Magnetar Research Articles

The effects of surface fossil magnetic fields on massive star evolution: IV. Grids of models at Solar, LMC, and SMC metallicities

ABSTRACT Magnetic fields can drastically change predictions of evolutionary models of massive stars via mass-loss quenching, magnetic braking, and efficient angular momentum transport, which we aim to quantify in this work. We use the mesa software instrument to compute an extensive main-sequence grid of stellar structure and evolution models, as well as isochrones, accounting for the effects attributed to a surface fossil magnetic field. The grid is densely populated in initial mass (3–60 M⊙), surface equatorial magnetic field strength (0–50 kG), and metallicity (representative of the Solar neighbourhood and the Magellanic Clouds). We use two magnetic braking and two chemical mixing schemes and compare the model predictions for slowly rotating, nitrogen-enriched (‘Group 2’) stars with observations in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We quantify a range of initial field strengths that allow for producing Group 2 stars and find that typical values (up to a few kG) lead to solutions. Between the subgrids, we find notable departures in surface abundances and evolutionary paths. In our magnetic models, chemical mixing is always less efficient compared to non-magnetic models due to the rapid spin-down. We identify that quasi-chemically homogeneous main sequence evolution by efficient mixing could be prevented by fossil magnetic fields. We recommend comparing this grid of evolutionary models with spectropolarimetric and spectroscopic observations with the goals of (i) revisiting the derived stellar parameters of known magnetic stars, and (ii) observationally constraining the uncertain magnetic braking and chemical mixing schemes.

Detectability of the gravitational-wave background produced by magnetar giant flares

We study the gravitational-wave background produced by f-mode oscillations of neutron stars triggered by magnetar giant flares. For the gravitational-wave energy, we use analytic formulae obtained via general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of strongly magnetized neutron stars. Assuming the magnetar giant flare rate is proportional to the star-formation rate, we show the gravitational-wave signal is likely undetectable by third-generation detectors such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer. We calculate the minimum value of the magnetic field and the magnetar giant flare rate necessary for such a signal to be detectable, and discuss these in the context of our current understanding of magnetar flares throughout the Universe.

Effects of a quadrupolar magnetic term in a generalized Störmer problem on dust grains

A new generalized Störmer problem is proposed.The charged particles motion around a rotating axisymmetric magnetic planet is studied using various conditions mainly in planetary magnetospheres.It is shown that the existence of specific trajectories is due to the quadrupolar and dipolar magnetic terms. Moreover, the equilibrium and stability behaviors and the corresponding orbital frequencies for various kinds of charged dust grains are treated giving rise to a new model describing the dynamical system and leading to more interesting results.

Three-dimensional Magnetothermal Simulations of Magnetar Outbursts

The defining trait of magnetars, the most strongly magnetized neutron stars (NSs), is their transient activity in the X/γ-bands. In particular, many of them undergo phases of enhanced emission, the so-called outbursts, during which the luminosity rises by a factor ∼10–1000 in a few hours to then decay over months/years. Outbursts often exhibit a thermal spectrum, associated with the appearance of hotter regions on the surface of the star, which subsequently change in shape and cool down. Here we simulate the unfolding of a sudden, localized heat injection in the external crust of an NS with a 3D magnetothermal evolution code, finding that this can reproduce the main features of magnetar outbursts. A full 3D treatment allows us to study for the first time the inherently asymmetric hot spots that appear on the surface of the star as the result of the injection and to follow the evolution of their temperature and shape. We investigate the effects produced by different physical conditions in the heated region, highlighting in particular how the geometry of the magnetic field plays a key role in determining the properties of the event.

Trumpler 16-26: a new centrifugal magnetosphere star discovered via SDSS/APOGEE H-band spectroscopy

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of a new example of the rare class of highly magnetized, rapidly rotating, helium enhanced, early B stars that produce anomalously wide hydrogen emission due to a centrifugal magnetosphere (CM). The star is Trumpler 16-26, a B1.5 V member of the Trumpler 16 open cluster. A CM was initially suspected based on hydrogen Brackett series emission observed in SDSS/APOGEE H-band spectra. Similar to the other stars of this type, the emission was highly variable and at all times remarkable due to the extreme velocity separations of the double peaks (up to 1300 km s−1.) Another clue lay in the TESS light curve, which shows two irregular eclipses per cycle when phased with the likely 0.971 8115-d rotation period, similar to the behaviour of the well-known CM host star σ Ori E. To confirm a strong magnetic field and rotation-phase-locked variability, we initiated a follow-up campaign consisting of optical spectropolarimetry and spectroscopy. The associated data revealed a longitudinal magnetic field varying between −3.1 and +1.6 kG with the period found from photometry. The optical spectra confirmed rapid rotation (v sin i = 195 km s−1), surface helium enhancement, and wide, variable hydrogen emission. Tr16-26 is thus confirmed as the 20th known, the fourth most rapidly rotating, and the faintest CM host star yet discovered. With a projected dipole magnetic field strength of Bd > 11 kG, Tr16-26 is also among the most magnetic CM stars.

A high-order shock capturing discontinuous Galerkin–finite difference hybrid method for GRMHD

We present a discontinuous Galerkin (DG)–finite difference (FD) hybrid scheme that allows high-order shock capturing with the DG method for general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics. The hybrid method is conceptually quite simple. An unlimited DG candidate solution is computed for the next time step. If the candidate solution is inadmissible, the time step is retaken using robust FD methods. Because of its a posteriori nature, the hybrid scheme inherits the best properties of both methods. It is high-order with exponential convergence in smooth regions, while robustly handling discontinuities. We give a detailed description of how we transfer the solution between the DG and FD solvers, and the troubled-cell indicators necessary to robustly handle slow-moving discontinuities and simulate magnetized neutron stars. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method using a suite of standard and very challenging 1D, 2D, and 3D relativistic magnetohydrodynamics test problems. The hybrid scheme is designed from the ground up to efficiently simulate astrophysical problems such as the inspiral, coalescence, and merger of two neutron stars.

Discovery and origin of the radio emission from the multiple stellar system KQ Vel

ABSTRACT KQ Vel is a binary system composed of a slowly rotating magnetic Ap star with a companion of unknown nature. In this paper, we report the detection of its radio emission. We conducted a multifrequency radio campaign using the ATCA interferometer (band-names: 16 cm, 4 cm, and 15 mm). The target was detected in all bands. The most obvious explanation for the radio emission is that it originates in the magnetosphere of the Ap star, but this is shown unfeasible. The known stellar parameters of the Ap star enable us to exploit the scaling relationship for non-thermal gyro-synchrotron emission from early-type magnetic stars. This is a general relation demonstrating how radio emission from stars with centrifugal magnetospheres is supported by rotation. Using KQ Vel’s parameters the predicted radio luminosity is more than five orders of magnitudes lower than the measured one. The extremely long rotation period rules out the Ap star as the source of the observed radio emission. Other possible explanations for the radio emission from KQ Vel, involving its unknown companion, have been explored. A scenario that matches the observed features (i.e. radio luminosity and spectrum, correlation to X-rays) is a hierarchical stellar system, where the possible companion of the magnetic star is a close binary (possibly of RS CVn type) with at least one magnetically active late-type star. To be compatible with the total mass of the system, the last scenario places strong constraints on the orbital inclination of the KQ Vel stellar system.

Quasi-periodic oscillations in precursor flares via seismic aftershocks from resonant shattering

Context. GRB 211211A was accompanied by a kilonova, implying a merger origin for the event. A precursor flare, modulated by quasi-periodic oscillations at ≈22 Hz, was also seen ≈1 s prior to the main emission. Aims. It is suggested here that the precursor resulted from the resonant shattering of one star’s crust prior to coalescence. Seismic aftershocks and low-frequency torsional modes may emanate from the rupture site in this case, explaining the underlying oscillations. This interpretation is directly analogous to proposals for giant flares from soft gamma repeaters, where oscillations at similar frequencies have been observed, involving starquakes followed by crustal vibrations. Methods. Torsional mode properties were computed for sequences of slowly rotating, magnetised neutron stars in general relativity. Results. The ≈22 Hz modulations in the precursor matches that of nodeless, ℓ = 2 torsional modes for a wide variety of stellar parameters. Global or discrete Alfvén modes are also viable candidates.

Modeling the Photometric Variability of Alpha2 CVn with a Dynamical Magnetosphere

Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum (α 2 CVn) is a strongly magnetic star with peculiar chemical signatures and periodic variability that have been long attributed to the diffusion of magnetic elements through the photosphere, leading to chemical spots across the stellar surface. However, recent studies of other magnetic hot stars are consistent with magnetospheric clouds above the surface. Here we take a renewed approach to modeling α 2 CVn with a simplified dynamical magnetosphere and a tilted, offset magnetic dipole to reproduce its Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite variability. Our dipole model also reproduces well the magnetic surface map of α 2 CVn from Silvester et al. Its ultraviolet variability, from IUE archival spectra, is also consistent with traditional reddening models. However, other observable quantities from the system contradict the expectations of a magnetosphere, and we conclude that it is unlikely to be present in α 2 CVn.

Constraining the Ellipticity of the Newborn Magnetar with the Observational Data of Long Gamma-Ray Bursts

The X-ray plateau emission observed in many long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) has been usually interpreted as the spin-down luminosity of a rapidly spinning, highly magnetized neutron star (millisecond magnetar). If this is true, then the magnetar may emit extended gravitational wave (GW) emission associated with the X-ray plateau due to nonaxisymmetric deformation or various stellar oscillations. The advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors have searched for long-duration GW transients for several years; no evidence of GWs from any magnetar has been found until now. In this work, we attempt to search for signatures of GW radiation in the electromagnetic observation of 30 LGRBs under the assumption of the magnetar model. We utilize the observations of the LGRB plateau to constrain the properties of the newborn magnetar, including the initial spin period P 0, dipole magnetic field strength B p , and the ellipticity ϵ. We find that there are some tight relations between magnetar parameters, e.g., and . In addition, we derive the GW strain for the magnetar sample via their spin-down processes, and find that the GWs from these objects may not be detectable by the aLIGO and Einstein Telescope (ET) detectors. For a rapidly spinning magnetar (P ∼ 1 ms, B ∼ 1015 G), the detection horizon for the advanced LIGO O5 detector is ∼180 Mpc. The detection of such a GW signal associated with the X-ray plateau would be a smoking gun that the central engine of a GRB is a magnetar.

Superdense beaming of axion dark matter in the vicinity of the light cylinder of pulsars

In this article we treat the non-adiabatic photon-to-axion resonant conversion of curvature radiation, synchrotron emission and inverse Compton scattering dominating the spectral density function of pulsars. First, we introduce emission models and benchmark observational data. We adopt a state-of-the-art density profile that relieves tension with the quantum electrodynamics vacuum polarization effect in highly magnetic stars, leading to efficient mixing. Then, we estimate the dark matter flux induced by photon-axion oscillation across the light cylinder of the neutron star. We find that pulsars might produce axion overdensities many orders of magnitude over the occupation number of dark matter in the Galactic halo within a broad parameter space. We point out possible new methods for axion detection derived from these results and other future lines of work.

What leads to premature upper cut-off frequencies of auroral radio emission from hot magnetic stars?

ABSTRACT Recently, a large number of hot magnetic stars have been discovered to produce auroral radio emission by the process of electron cyclotron maser emission (ECME). Such stars have been given the name of main-sequence radio pulse emitters (MRPs). The phenomenon characterizing MRPs is very similar to that exhibited by planets like Jupiter. However, one important aspect in which the MRPs differ from aurorae exhibited by planets is the upper cut-off frequency of the ECME spectrum. While Jupiter’s upper cut-off frequency was found to correspond to its maximum surface magnetic field strength, the same for MRPs are always found to be much smaller than the frequencies corresponding to their maximum surface magnetic field strength. In this paper, we report the wideband observations (0.4–4.0 GHz) of the MRP HD 35298 that enabled us to locate the upper cut-off frequency of its ECME spectrum. This makes HD 35298 the sixth MRP with a known constraint on the upper cut-off frequency. With this information, for the first time, we investigate into what could lead to the premature cut-off. We review the existing scenarios attempting to explain this effect, and arrive at the conclusion that none of them can satisfactorily explain all the observations. We speculate that more than one physical processes might be in play to produce the observed characteristics of ECME cut-off for hot magnetic stars. Further observations, both for discovering more hot magnetic stars producing ECME and to precisely locate the upper cut-off, will be critical to solve this problem.

An Extension of Gmunu: General-relativistic Resistive Magnetohydrodynamics Based on Staggered-meshed Constrained Transport with Elliptic Cleaning

We present the implementation of general-relativistic resistive magnetohydrodynamics solvers and three divergence-free handling approaches adopted in the General-relativistic multigrid numerical (Gmunu) code. In particular, implicit–explicit Runge–Kutta schemes are used to deal with the stiff terms in the evolution equations for small resistivity. The three divergence-free handling methods are (i) hyperbolic divergence cleaning (also known as the generalized Lagrange multiplier), (ii) staggered-meshed constrained transport schemes, and (iii) elliptic cleaning through a multigrid solver, which is applicable in both cell-centered and face-centered (stagger grid) magnetic fields. The implementation has been tested with a number of numerical benchmarks from special-relativistic to general-relativistic cases. We demonstrate that our code can robustly recover from the ideal magnetohydrodynamics limit to a highly resistive limit. We also illustrate the applications in modeling magnetized neutron stars, and compare how different divergence-free handling methods affect the evolution of the stars. Furthermore, we show that the preservation of the divergence-free condition of the magnetic field when using staggered-meshed constrained transport schemes can be significantly improved by applying elliptic cleaning.

Radiative relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of neutron star column accretion in Cartesian geometry

ABSTRACT High luminosity accretion on to a strongly magnetized neutron star results in a radiation pressure dominated, magnetically confined accretion column. We investigate the dynamics of these columns using 2D radiative relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, restricting consideration to modest accretion rates where the height of the column is low enough that Cartesian geometry can be employed. The column structure is dynamically maintained through high-frequency oscillations of the accretion shock at ≃ 10–25 kHz. These oscillations arise because it is necessary to redistribute the power released at the accretion shock through bulk vertical motions, both to balance the cooling and to provide vertical pressure support against gravity. Sideways cooling always dominates the loss of internal energy. In addition to the vertical oscillations, photon bubbles form in our simulations and add additional spatial complexity to the column structure. They are not themselves responsible for the oscillations, and they do not appear to affect the oscillation period. However, they enhance the vertical transport of radiation and increase the oscillation amplitude in luminosity. The time-averaged column structure in our simulations resembles the trends in standard 1D stationary models, the main difference being that the time-averaged height of the shock front is lower because of the higher cooling efficiency of the 2D column shape.

Spectropolarimetry of magnetic Chemically Peculiar stars in the Orion OB1 association

ABSTRACT We summarize the results of a spectropolarimetric survey of 56 chemically peculiar (CP) stars in the association of Orion OB1. We uniformly collected the observational material with the 6-m telescope BTA of the Special Astrophysical Observatory in 2013–2021. We identify 14 new magnetic CP stars with a longitudinal magnetic field exceeding approximately 500 G. The studied sample contains 31 magnetic stars or 55 per cent of the whole CP population in Orion OB1. We show that the percentage of the magnetic CP stars and the field strength drop sharply with age. The mean longitudinal magnetic field in the young subgroup OB1b (log t = 6.23) is confidently almost three times stronger than in the older subgroups OB1a (log t = 7.05) and OB1c (log t = 6.66). In the Orion Nebula, a place with the youngest stellar population (log t < 6.0), we detect the magnetic field only in 20 per cent of CP stars. Such an occurrence drastically differs from 83 per cent of magnetic CP stars in the nearby subgroup OB1c. We consider this effect an observational bias caused by a significant portion of a very young population with the signatures of Herbig Ae/Be stars. The technique we used for magnetic measurements and the quality of available data do not allow us to detect weak fields in the case of stars with a limited number of lines and emissions in spectra.

GRB Afterglow of the Sub-relativistic Materials with Energy Injection

Sub-relativistic materials launched during the merger of binary compact objects and the core collapse of massive stars acquire velocity structures when expanding in a stratified environment. The remnant (either a spinning magnetized neutron star (NS) or a central black hole) from the compact object or core collapse could additionally inject energy into the afterglow via spin-down luminosity or/and by accreting fallback material, producing a refreshed shock, modifying the dynamics, and leading to rich radiation signatures at distinct timescales and energy bands with contrasting intensities. We derive the synchrotron light curves evolving in a stratified environment when a power-law velocity distribution parameterizes the energy of the shock, and the remnant continuously injects energy into the blast wave. As the most relevant case, we describe the latest multiwavelength afterglow observations (≳900 days) of the GW170817/GRB 170817A event via a synchrotron afterglow model with energy injection of a sub-relativistic material. The features of the remnant and the synchrotron emission of the sub-relativistic material are consistent with a spinning magnetized NS and the faster blue kilonova afterglow, respectively. Using the multiband observations of some short bursts with evidence of kilonovae, we provide constraints on the expected afterglow emission.

GRB 211211A: a Prolonged Central Engine under a Strong Magnetic Field Environment

Recently, a kilonova-associated gamma-ray burst (GRB 211211A), whose light curve consists of a precursor (∼0.2 s), a hard spiky emission (∼10 s), and a soft long extended emission (∼40 s), has attracted great attention. Kilonova association could prove its merger origin, while the detection of the precursor can be used to infer at least one highly magnetized neutron star (NS) being involved in the merger. In this case, a strong magnetic flux Φ is expected to surround the central engine of GRB 211211A. Here we suggest that when Φ is large enough, the accretion flow could be halted far from the innermost stable radius, which will significantly prolong the lifetime of the accretion process, and so the GRB duration. For example, we show that as long as the central black hole (BH) is surrounded by a strong magnetic flux Φ ∼ 1029cm2 G, an accretion flow with could be halted at 40 times the gravitational radius and be slowly transferred into the black hole on the order of ∼10 s, which naturally explains the duration of hard spiky emission. After most of the disk mass has been accreted onto the BH, the inflow rate will be reduced, so a long and soft extended emission is expected when a new balance between the magnetic field and the accretion current is reconstructed at a larger radius. Our results further support that the special behavior of GRB 211211A is mainly due to the strong magnetic field of its progenitor stars.

The evolutionary state of the chemically peculiar members of the open cluster NGC 2516

ABSTRACT We aim at establishing safe membership and evolutionary status of 11 chemically peculiar (CP) stars that are residing in the domain of the open cluster NGC 2516 and are frequently referred to as cluster members. We queried the Gaia EDR3 catalogue in an area with a radius of 1° and selected 37 508 stars brighter than G = 19 mag. The cluster membership was determined in parallax-proper motion-space and 719 probable and 764 possible members were found. The obtained average astrometric and photometric parameters of the cluster are in good agreement with the most recent literature data. The evolutionary status of the target stars was determined with respect to Padova isochrones. After minor adjustments including the metallicity, the reddening, and the transformation scale variation, a perfect fit of the model to the observations over the whole observed magnitude range was achieved. Only 5 of the 11 considered CP stars could be classified as highly probable cluster members. Among the Ap/Bp stars with previously detected magnetic fields HD 65987 and HD 65712 have a high membership probability and the magnetic star CPD−60 944B is a possible cluster member. Further we discuss the blue straggler nature of HD 66194 and the magnetic star HD 65987. To our knowledge, HD 65987 is currently the only known blue straggler, with a field of the order of a few hundred Gauss. The most striking result of our study is that the strongly magnetic A0p star HD 66318 with previously reported very low fractional age does not belong to the NGC 2516 cluster at a high level of confidence.

Pulsar wind nebulae of runaway massive stars

ABSTRACT A significant fraction of massive stars move at speed through the interstellar medium of galaxies. After their death as core-collapse supernovae, a possible final evolutionary state is that of a fast-rotating magnetized neutron star, shaping its circumstellar medium into a pulsar wind nebula. Understanding the properties of pulsar wind nebulae requires knowledge of the evolutionary history of their massive progenitors. Using two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical simulations, we demonstrate that, in the context of a runaway high-mass red-supergiant supernova progenitor, the morphology of its subsequent pulsar wind nebula is strongly affected by the wind of the defunct progenitor star pre-shaping the stellar surroundings throughout its entire past life. In particular, pulsar wind nebulae of obscured runaway massive stars harbour asymmetries as a function of the morphology of the progenitor’s wind-blown cavity, inducing projected asymmetric up–down synchrotron emission.

Simulating magnetized neutron stars with discontinuous Galerkin methods

Discontinuous Galerkin methods are popular because they can achieve high order where the solution is smooth, because they can capture shocks while needing only nearest-neighbor communication, and because they are relatively easy to formulate on complex meshes. We perform a detailed comparison of various limiting strategies presented in the literature applied to the equations of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics. We compare the standard minmod/$\Lambda\Pi^N$ limiter, the hierarchical limiter of Krivodonova, the simple WENO limiter, the HWENO limiter, and a discontinuous Galerkin-finite-difference hybrid method. The ultimate goal is to understand what limiting strategies are able to robustly simulate magnetized TOV stars without any fine-tuning of parameters. Among the limiters explored here, the only limiting strategy we can endorse is a discontinuous Galerkin-finite-difference hybrid method.