SEARCHING FOR THE PULSAR IN G18.95-1.1: DISCOVERY OF AN X-RAY POINT SOURCE AND ASSOCIATED SYNCHROTRON NEBULA WITH CHANDRA
Using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we have pinpointed the location of a faint X-ray point source (CXOU J182913.1-125113) and an associated diffuse nebula in the composite supernova remnant (SNR) G18.95-1.1. These objects appear to be the long-sought pulsar and its wind nebula. The X-ray spectrum of the point source is best described by an absorbed power-law model with {Gamma} = 1.6 and an N{sub H} of {approx}1 x 10{sup 22} cm{sup -2}. This model predicts a relatively low unabsorbed X-ray luminosity of about L{sub X} (0.5-8.0 keV) {approx_equal} 4.1 x 10{sup 31} D{sup 2} {sub 2} erg s{sup -1}, where D{sub 2} is the distance in units of 2 kpc. The best-fit model of the diffuse nebula is a combination of thermal (kT = 0.48 keV) and non-thermal (1.4 {<=} {Gamma} {<=} 1.9) emission. The unabsorbed X-ray luminosity of L{sub X} {approx_equal} 5.4 x 10{sup 33} D{sup 2}{sub 2} erg s{sup -1} in the 0.5-8 keV energy band seems to be largely dominated by the thermal component from the SNR, providing 87% of L{sub X} in this band. No radio or X-ray pulsations have been reported for CXOU J182913.1-125113. If we assume an age of {approx}5300 yr for G18.95-1.1 and use the X-ray luminosity for the pulsar and the wind nebula together with the relationship between spin-down luminosity (via magnetic dipole radiation) and period, we estimate the pulsar's period to be P {approx_equal} 0.4 s. Compared to other rotation-powered pulsars, a magnetic field of 2.2 x 10{sup 13} G is implied by its location in the P- P-dot diagram, a value which is close to that of the quantum critical field.