Related papers: Implications of magnetar non-precession
We propose a unified picture of high magnetic field radio pulsars and magnetars by arguing that they are all rotating high-field neutron stars, but have different orientations of their magnetic axes with respective to their rotation axes.…
Recently, neutron stars with very strong surface magnetic fields have been suggested as the site for the origin of observed soft gamma repeaters (SGRs). We investigate the influence of a strong magnetic field on the properties and internal…
Among the many different classes of stellar objects, neutron stars provide a unique environment where we can test (at the same time) our understanding of matter with extreme density, temperature, and magnetic field. In particular, the…
(adapted)Considering recent observations challenging the traditional magnetar model, we explore the wind braking of magnetars. There is evidence for strong multipole magnetic fields in active magnetars, but the dipole field inferred from…
Two lines of thought exist as to the nature of Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters (SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs). On the one hand,we have neutron stars with super-critical magnetic fields, which spin-down the stars and power the gamma-ray…
We attribute the rapid spindown of magnetar 1E 2259+586 observed by Archibald et al. (2013), termed the "anti-glitch", to partial opening of the magnetosphere during the X-ray burst, followed by changes of the structure of the closed field…
The origin of the strong magnetic fields measured in magnetars is one of the main uncertainties in the neutron star field. On the other hand, the recent discovery of a large number of such strongly magnetized neutron stars, is calling for…
A degenerate neutron gas in equilibrium with a background of electrons and protons in a magnetic field exerts its pressure anisotropically, having a smaller value perpendicular than along the magnetic field. For critical fields the magnetic…
We present a population synthesis study of the observed properties of the magnetars, which allows for X-ray selection effects, investigating the hypothesis that they are drawn from a population of progenitors that are more massive than…
Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) belong to a class of neutron stars believed to harbor the strongest magnetic fields in the universe, as indicated by their energetic bursts and their rapid spindowns. We have developed a theoretical model that…
Anomalous X-ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters have been generally recognized as neutron stars with super strong magnetic fields, namely "magnetars". The "magnetars" manifest that the luminosity in X-ray band are larger than the…
The energy source powering the X-ray emission from anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) is still uncertain. In one scenario, the presence of an ultramagnetized neutron star, or ``magnetar'', with B on the order…
Compact relativistic stars allow us to study the nature of matter under extreme conditions, probing regions of parameter space that are otherwise inaccessible. Nuclear theory in this regime is not well constrained: one key issue is whether…
The magnetar model and a solid quark star model for anomalous X-ray pulsars/soft gamma-ray repeaters (AXPs/SGRs) are discussed. Different manifestations of pulsar-like stars are speculated to be due to both their nature (e.g., mass and…
Magnetars form a special population of neutron stars with strong magnetic fields and long spin periods. About 30 magnetars and magnetar candidates known currently are probably isolated. But the possibility that magnetars are in binaries…
The X-ray afterglow that is observed following large flares on magnetars can be accurately fit by simple and quantitative theoretical models: The long term afterglow, lasting of order weeks, can be understood as thermal radiation of a…
The magnetic deformation of magnetars is affected by their internal magnetic fields, which are generally difficult to be measured directly through observations. In this work, the periodic pulse-phase modulations in the hard X-ray emissions…
We present the first self-consistent theoretical models of magnetar spectra that take into account the combined effects of the stellar atmosphere and its magnetosphere. We find that the proton cyclotron lines that are already weakened by…
It is suggested in this paper that the `bare' strange star might be not bare, and there could be a magnetosphere around it. As a strange star might be an intensely magnetized rotator, the induced unipolar electric field would be large…
I discuss the lack of observational evidence that magnetars are formed as rapidly rotating neutron stars. Supernova remnants containing magnetars do not show the excess of kinetic energy expected for such a formation scenario, nor is there…