X-ray emission properties of old pulsars
Werner Becker (MPE-Garching) , C.Y. Hui, H.H. Huang
Young and middle aged neutron stars, which emit strong pulsed non-thermal and/or surface hot-spot plus cooling emission, were studied reasonable well by previous X-ray observatories. In contrast, most old radio pulsars were too faint for a detailed examination of their X-ray emission and are clearly sources which required the sensitivity of Chandra and XMM-Newton to be studied in sufficient detail. In my talk I will review recent results on the X-ray emission properties of old pulsars and report on a study of the diffuse trail like emission components found in some of them.