Open AccessA tale of two populations: rotating radio transients and X‐ray dim isolated neutron stars
Author(s) -
Popov S. B.,
Turolla R.,
Possenti A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society: letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.067
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1745-3933
pISSN - 1745-3925
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2006.00166.x
Subject(s) - neutron star , magnetar , astrophysics , physics , stars , transient (computer programming) , population , x ray , radio wave , astronomy , nuclear physics , computer science , quantum mechanics , operating system , demography , sociology
We highlight similarities between recently discovered rotating radio transients and X‐ray dim isolated neutron stars. In particular, it is shown that X‐ray dim isolated neutron stars have a birthrate comparable to that of rotating radio transients. On the contrary, magnetars have a formation rate that is too low to account for the bulk of the radio transient population. The consequences of the recent detection of a thermal X‐ray source associated with one of the rotating radio transients on the proposed scenarios for these sources are also discussed.