Article (Scientific journals)
Flares from a candidate Galactic magnetar suggest a missing link to dim isolated neutron stars
Castro-Tirado, A. J.; de Ugarte Postigo, A.; Gorosabel, J. et al.
2008In Nature, 455, p. 506-509
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Abstract :
[en] Magnetars are young neutron stars with very strong magnetic fields of the order of 10[SUP]14[/SUP]-10[SUP]15[/SUP]G. They are detected in our Galaxy either as soft γ-ray repeaters or anomalous X-ray pulsars. Soft γ-ray repeaters are a rare type of γ-ray transient sources that are occasionally detected as bursters in the high-energy sky. No optical counterpart to the γ-ray flares or the quiescent source has yet been identified. Here we report multi-wavelength observations of a puzzling source, SWIFT J195509+261406. We detected more than 40 flaring episodes in the optical band over a time span of three days, and a faint infrared flare 11days later, after which the source returned to quiescence. Our radio observations confirm a Galactic nature and establish a lower distance limit of ~3.7kpc. We suggest that SWIFT J195509+261406 could be an isolated magnetar whose bursting activity has been detected at optical wavelengths, and for which the long-term X-ray emission is short-lived. In this case, a new manifestation of magnetar activity has been recorded and we can consider SWIFT J195509+261406 to be a link between the `persistent' soft γ-ray repeaters/anomalous X-ray pulsars and dim isolated neutron stars.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Castro-Tirado, A. J.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
de Ugarte Postigo, A.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
Gorosabel, J.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
Jelínek, M.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
Fatkhullin, T. A.;  Special Astrophysical Observatory of Russian Academy of Science (SAO-RAS), Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachai-Cherkessia, 369167 Russia
Sokolov, V. V.;  Special Astrophysical Observatory of Russian Academy of Science (SAO-RAS), Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachai-Cherkessia, 369167 Russia
Ferrero, P.;  Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg, Germany
Kann, D. A.;  Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg, Germany
Klose, S.;  Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg, Germany
Sluse, Dominique  ;  Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - EPFL > LASTRO
Bremer, M.;  Institute de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM), 300 rue de la Piscine, 38406 Saint Martin d'Héres, France
Winters, J. M.;  Institute de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM), 300 rue de la Piscine, 38406 Saint Martin d'Héres, France
Nuernberger, D.;  European Southern Observatory, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19, Chile
Pérez-Ramírez, D.;  Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, E-23071 Jaén, Spain
Guerrero, M. A.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
French, J.;  School of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
Melady, G.;  School of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
Hanlon, L.;  School of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
McBreen, B.;  School of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
Leventis, K.;  Astronomical Institute 'Anton Pannekoek', University of Amsterdam, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Markoff, S. B.;  Astronomical Institute 'Anton Pannekoek', University of Amsterdam, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Leon, S.;  Institute de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM), Avda. Divina Pastora 7, Núcleo Central, E-18012 Granada, Spain
Kraus, A.;  Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
Aceituno, F. J.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
Cunniffe, R.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
Kubánek, P.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
Vítek, S.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), PO Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
Schulze, S.;  Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg, Germany
Wilson, A. C.;  Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
Hudec, R.;  Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Fričova 298, 25165 Ondřejov, Czech Republic
Durant, M.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Via Láctea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna (Tenerife), Spain
González-Pérez, J. M.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Via Láctea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna (Tenerife), Spain
Shahbaz, T.;  Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Via Láctea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna (Tenerife), Spain
Guziy, S.;  Nikolaev State University, Nikolskaya 24, 54030 Nikolaev, Ukraine
Pandey, S. B.;  Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational-Sciences (ARIES), Manora Peak, NainiTal, Uttarakhand, 263129, India
Pavlenko, L.;  Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, 98409 Nauchny, Ukraine
Sonbas, E.;  Special Astrophysical Observatory of Russian Academy of Science (SAO-RAS), Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachai-Cherkessia, 369167 Russia ; University of Cukurova, Department of Physics, 01330 Adana, Turkey
Trushkin, S. A.;  Special Astrophysical Observatory of Russian Academy of Science (SAO-RAS), Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachai-Cherkessia, 369167 Russia
Bursov, N. N.;  Special Astrophysical Observatory of Russian Academy of Science (SAO-RAS), Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachai-Cherkessia, 369167 Russia
Nizhelskij, N. A.;  Special Astrophysical Observatory of Russian Academy of Science (SAO-RAS), Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachai-Cherkessia, 369167 Russia
Sánchez-Fernández, C.;  European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Avenida de los Castillos s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, E-28691 Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid), Spain
Sabau-Graziati, L.;  Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA), E-28750 Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid), Spain)
More authors (32 more) Less
Language :
English
Title :
Flares from a candidate Galactic magnetar suggest a missing link to dim isolated neutron stars
Publication date :
01 September 2008
Journal title :
Nature
ISSN :
0028-0836
eISSN :
1476-4687
Publisher :
Nature Publishing Group, London, United Kingdom
Volume :
455
Pages :
506-509
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
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