A central compact object (CCO) is an
x-ray
An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...
source
Source may refer to:
Research
* Historical document
* Historical source
* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence
* Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute ...
found near the center of a young, nearby
supernova remnant
A supernova remnant (SNR) is the structure resulting from the explosion of a star in a supernova. The supernova remnant is bounded by an expanding shock wave, and consists of ejected material expanding from the explosion, and the interstellar mat ...
(SNR). Given the observed x-ray
flux
Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. Flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications in physics. For transport phe ...
and
spectra observed from these objects, the almost certain conclusion is that CCOs are the remnant
neutron stars
A neutron star is the gravitationally collapsed core of a massive supergiant star. It results from the supernova explosion of a massive star—combined with gravitational collapse—that compresses the core past white dwarf star density to th ...
which resulted from the recent
supernova
A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
. Unlike most
pulsars
A pulsar (''pulsating star, on the model of quasar'') is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. This radiation can be observed only when a beam of emission is pointin ...
, CCOs generally
lack pulsed radio emission or variation in the observed x-rays due to such phenomena being either nonexistent or difficult to detect. The weaker
magnetic fields
A magnetic field (sometimes called B-field) is a physical field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular ...
than most other detected neutron stars means that most of the detected x-rays are due to
blackbody radiation
Black-body radiation is the thermal electromagnetic radiation within, or surrounding, a body in thermodynamic equilibrium with its environment, emitted by a black body (an idealized opaque, non-reflective body). It has a specific continuous spectr ...
. Confirmation that the CCO is associated with the past supernova can be done using the
kinematics
In physics, kinematics studies the geometrical aspects of motion of physical objects independent of forces that set them in motion. Constrained motion such as linked machine parts are also described as kinematics.
Kinematics is concerned with s ...
of the objects and matching them to the age and kinematics of the host SNR.
The detection in 1980 of
1E 161348-5055 at the center of SNR
RCW 103 using the
Einstein Observatory
Einstein Observatory (HEAO-2) was the first fully imaging X-ray telescope put into space and the second of NASA's three HEAO Program, High Energy Astrophysical Observatories. Named HEAO B before launch, the observatory's name was changed to ho ...
was once touted as the first CCO discovery, but is now classified as a slow-rotating
magnetar
A magnetar is a type of neutron star with an extremely powerful magnetic field (~109 to 1011 T, ~1013 to 1015 G). The magnetic-field decay powers the emission of high-energy electromagnetic radiation, particularly X-rays and gamma rays.Ward; Br ...
due to magnetar outburst detection.
Since that object's discovery, ten CCOs have been positively identified with a further two as candidates.
List of CCOs
The following list of confirmed CCOs and their associated supernova remnants is curated by
Andrea De Luca, astronomer at the
National Institute for Astrophysics
The National Institute for Astrophysics (, or INAF) is an Italian research institute in astronomy and astrophysics, founded in 1999. INAF funds and operates twenty separate research facilities, which in turn employ scientists, engineers and techn ...
.
*
RX J0822.0-4300 (center of
Puppis A
Puppis A (Pup A) is a supernova remnant (SNR) about 100 light-years in diameter and roughly 6500–7000 light-years distant. Its apparent angular diameter is about 1 degree. The light of the supernova explosion reached Earth approximately 3700 ye ...
) (pulsations detected)
*
CXOU J085201.4-461753 (center of
RX J0852.0−4622)
*
1E 1207.4-5209 (center of
PKS 1209−51/52) (pulsations detected)
*
CXOU J160103.1-513353 (center of
G330.2+1.0)
*
1WGA J1713.4-3949 (center of
G347.3−0.5)
*
XMMU J172054.5-372652 (center of
G350.1−0.3)
*
XMMU J173203.3-344518 (center of
G353.6−0.7)
*
CXOU J181852.0-150213 (center of
G15.9+0.2)
*
CXOU J185238.6+004020 (center of
Kesteven 79) (pulsations detected
)
*
CXOU J232327.9+584842 (center of
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A (Cas A) () is a supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation Cassiopeia and the brightest extrasolar radio source in the sky at frequencies above 1 GHz. The supernova occurred approximately away within the Milky Way; ...
)
References
External links
List of CCOs maintained by A. De Luca
{{astro-stub
Neutron stars
Supernova remnants
X-ray astronomy