THE PULSED THERMAL X-RAY RADIATION FROM RADIO MILLISECOND PULSARS (MSPS) CAN PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS OF NEUTRON STARS. REALISTIC PULSE SHAPE MODELING HAS BEGUN TO OFFER IMPORTANT CONSTRAINTS ON THE NEUTRON STAR EQUATION OF STATE. FOR BINARY MSPS COMBINING THIS METHOD WITH AN INDEPENDENT PRECISION MASS MEASUREMENT FROM RADIO TIMING CAN YIELD DEFINITIVE CONSTRAINTS ON NEUTRON STAR STRUCTURE. WE PROPOSE EXPLORATORY XMM-NEWTON OBSERVATIONS OF PSR J1400-1438 A RECENTLY DISCOVERED NEARBY MSP TO ESTABLISH IF IT IS A SUITABLE LABORATORY FOR FUNDAMENTAL NEUTRON STAR PHYSICS AND AT THE SAME TIME COMPLETE THE X-RAY CENSUS OF MSPS WITHIN<500 PC. THIS REQUEST IS PART OF CRITICAL PREPARATORY WORK FOR THE UPCOMING NICER X-RAY TIMING MISSION.

The Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York

Investigators