Kirsch, M. G. F., Schönherr, G., Kendziorra, E., Freyberg, M. J., Martin, M., Wilms, J., Mukerjee, K., Breitfellner, M. G., Smith, M. J. S. and Staubert, R. (2006) The XMM-Newton view of the Crab. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol.453 (No.1). pp. 173-180. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20054783

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Abstract

Aims. We discuss the current X-ray view of the Crab Nebula and Pulsar, summarising our analysis of observations of the source with the EPIC-pn camera on board the XMM-Newton observatory. Different modes of EPIC-pn were combined in order to yield a complete scenario of the spectral properties of the Crab resolved in space and time (pulse phase). In addition we give a description of the special
EPIC-pn Burst mode and guidance for data reduction in that mode.
Methods. We analysed spectra for the nebula and pulsar separately in the 0.6−12.0 keV energy band. All data were processed with the
SAS 6.0.0 XMM-Newton Scientific Analysis System package; models were fitted to the data with XSPEC 11. The high time resolution of EPIC-pn in its Burst mode (7 μs) was used for a phase resolved analysis of the pulsar spectrum, after determination of the period with epoch folding techniques. Data from the SmallWindow mode were processed and corrected for pile-up allowing for spectroscopy
simultaneously resolved in space and time.
Results. The spatial variation of the spectrum over the entire region of the Crab shows a gradual spectral softening from the inner pulsar region to the outer nebula region with a variation in photon index, Γ, from 2.0 to 2.4. Pulse phase resolved spectroscopy of the Crab Pulsar reveals a phase dependent modulation of the photon index in form of a significant hardening of the spectrum in the
inter-peak phase from Γ = 1.7 during the pulse peak to Γ = 1.5.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Crab Nebula, Pulsars
Journal or Publication Title:	Astronomy & Astrophysics
Publisher:	EDP Sciences
ISSN:	0004-6361
Official Date:	July 2006
Dates:	Date Event July 2006 Published
Volume:	Vol.453
Number:	No.1
Page Range:	pp. 173-180
DOI:	10.1051/0004-6361:20054783
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	European Space Agency (ESA), United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (Great Britain) (PPARC), Germany. Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)

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