Related papers: Magnetars: the physics behind observations
Young neutron stars born with magnetic fields $B\gtrsim 10^{16}$ G become hyperactive as the field inside the star evolves through ambipolar diffusion on a timescale $\sim 10^9$ s. We simulate this process numerically and find that it can…
Highly magnetized neutron stars are promising candidates to explain some of the most peculiar astronomical phenomena, for instance, fast radio bursts, gamma-ray bursts, and superluminous supernovae. Pulsations of these highly magnetized…
Magnetars are very rare astrophysical objects, with $\sim$31 known to date. They are best understood as highly magnetised neutron stars, but a greater number need to be found to constrain their role in stellar evolution pathways. We apply a…
In the recent years, the discovery of a new class of Galactic transients with fast and bright flaring X-ray activity, the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients, has completely changed our view and comprehension of massive X-ray binaries. These…
The central engine that powers gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most powerful explosions in the universe, is still not identified. Besides hyper-accreting black holes, rapidly spinning and highly magnetized neutron stars, known as millisecond…
Soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) are generally accepted to be magnetars. Recently, Zhang, Xu & Qiao (2000, ApJ, 545, L127) proposed an alternative viewpoint about the nature of the SGRs (and AXPs). In this…
Energetic bursts from strongly magnetized neutron stars, known as magnetars, are typically detected in clusters. Once an active episode begins, anywhere from a few to thousands of hard X-ray bursts can occur over durations ranging from days…
Neutron stars have the strongest magnetic fields known anywhere in the Universe. In this review, I intend to give a pedagogical discussion of some of the related physics. Neutron stars exist because of Pauli's exclusion principle, in two…
Extremely strong magnetic fields of the order of $10^{15}\,{\rm G}$ are required to explain the properties of magnetars, the most magnetic neutron stars. Such a strong magnetic field is expected to play an important role for the dynamics of…
Highly luminous rapid flares are characteristic of processes around compact objects like white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes. In the high energy regime of X- and gamma-rays, outbursts with variability time-scales of seconds and…
Observational evidence for strong magnetic fields throughout the envelopes of evolved stars is increasing. Many of the instruments coming on line in the near-future will be able to make further contributions to this field. Specifically,…
Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) are magnetar candidates, i.e., neutron stars powered by strong magnetic field. If they are indeed magnetars, they will emit high-energy gamma-rays which are detectable by…
Soft gamma repeaters and anomalous x-ray pulsars form a rapidly increasing group of x-ray sources exhibiting sporadic emission of short bursts. They are believed to be magnetars, i.e. neutron stars powered by extreme magnetic fields,…
Magnetar giant flares (MGFs) are rare, extremely bright bursts of gamma-rays from highly magnetized neutron stars. These events are challenging to identify because, at extragalactic distances, they can appear similar to other astrophysical…
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…
Neutron stars can have, in some phases of their life, extremely strong magnetic fields, up to 10^15-10^16 G. These objects, named magnetars, could be powerful sources of gravitational waves, since their magnetic field could determine large…
Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters (SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) are interpreted as young highly magnetized neutron stars (NSs). Their X-ray luminosity in quiescence, exceeding 10^{35} erg s^{-1} cannot be explained as due to cooling of a…
We consider a model where the strong magnetic fields of magnetars arise from a high baryon density, magnetized core. In this framework magnetars are distinguished from pulsars by their higher masses and central density. For magnetars, as…
Two classes of high energy sources in our galaxy are believed to host magnetars, neutron stars whose emission results from the dissipation of their magnetic field. The extremely high magnetic field of magnetars distorts their shape, and…
The nature of the 5-12 s "anomalous" X-ray pulsars remains a mystery. Among the models that have been proposed to explain the properties of AXPs, the most likely ones are: (1) isolated accreting neutron stars evolved from the…