PSR J0108−1431

PSR J0108−1431
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Cetus
Right ascension 01h 08m 08.29s
Declination −14° 31′ 48.5″
Apparent magnitude (V) ≥ 27.8
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: 92 ± 44 mas/yr
Dec.: −176 ± 70 mas/yr
Distance424 ly
(130 pc)
Details
Temperature88,000 K
Rotation0.807564614019 s
Age166 Myr
Database references
SIMBADdata

PSR J0108−1431 is a solitary neutron star manifesting as a pulsar located at a distance of about 130 parsecs (424 light-years) in the constellation Cetus. It was discovered in 1994 during the Parkes Southern Pulsar Survey. This object is young as a neutron star (with an estimated age of 166 million years) but old as a pulsar, with a slow spin period of 0.8075 seconds. The rotational energy being generated by the spin-down of this pulsar is 5.8 × 1023 W and the surface magnetic field is 2.5 × 107 T. As of 2008, it was the second-faintest pulsar seen from Earth.

An X-ray emission with an energy flux of (9 ± 2) × 10−18 W m−2 was detected in the 0.3−8 keV band using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. This X-ray energy is generated from the conversion of 0.4% of the pulsar's spin-down power. As of 2009, PSR J0108−1431 is the least powerful of the ordinary pulsars that have been detected in the X-ray range.

The "Very Large Telescope" at the European Southern Observatory in Northern Chile observed a possible optical counterpart of this neutron star. The object has an apparent magnitude that is (X ≤ 27.8). No companions have been discovered in orbit around this object.