X-rays Probe Gravitational Field Of A Neutron Star

Chandra_127_1024

chandra_127 June 6th, 2002

Credit: Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss;

This is an artist's conception of 1E 1207.4-5209, a neutron star with a polar hot spot and a strong magnetic field (purple lines). Chandra's spectrum (see box) of the hot spot of this collapsed star revealed two surprising dips. The graph shows the expected (dashed blue line) and the observed (solid green line) spectra of the X-radiation from the hot spot. The dips are thought to be absorption features caused by helium ions in the atmosphere of the neutron star. This interpretation implies that the strong gravity of the neutron star has reduced the energy of the photons by 17 percent.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2002/1132/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html

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Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Collage
Object Name
1E 1207.4-5209
Subject - Milky Way
Star > Evolutionary Stage > Neutron Star

Distance Details Distance

Universescale1
7,000 light years

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 12h 10m 1.0s
DEC = -52° 26’ 25.1”
Constellation
Centaurus
Chandra_127_1280
×
ID
127
Subject Category
B.3.1.9  
Subject Name
1E 1207.4-5209
Credits
Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss;
Release Date
2002-06-06
Lightyears
7,000
Redshift
7,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2002/1132/
Type
Collage
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
182.5042, -52.4403
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Chandra X-ray Observatory
URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu
Name
Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
Email
cxcpub@cfa.harvard.edu
Telephone
617.496.7941
Address
60 Garden st.
City
Cambridge
State/Province
MA
Postal Code
02138
Country
USA
Rights
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Publisher
Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
1132_illustration_spec.tif
Resource URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2002/1132/1132_illustration_spec.tif
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2013-09-05T15:30:34-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
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Universescalefull
7,000 light years

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