Chandra Observations of 1RXS J141256.0+792204 (Calvera)

Andrew S. H. Shevchuk, Derek B. Fox, Robert E. Rutledge

Published 2009-07-24Version 1

We report the results of a 30 ks Chandra ACIS-S observation of the isolated compact object 1RXS J141256.0+792204 (Calvera). The X-ray spectrum is adequately described by an absorbed neutron star hydrogen atmosphere model with an effective temperature at infinity of 88.3 +/- 0.8 eV and radiation radius at infinity of 4.1 +/- 0.1 km/kpc. The best-fit blackbody spectrum yields parameters consistent with previous measurements; although the fit itself is not statistically acceptable, systematic uncertainties in the pile-up correction may contribute to this. We find marginal evidence for narrow spectral features in the X-ray spectrum between 0.3 and 1.0 keV. In one interpretation, we find evidence at 81%-confidence for an absorption edge at 0.64 (+0.08) (-0.06) keV with an equivalent width of ~70 eV; if this feature is real, it is reminiscent of features seen in the isolated neutron stars RX J1605.3+3249, RX J0720.4-3125, and 1RXS J130848.6+212708 (RBS 1223). In an alternative approach, we find evidence at 88%-confidence for an unresolved emission line at energy 0.53 +/- 0.02 keV, with an equivalent width of ~28 eV; the interpretation of this feature, if real, is uncertain. We search for coherent pulsations up to the Nyquist frequency of 1.13 Hz and set an upper limit of 8.0% rms on the strength of any such modulation. We derive an improved position for the source and set the most rigorous limits to-date on any associated extended emission on arcsecond scales. Our analysis confirms the basic picture of Calvera as the first isolated compact object in the ROSAT/Bright Source Catalog discovered in six years, the hottest such object known, and an intriguing target for multiwavelength study.