-Ray Flare
• Pulsar braking: magnetodipole vs. wind
• VLT/NACO observations of the High-Magnetic field radio pulsar PSR J1119-6127
• Optical and Infrared Observations of the X-ray source 1WGA J1713.4$-$3949 in the G347.3-0.5 SNR
• Population synthesis of young isolated neutron stars: the effect of fallback disk accretion and magnetic field evolution
• Long-term evolution of anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma repeaters
• Our distorted view of magnetars: application of the Resonant Cyclotron Scattering model
• Magnetars: fact or fiction?
• Orbital period decay of compact black hole x-ray binaries: the influence of circumbinary disks?
• The infrared counterpart to the magnetar 1RXS J170849.0-400910
• Search for High-Energy Gamma-ray Emission from an Anomalous X-ray Pulsar, 4U 0142+61
• Discovery of 40.5 ks Hard X-ray Pulse-Phase Modulations from SGR 1900+14
• Low braking index of PSR J1734-3333: an interaction between fall-back disk and magnetic field?
• Near Infrared Counterpart of 2E 1613.5-5053, the Central Source in Supernova Remnant RCW 103
• HST and VLT observations of the neutron star 1E 1207.4-5209
• Discussions on the nature of GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3
• Braking PSR J1734-3333 with a possible fall-back disk
• Identification of the infrared counterpart of SGR 1935+2154 with the Hubble Space Telescope
• VLT observations of the Central Compact Object in the Vela Jr. supernova remnant
• Ultra-luminous X-ray sources as super-critical propellers
• Evolution of the long-period pulsar GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3
• A magnetic white-dwarf accretion model for the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61
• Resolved imaging of the AR Puppis circumbinary disk
• Spectral formation in a radiative shock: application to anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma-ray repeaters
• AXPs and SGRs in the outer gap model: confronting Fermi observations
• Far-Infrared Luminous Supernova Remnant Kes 17
• Non-detection in a Fermi/LAT observation of AXP 4U 0142+61: magnetars?
• The influence of fallback discs on the spectral and timing properties of neutron stars
• Interaction and ablation of fall-back disks in isolated neutron stars
• On the fallback disk around the slowest isolated pulsar, 1E 161348$-$5055
• Spitzer Mid-infrared Upper Limits on Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars 1E 1048.1-5937, 1RXS J170849-400910, and XTE J1810-197
• Periodic activity from fast radio burst FRB180916 explained in the frameof the orbiting asteroid model
• The first multi-wavelength campaign of AXP 4U 0142+61 from radio to hard X-rays
• The Vela pulsar and its likely counter-jet in the K_s band
• Quark-Novae in Low-Mass X-ray Binaries with massive neutron stars: A universal model for short-hard Gamma-Ray Bursts
• The extremely long period X-ray source in a young supernova remnant: a Thorne-Zytkow Object descendant?
• Deep VLT infrared observations of X-ray Dim Isolated Neutron Stars
• The Vela Pulsar With an Active Fallback Disk
• Disk formation in the collapse of supramassive neutron stars
• An observational argument against accretion in magnetars
• Neutron Star Planets: Atmospheric processes and habitability
• The Chandra X-ray Spectrum of the 10.6 s Pulsar in Westerlund 1: Testing the Magnetar Hypothesis
• New candidates for magnetar counterparts from a deep search with the Hubble Space Telescope
• Dim Isolated Neutron Stars, Cooling and Energy Dissipation
• Herschel and Spitzer observations of slowly rotating, nearby isolated neutron stars
• On the second derivatives of periods and braking indices in radio pulsars
• Classification of pulsars with Dirichlet process Gaussian mixture model
• Cyclotron line signatures of thermal and magnetic mountains from accreting neutron stars
• Planet formation in post-common-envelope binaries
• Search for the optical counterpart to SGR 0418+5729
• Astrophysics in 2006
• Evolution of the long-period pulsar PSR J0901-4046
• Constraints on fall-back disks in radio pulsars and anomalous X-ray pulsars
• Rotational and radio emission properties of PSR J0738-4042 over half a century
• Searching for Debris Disks around Seven Radio Pulsars
• Discovery of Quasi-Periodic Oscillations in the Recurrent Burst Emission from SGR 1806-20
• Astro-quark matter: a challenge facing astroparticle physics
• Relating the Kick Velocities of Young Pulsars with Magnetic Field Growth Timescales Inferred From Braking Indices
• Pulsar Timing Signatures of Circumbinary Asteroid Belts
• On the X-ray Outbursts of Transient Anomalous X-ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters
• Chandra Smells a RRAT: X-ray Detection of a Rotating Radio Transient
• Searching for Debris Disks around Isolated Pulsars
• Are fast radio bursts the birthmark of magnetars?
• Pulse Frequency Fluctuations of Persistent Accretion Powered Pulsars
• Burst and Outburst Characteristics of Magnetar 4U 0142+61
• High-time Resolution Astrophysics and Pulsars
• The featureless and non-variable optical spectral energy distribution of AXP 4U 0142+61
• VLT/NACO near-infrared observations of the transient radio magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408
• Search for Mid-IR Flux Variations from The Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61
• Fallback Disks, Magnetars and Other Neutron Stars
• On the long-term evolution of rotating radio transients
• The infrared counterpart and proper motion of magnetar SGR0501+4516
• The Enigma of GLEAM-X~J162759.5-523504.3
• The optical/UV excess of X-ray-dim isolated neutron star II. nonuniformity of plasma on strangeon star surface
• Variation of Spectral and Timing Properties in the Extended Burst Tails from the Magnetar 4U 0142+61
• Non-LTE Models for Neutron Star Atmospheres and Supernova-Fallback Disks
• Electromagnetic spin down of a transient accreting millisecond pulsar during quiescence
• VLT observations of the magnetar CXO J164710.2-455216 and the detection of a candidate infrared counterpart
• Search for Near-Infrared Pulsation of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61
• The modulation of SiO maser polarization by Jovian planets
• Submillimetre observations of RX J1856.5--3754
• Is PSR J0726-2612 a dim isolated neutron star progenitor?
• Unifying neutron star sub-populations in the supernova fallback accretion model
• Wind braking of magnetars: to understand magnetar's multiwave radiation properties
• Going out with a bang: compact object collisions resulting from supernovae in binary systems
• Hunting isolated neutron stars with proper motions from wide-area optical surveys
• Detection of precessing circumpulsar disks
• Reduced spin-down rate of PSR J0738-4042 explained as due to an asteroid disruption event
• Effect of rotation and magnetic field in the gyroscopic precession around a neutron star
• Mid-infrared VISIR and Spitzer observations of the surroundings of the magnetar SGR 1806-20
• Clues from 4U 0142+61 on supernova fallback disc formation and precession
• Subaru constraint on circular polarization in I-band emission from the Magnetar 4U 0142+61
• Years of RXTE Monitoring of Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61: Long-Term Variability
• Close encounters with the Death Star: Interactions between collapsed bodies and the Solar System
• Long-term study of the Double Pulsar J0737-3039 with XMM-Newton: spectral analysis
• Lucky planets: how circum-binary planets survive the supernova in one of the inner-binary components
• Non-LTE modeling of supernova-fallback disks
• Detection of Quasi-periodic Oscillations in SGR 150228213
• The short bursts in SGR 1806-20, 1E 1048-5937 and SGR 0501+4516
• Toward an understanding of the periastron puzzle of PSR B1259-63
• Anomalous Transport In Magnetized Shear Flow
• Do the periodic activities of repeating fast radio bursts represent the spins of neutron stars?
• 10 Years of RXTE Monitoring of Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61: Long-Term Variability
• The Fast Radio Burst-emitting magnetar SGR 1935+2154 -- proper motion and variability from long-term Hubble Space Telescope monitoring
• The maximum dipole moments of neutron stars implied by the Barrow-Gibbons conjecture