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Article Dans Une Revue Nature Année : 2024

Rapid spin changes around a magnetar fast radio burst

Résumé

Magnetars are neutron stars with extremely high magnetic fields (≳10$^{14}$ gauss) that exhibit various X-ray phenomena such as sporadic subsecond bursts, long-term persistent flux enhancements and variable rotation-period derivative$^{1,2}$. In 2020, a fast radio burst (FRB), akin to cosmological millisecond-duration radio bursts, was detected from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154 (refs. $^{3–5}$), confirming the long-suspected association between some FRBs and magnetars. However, the mechanism for FRB generation in magnetars remains unclear. Here we report the X-ray observation of two glitches in SGR 1935+2154 within a time interval of approximately nine hours, bracketing an FRB that occurred on 14 October 2022$^{6,7}$. Each glitch involved a significant increase in the magnetar’s spin frequency, being among the largest abrupt changes in neutron-star rotation$^{8–10}$ observed so far. Between the glitches, the magnetar exhibited a rapid spin-down phase, accompanied by an increase and subsequent decline in its persistent X-ray emission and burst rate. We postulate that a strong, ephemeral, magnetospheric wind$^{11}$ provides the torque that rapidly slows the star’s rotation. The trigger for the first glitch couples the star’s crust to its magnetosphere, enhances the various X-ray signals and spawns the wind that alters magnetospheric conditions that might produce the FRB.

Dates et versions

hal-04470709 , version 1 (21-02-2024)

Identifiants

Citer

Chin-Ping Hu, Takuto Narita, Teruaki Enoto, George Younes, Zorawar Wadiasingh, et al.. Rapid spin changes around a magnetar fast radio burst. Nature, 2024, 626 (7999), pp.500-504. ⟨10.1038/s41586-023-07012-5⟩. ⟨hal-04470709⟩
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