Probing the Characteristics of a Nearby Pulsar: Astronomers' Findings

Astronomers have used XMM-Newton and the Hubble Space Telescope to observe the nearby middle-aged pulsar PSR B1055-52, delivering essential information regarding its properties. The study found that the long-term X-ray properties of the pulsar seem to be stable, and the power-law components in the ultraviolet-optical-infrared and X-ray spectra have similar slopes and connect with each other smoothly, suggesting common acceleration and emission mechanisms. The X-ray spectrum of the pulsar is inconsistent with neutron star atmosphere model spectra, indicating a condensed neutron star surface, whose spectrum is possibly closer to the blackbody spectrum. The new observations also allowed the researchers to accurately measure the proper motion of the pulsar, which could be essential in order to estimate its kinematic age.