%0 Generic %1 Agueros2005 %A Agueros, Marcel A. %A Anderson, Scott F. %A Margon, Bruce %A Posselt, Bettina %A Haberl, Frank %A Voges, Wolfgang %A Annis, James %A Schneider, Donald P. %A Brinkmann, Jonathan %D 2005 %K Centre Galactic Neutron Star %T Candidate Isolated Neutron Stars and Other Optically Blank X-ray Fields Identified from the ROSAT All-Sky and Sloan Digital Sky Surveys %U http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511659 %X Only seven radio-quiet isolated neutron stars (INSs) emitting thermal X rays are known, a sample that has yet to definitively address such fundamental issues as the equation of state of degenerate neutron matter. We describe a selection algorithm based on a cross-correlation of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that identifies X-ray error circles devoid of plausible optical counterparts to the SDSS g~22 magnitudes limit. We quantitatively characterize these error circles as optically blank; they may host INSs or other similarly exotic X-ray sources such as radio-quiet BL Lacs, obscured AGN, etc. Our search is an order of magnitude more selective than previous searches for optically blank RASS error circles, and excludes the 99.9% of error circles that contain more common X-ray-emitting subclasses. We find 11 candidates, nine of which are new. While our search is designed to find the best INS candidates and not to produce a complete list of INSs in the RASS, it is reassuring that our number of candidates is consistent with predictions from INS population models. Further X-ray observations will obtain pinpoint positions and determine whether these sources are entirely optically blank at g~22, supporting the presence of likely isolated neutron stars and perhaps enabling detailed follow-up studies of neutron star physics.

@misc{Agueros2005, abstract = { Only seven radio-quiet isolated neutron stars (INSs) emitting thermal X rays are known, a sample that has yet to definitively address such fundamental issues as the equation of state of degenerate neutron matter. We describe a selection algorithm based on a cross-correlation of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that identifies X-ray error circles devoid of plausible optical counterparts to the SDSS g~22 magnitudes limit. We quantitatively characterize these error circles as optically blank; they may host INSs or other similarly exotic X-ray sources such as radio-quiet BL Lacs, obscured AGN, etc. Our search is an order of magnitude more selective than previous searches for optically blank RASS error circles, and excludes the 99.9% of error circles that contain more common X-ray-emitting subclasses. We find 11 candidates, nine of which are new. While our search is designed to find the best INS candidates and not to produce a complete list of INSs in the RASS, it is reassuring that our number of candidates is consistent with predictions from INS population models. Further X-ray observations will obtain pinpoint positions and determine whether these sources are entirely optically blank at g~22, supporting the presence of likely isolated neutron stars and perhaps enabling detailed follow-up studies of neutron star physics. }, added-at = {2009-09-09T19:30:12.000+0200}, author = {Agueros, Marcel A. and Anderson, Scott F. and Margon, Bruce and Posselt, Bettina and Haberl, Frank and Voges, Wolfgang and Annis, James and Schneider, Donald P. and Brinkmann, Jonathan}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/27d1ba0daadb07e08f865abc369710e3d/ad4}, description = {Candidate Isolated Neutron Stars and Other Optically Blank X-ray Fields Identified from the ROSAT All-Sky and Sloan Digital Sky Surveys}, interhash = {1939a74da0002c76c747a7f6fe7a49e6}, intrahash = {7d1ba0daadb07e08f865abc369710e3d}, keywords = {Centre Galactic Neutron Star}, note = {cite arxiv:astro-ph/0511659 Comment: Accepted for publication in the AJ; higher resolution figures available at http://www.astro.washington.edu/agueros/pub/}, timestamp = {2009-09-09T19:30:13.000+0200}, title = {{C}andidate {I}solated {N}eutron {S}tars and {O}ther {O}ptically {B}lank {X}-ray {F}ields {I}dentified from the {ROSAT} {A}ll-{S}ky and {S}loan {D}igital {S}ky {S}urveys}, url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511659}, year = 2005 }