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3C58:
Young Pulsar Reveals Clues to Supernova
Chandra's image of 3C58, the
remains of a supernova observed on Earth in 1181 AD,
shows a rapidly rotating neutron star embedded in a
cloud of high-energy particles. The data
revealed that the neutron star, or pulsar, is rotating
about 15 times a second, and is slowing down at the
rate of about 10 microseconds per year.
A comparison of the rate at which the pulsar is
slowing down and its age indicate that the 3C58 pulsar,
one of the youngest known pulsars, is rotating just
about as fast now as when it was formed. This is in
contrast to the Crab pulsar, which was formed spinning
much more rapidly and has slowed to about half its
initial speed. Furthermore, the total X-ray luminosity
of the 3C58 pulsar and its surrounding nebula is a
thousand times weaker than that of the Crab and its
surrounding nebula.
Scientists hope that further study of the similarities
and differences in the behavior of these two pulsars,
which are approximately the same ages, will shed light
on the process by which they are formed, and how they
pump energy into space for thousands of years after the
explosion.
| Fast Facts for 3C58: |
| Credit |
NASA/CXC/SAO/S.Murray et al. |
| Scale |
Image is 15 arcmin across (left to right). |
| Category |
Neutron Stars/X-ray Binaries, Supernovas & Supernova Remnants |
| Coordinates (J2000) |
RA 02h 05m 37.00s | Dec +64° 49' 48.00" |
| Constellation |
Cassiopeia |
| Observation Dates |
November 30, 1999
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| Observation Time |
8 hours |
| Obs. IDs |
129
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| Color Code |
Intensity |
| Instrument |
HRC |
| Distance Estimate |
About 10,000 light years |
| Release Date |
September 06, 2001 |
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