Detection of the Binary Millisecond Pulsar J0437--4715 with the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE)
Session 8 -- Pulsars
Display presentation, Monday, 30, 1994, 9:20-6:30

## [8.02] Detection of the Binary Millisecond Pulsar J0437--4715 with the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE)

J.Edelstein (CEA/UCB), R.S.Foster (NRL), S.Bowyer (CEA/UCB)

The binary millisecond pulsar J0437--4715 has been detected in emission with the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer. Direct pointing measurements joined with data from the deep sky survey provide spectral constraints on the source. For a pulsar at a known distance and using our derived spectrum, we derive the total hydrogen column density. We combine this with radio data to obtain independent estimates of $N_{\rm e}$ and $N_{\rm H}$. If we assume a nominal pulsar distance of 140~pc and a thermal spectrum then a source of heating is required to explain the emission from a neutron star with a characteristic age of over a Gyr. Both external and internal heating sources are possible, including accretion from the binary companion or the ISM, polar cap heating, dissipation at the crust/core interface, and exotic nuclear sources. This work has been supported by NAS5-30180.