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Isolated Neutron Stars: The Challenge of Simplicity

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Neutron Stars and Pulsars

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Library ((ASSL,volume 357))

The seven soft, thermal sources discovered by ROSAT offer an unprecedented opportunity to unveil the temperature and magnetic field surface distribution of isolated neutron stars. This makes a direct measurement of the star radius and mass within reach and will allow to place tight constraints on matter equation of state at nuclear densities. In this chapter the main observational properties of the Magnificent Seven are reviewed, and the current status of theoretical modeling presented. Emphasis is placed on the main challenge these objects pose to theorists, namely how can a cooling neutron star emit a nearly perfect blackbody spectrum. Open issues concern the origin of the broad absorption features (or lack thereof) detected around a few hundred electron volts, the search for new candidates and the (possible) links of the Magnificent Seven with other classes of Galactic neutron star sources, the newly discovered rotating radio transients and the magnetar candidates in particular.

First hypothesised in the 1930s, neutron stars have been for more than 40 years a theoretician's dainty, until the discovery of the first radio pulsar [27]. Since then, neutron stars have been mostly detected at radio wavelengths, and the number of known radio pulsars exceeds now 1,800.1 This vast success contributed to spread the general belief that isolated (i.e. those not in binary systems) neutron stars are with no exception active radio pulsars. It was thanks to X-ray telescopes flown in the last 20 years that our picture of isolated neutron stars gradually started to change.

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  1. Department of Physics, University of Padova, Italy

    Roberto Turolla

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  1. Roberto Turolla
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  1. MaxPlanckInstitut fur Extraterrestische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, Garching, 85741, Germany

    Werner Becker

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Turolla, R. (2009). Isolated Neutron Stars: The Challenge of Simplicity. In: Becker, W. (eds) Neutron Stars and Pulsars. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 357. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76965-1_7

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