Faint neutron star at the center of a supernova remnant
A central compact object (CCO) is an
x-raysource found near the center of a young, nearby
supernova remnant (SNR). Given the observed x-ray
flux and
spectra observed from these objects, the almost certain conclusion is that CCOs are the remnant
neutron stars which resulted from the recent
supernova. Unlike most
pulsars, CCOs generally
lack pulsed radio emission or variation in the observed x-rays due to such phenomena being either nonexistent or difficult to detect. The weaker
magnetic fields than most other detected neutron stars means that most of the detected x-rays are due to
blackbody radiation. Confirmation that the CCO is associated with the past supernova can be done using the
kinematics of the objects and matching them to the age and kinematics of the host SNR.[1]
The detection in 1980 of
1E 161348-5055 at the center of SNR
RCW 103 using the
Einstein Observatory[2] was once touted as the first CCO discovery, but is now classified as a slow-rotating
magnetar due to magnetar outburst detection.[3] Since that object's discovery, ten CCOs have been positively identified with a further two as candidates.[4]