NASA Telescopes Reveal Hidden Properties of X-Ray Pulsar RX J0032.9-7348

Pulsars are neutron stars rotating quickly, emitting electromagnetic radiation in varied wavelengths, together with radio waves, optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray. Identified as a X ray transient supply within the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) about 30 years in the past, RX J0032.9-7348 has been categorized as an X-ray Pulsar after detecting X-ray pulsations with a interval of roughly 7.02 seconds after experiencing an X-ray brightening in October 2024.To take a more in-depth have a look at it, astronomers have integrated two NASA X-ray telescope, NICER and NuSTAR.

Discovery and Observational Campaign

According to Handbook of X-ray and Gamma ray Astrophysics, Accretion-powered X-ray pulsars (XRPs) are neutron stars inside binary programs that emit X-rays in common pulses, powered by the accretion of matter from a companion star. However, though RX J0032.9-7348 has been recognized for many years, little or no is thought concerning its properties and its optical counterpart has not been recognized. Therefore, a group of astronomers led by Birendra Chhotaray of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, India, determined to take a more in-depth have a look at this pulsar with NuSTAR and NICER.
Dr Chhotaray and his group had been capable of confirm the X-ray pulsation interval of RX J0032.9-7348 by means of their observations and so they additionally found that this pulsar has a double-peak pulse profile all through a large power vary, with small adjustments within the kind of power dependence.

Findings

Results of the observational marketing campaign, printed on the arXiv preprint server, offers perception of the spin dynamics and luminosity of this pulsar. The accretion processes throughout the X-ray brightening part will increase its angular momentum. It outcomes right into a spin-up of roughly -0.00033 seconds per day.
The luminosity of the pulsar assorted from 8.2 undecillion to 37 undecillion erg/s throughout the monitoring marketing campaign. The researchers report that no proof of iron emission line or cyclotron resonance scattering options was discovered within the power spectrum of this supply.