Related papers: Origin and evolution of magnetars
Neutron Stars are among the most exotic objects in the Universe. A neutron star, with a mass of 1.4-2 Solar masses within a radius of about 10-15 km, is the most compact stable configuration of matter in which degeneracy pressure can still…
Rotation-powered radio pulsars are born with inferred initial rotation periods of order 300 ms (some as short as 20 ms) in core-collapse supernovae. In the traditional picture, this fast rotation is the result of conservation of angular…
For about half a century the radio pulsar population was observed to spin in the ~0.002-12s range, with different pulsar classes having a spin-period evolution that differs substantially depending on their magnetic fields or past accretion…
A newly born millisecond magnetar is thought to be the central engine of some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), especially those that present long-lasting X-ray plateau emissions. By solving the field equations, we find that when the rotational…
The observed fraction of pulsars with interpulses, their period distribution and the observed pulse width versus pulse period correlation is shown to be inconsistent with a model in which the angle alpha between the magnetic axis and the…
It is shown that the drift waves near the light cylinder can cause the modulation of the emission with periods of the order several seconds. These periods explain the intervals between successive pulses observed in "magnetars" and radio…
As the endpoints of massive star evolution, neutron stars are enigmatic celestial objects characterized by extremely dense and exotic nuclear matter, magnetospheres with positrons (antimatter), rapid rotation and ultra-strong magnetic…
Long-period transients are an elusive class of compact objects uncovered by radio surveys. While magnetars are a leading candidate for those sources that appear isolated, several observational properties challenge the established…
We explore the possibility that a magnetar may owe its strong magnetic field to a magnetized core which, as indicated by certain equations of state, may form due to phase transitions at high density mediated by strong interaction within a…
Magnetars are slowly-rotating neutron stars with extremely strong magnetic fields ($10^{13-15}$ G), episodically emitting $\sim100$ ms long X-ray bursts with energies of $\sim10^{40-41}$ erg. Rarely, they produce extremely bright, energetic…
Stars of spectral types O and B produce neutron stars (NSs) after supernova explosions. Most of NSs are strongly magnetised including normal radio pulsars with $B \propto 10^{12}$ G and magnetars with $B\propto 10^{14}$ G. A fraction of…
We present a model for the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) in which the emission is powered by accretion from a fossil disk, established from matter falling back onto the neutron star following its birth. The time-dependent accretion drives…
Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio to gamma-rays. We use the rapid binary population synthesis suite COMPAS to model the Galactic population of canonical pulsars.…
A number of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) have recently been detected in the optical/IR wavelengths. We use their inferred brightness to place general constraints on any model for this emission within the magnetar framework. We find that…
SMC X-1 is a high-mass X-ray binary with an orbital period of 3.9 days. The mass of the neutron star is as low as $\sim 1 M_{\sun}$, suggesting that it was likely to be formed through an electron-capture supernova rather an iron-core…
We have recently proposed an explanation for the birth velocities of pulsars as resulting from asymmetries due to neutrino oscillations in the cooling protoneutron star. A specific prediction of this mechanism is that the correlation of…
I summarize the recent advances in our understanding of the Soft Gamma Repeaters: in particular their spin behavior, persistent emission and hyper-Eddington outbursts. The giant flares on 5 March 1979 and 27 August 1998 provide compelling…
Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) are slowly rotating neutron stars with very bright and highly variable X-ray emission that are believed to be powered by ultra-strong magnetic fields of >1e14 G, according to the 'magnetar' model. The radio…
We have simulated a Galactic population of young pulsars and compared with the Fermi LAT sample, constraining the birth properties, beaming and evolution of these spin-powered objects. Using quantitative tests of agreement with the…
The ultra-strong magnetic field of magnetars modifies the neutrino cross section due to the parity violation of the weak interaction and can induce asymmetric propagation of neutrinos. Such an anisotropic neutrino radiation transfers not…