Characterization of the silicon drift detector for NICER instrument

Prigozhin, G.; Gendreau, Keith C.; Foster, R.F.; Ricker, G.; Villaseñor, J.; Doty, James H.; Kenyon, Steven; Arzoumanian, Zaven; Redus, R.; Huber, A.

doi:10.1117/12.926667

Cited by 41 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…The NICER X-ray Timing Instrument (XTI, Gendreau et al 2012Gendreau et al , 2016) is a non-imaging, soft X-ray telescope aboard the International Space Station. The XTI consists of an array of 56 co-aligned concentrator optics, each associated with a silicon drift detector (Prigozhin et al 2012), operating in the 0.2-12 keV band. The XTI provides high time resolution (∼ 100 ns) and spectral resolution of ∼ 85 eV at 1 keV.…”

Section: Nicermentioning

confidence: 99%

The 2019 super-Eddington outburst of RX J0209.6−7427: detection of pulsations and constraints on the magnetic field strength

Vasilopoulos

Ray

Gendreau

et al. 2020

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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In November 2019, MAXI detected an X-ray outburst from the known Be X-ray binary system RX J0209.6−7427 located in the outer wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud. We followed the outburst of the system with NICER which led to the discovery of X-ray pulsations with a period of 9.3 s. We analyzed simultaneous X-ray data obtained with NuSTAR and NICER allowing us to characterize the spectrum and provide an accurate estimate of its bolometric luminosity. During the outburst the maximum broadband X-ray luminosity of the system reached 1-2×10 39 erg s −1 , thus exceeding by about one order of magnitude the Eddington limit for a typical 1.4 M ⊙ mass neutron star (NS). Monitoring observations with Fermi/GBM and NICER allowed us to study the spin evolution of the NS and compare it with standard accretion torque models. We found that the NS magnetic field should be of the order of 3×10 12 G. We conclude that RX J0209.6−7427 exhibited one of the brightest outbursts observed from a Be X-ray binary pulsar in the Magellanic Clouds, reaching similar luminosity level to the 2016 outburst of SMC X-3. Despite the super-Eddington luminosity of RX J0209.6−7427, the NS appears to have only a moderate magnetic field strength.

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Section: Nicermentioning

confidence: 99%

The 2019 super-Eddington outburst of RX J0209.6−7427: detection of pulsations and constraints on the magnetic field strength

Vasilopoulos

Ray

Gendreau

et al. 2020

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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“…The NICER X-ray Timing Instrument consists of an array of 56 concentrator X-ray optics paired with silicon drift detectors (Gendreau et al 2016). These detectors are sensitive in the 0.2-12 keV energy band (Prigozhin et al 2012), with an energy resolution of better than 150eV, and a timing precision of ∼100ns rms. We observed SwiftJ1756 with 52 operating detectors, giving a total effective area of ∼1900cm 2 at 1.5keV.…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the 2018 Outburst of the Accreting Millisecond X-Ray Pulsar Swift J1756.9–2508 As Seen with NICER

Bult

Altamirano

Arzoumanian

et al. 2018

ApJ

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We report on the coherent timing analysis of the 182 Hz accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SwiftJ1756.9−2508 during its 2018 outburst as observed with the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). Combining our NICER observations with Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of the 2007 and 2009 outbursts, we also studied the long-term spin and orbital evolution of this source. We find that the binary system is well described by a constant orbital period model, with an upper limit on the orbital period derivative of <´-|˙| P 7.4 10 b 13 ss −1. Additionally, we improve upon the source coordinates through astrometric analysis of the pulse arrival times, finding R.A.=17 h 56 m 57 18±0 08 and decl.=−25°06′27 8±3 5, while simultaneously measuring the long-term spin frequency derivative as n =-´-7.3 10 16 Hzs −1. We briefly discuss the implications of these measurements in the context of the wider population of accreting millisecond pulsars.

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“…NICER's X-ray Timing Instrument (XTI; Gendreau et al 2016) consists of 56 co-aligned X-ray concentrator optics each paired with a silicon-drift detector (Prigozhin et al 2012). The XTI provides a peak effective collecting area of 1900 cm 2 and a <100 eV energy resolution at 1.5 keV.…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

NICER Observes the Effects of an X-Ray Burst on the Accretion Environment in Aql X-1

Keek

Arzoumanian

Bult

et al. 2018

ApJL

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Accretion disks around neutron stars regularly undergo sudden strong irradiation by Type-I X-ray bursts powered by unstable thermonuclear burning on the stellar surface. We investigate the impact on the disk during one of the first X-ray burst observations with the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) on the International Space Station. The burst is seen from AqlX-1 during the hard spectral state. In addition to thermal emission from the neutron star, the burst spectrum exhibits an excess of soft X-ray photons below 1 keV, where NICER's sensitivity peaks. We interpret the excess as a combination of reprocessing by the strongly photoionized disk and enhancement of the pre-burst persistent flux, possibly due to Poynting-Robertson drag or coronal reprocessing. This is the first such detection for a short sub-Eddington burst. As these bursts are observed frequently, NICER will be able to study how X-ray bursts affect the disk and corona for a range of accreting neutron star systems and disk states.

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Characterization of the silicon drift detector for NICER instrument

Cited by 41 publications

References 1 publication

The 2019 super-Eddington outburst of RX J0209.6−7427: detection of pulsations and constraints on the magnetic field strength

The 2019 super-Eddington outburst of RX J0209.6−7427: detection of pulsations and constraints on the magnetic field strength

On the 2018 Outburst of the Accreting Millisecond X-Ray Pulsar Swift J1756.9–2508 As Seen with NICER

NICER Observes the Effects of an X-Ray Burst on the Accretion Environment in Aql X-1

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