WE PROPSED XMM-NEWTON AND NUSTAR OBSERVATIONS OF THE NEARBY PULSAR B0666+14. THE X-RAY SPECTRUM OF THIS PUSAR SHOWS COMPLEX VARIABLILITY WITH THE PULSARS ROTATION PHASE. OUR RE-ANAYLSIS OF ARCHIVAL DATA SUFFESTS THAT MUCH OF THE VARIABILITY COULD BE DUE TO SPECTRAL FEATURE RATHER THAN A HOT POLAR CAP. IF CONFIRMED IT WOULD ONLY BE THE SECOND CASE WHEN SUCH FEATURES ARE SEEN IN THE SPETRUM OF AN ISOLATED ROTATION-POWERED PULSAR. THE ORIGIN OF THE FEATURES MUST BE INTIMATELY LINKED TO THE PROPERTIES OF NS ATMOSPHERES OR MAGNATOSPHERES. OBVIOUSLY ONE SHOULD STUDY THE FEATURES IN MORE THAN ONE PULSAR BEFROE A DEFINITIVE INTERPRETATION CAN BE GIVEN. IN ADDITION OUR OBSERVATIONS WILL FILLIN THE GAP IN THE MULTIWAVELENGTH SPECTRUM OF THE MIDDLE AGED PULSAR.
$53,343FY2016National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA
George Washington University (The)