The HST Contribution to Neutron Star Astronomy

摘要

While isolated neutron stars (INSs) are among the brightest γ-ray sources, they are among the faintest ones in the optical, and their study is a challenging task which require the most powerful telescopes. HST has lead neutron star optical astronomy yielding nearly all the identifications achieved since the early 1990s. Here, the major HST contributions in the optical studies of INSs and their relevance for neutron stars' astronomy are reviewed.