Soft Gamma Repeaters Research Articles

Quantifying chaos and randomness in magnetar bursts

ABSTRACT In this study, we explore the dynamical stability of magnetar bursts within the context of the chaos-randomness phase space for the first time, aiming to uncover unique behaviours compared to various astrophysical transients, including fast radio bursts (FRBs). We analyse burst energy time series data from active magnetar sources SGR J1550−5418 and SGR J1935+2154, focusing on burst arrival time and energy differences between consecutive events. We find a distinct separation in the time domain, where magnetar bursts exhibit significantly lower randomness compared to FRBs, solar flares, and earthquakes, with a slightly higher degree of chaos. In the energy domain, magnetar bursts exhibit a broad consistency with other phenomena, primarily due to the wide distribution of chaos-randomness observed across different bursts and sources. Intriguingly, contrary to expectations from the FRB-magnetar connection, the arrival time patterns of magnetar bursts in our analysis do not exhibit significant proximity to repeating FRBs in the chaos-randomness plane. This finding may challenge the hypothesis that FRBs are associated with typical magnetar bursts but indirectly supports the evidence that FRBs may primarily be linked to special magnetar bursts like peculiar X-ray bursts from SGR J1935+2154 observed simultaneously with Galactic FRB 200428.

Continuous gravitational waves from trapped magnetar ejecta and the connection to glitches and antiglitches

ABSTRACT Gravitational waves from isolated sources have eluded detection so far. The upper limit of long-lasting continuous gravitational wave emission can now probe physically motivated models with the most optimistic being strongly constrained. Naturally, one might want to relax the assumption of the gravitational wave being quasi-infinite in duration, leading to the idea of transient continuous gravitational waves. In this paper, we outline how to get transient continuous waves from magnetars (or strongly magnetized neutron stars) that exhibit glitches and/or antiglitches and apply the model to magnetar SGR 1935+2154. The toy model hypothesizes that at a glitch or antiglitch, mass is ejected from the magnetar but becomes trapped on its outward journey through the magnetosphere. Depending on the height of the trapped ejecta and the magnetic inclination angle, we are able to reproduce both glitches and antiglitches from simple angular momentum arguments. The trapped ejecta causes the magnetar to precess leading to gravitational wave emission at once and twice the magnetar’s spin frequency, for a duration equal to however long the ejecta is trapped for. We find that the gravitational waves are more detectable when the magnetar is: closer, rotating faster, or has larger glitches/antiglitches. The detectability also improves when the ejecta height and magnetic inclination angle have values near their critical values, though this requires more mass to be ejected to remain consistent with the observed glitch/antiglitch. We find it unlikely that gravitational waves will be detected from SGR 1935+2154 when using the trapped ejecta model.

Iron Kα echoes from the circumnuclear disk orbiting Sɡr A⋆

Context. Molecular clouds in the Galactic center (GC) reprocess radiation from past outbursts of nearby high-energy sources, generating a bright Fe Kα fluorescence at 6.4 keV. The closest clouds to the GC are only ≃1.5 pc from Sgr A⋆, forming a torus-like structure known as the circumnuclear disk (CND). The study of fluorescence emission can lead to a characterization of the illuminating source(s), the reflecting clouds, and the global geometry of such a system lying in the GC. Aims. The primary purpose of our study is to analyze possible fluorescence signals arising in the CND. This signal would allow us to constrain the CND’s physical properties and the source-reflector system’s geometry. Methods. By exploiting the last ≃20 yr of XMM-Newton observations of the GC, we studied the variability of the Fe Kα line in the region around Sgr A⋆. We identified regions with a flux excess and computed the spectrum therein. We then derived the hydrogen column density of the CND after relating the intensity of the 6.4 keV line to the total energy emitted by known transient sources in the region. Results. Starting from data collected in 2019, we find significant line excesses in a region compatible with the eastern portion of the CND. The echo radiation can be linked to the 2013 outburst of the magnetar SGR J1745-2900. We derive a mean effective hydrogen column density of the CND in the eastern region of ≃1023 cm−2. Conclusions. The scenario depicted is physically plausible, given the luminosity, the position of the illuminating source, and the expected density of the CND. Further observations could link the variability of the echo signal to the light curve of the illuminating source. In this way, it would be possible to characterize the cloud response to the radiation front, achieving a more accurate estimate of the cloud parameters.

Neutron stars as photon double-lenses: Constraining resonant conversion into ALPs

Axion-photon conversion is a prime mechanism to detect axion-like particles that share a coupling to the photon. We point out that in the vicinity of neutron stars with strong magnetic fields, magnetars, the effective photon mass receives comparable but opposite contributions from free electrons and the radiation field. This leads to an energy-dependent resonance condition for conversion that can be met for arbitrary light axions and leveraged when using systems with detected radio component. Using the magnetar SGR J1745-2900 as an exemplary source, we demonstrate that sensitivity to |gaγ|∼10−12GeV−1 or better can be gained for ma≲10−6eV, with the potential to improve current constraints on the axion-photon coupling by more than one order of magnitude over a broad mass range. With growing insights into the physical conditions of magnetospheres of magnetars, the method hosts the potential to become a serious competitor to future experiments such as ALPS-II and IAXO in the search for axion-like particles.

Statistical Properties of X-Ray Bursts from SGR J1935+2154 Detected by Insight-HXMT

As one class of the most important objects in the universe, magnetars can produce a lot of different frequency bursts including X-ray bursts. In Cai et al., 75 X-ray bursts produced by magnetar SGR J1935+2154 during an active period in 2020 are published, including the duration and net photon counts of each burst, and waiting time based on the trigger time difference. In this paper, we utilize the power-law model, , to fit the cumulative distributions of these parameters. It can be found that all the cumulative distributions can be well fitted, which can be interpreted by a self-organizing criticality theory. Furthermore, we check whether this phenomenon still exists in different energy bands and find that there is no obvious evolution. These findings further confirm that the X-ray bursts from magnetars are likely to be generated by some self-organizing critical process, which can be explained by a possible magnetic reconnection scenario in magnetars.

Quasiperiodic Peak Energy Oscillations in X-Ray Bursts from SGR J1935+2154

Magnetars are young neutron stars powered by the strongest magnetic fields in the Universe (1013–15 G). Their transient X-ray emission usually manifests as short (a few hundred milliseconds), bright, energetic (∼1040–41 erg) X-ray bursts. Since its discovery in 2014, SGR J1935+2154 has become one of the most prolific magnetars, exhibiting very active bursting episodes and other fascinating events, such as pulse timing antiglitches and fast radio bursts. Here we present evidence for possible 42 Hz (24 ms) quasiperiodic oscillations in the ν F ν spectrum peak energy (E p ) identified in a unique burst detected with the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor in 2022 January. While quasiperiodic oscillations have been previously reported in the intensity of magnetar burst light curves, quasiperiodic oscillations in E p have not. We also find an additional event from the same outburst that appears to exhibit a similar character in E p , albeit of lower statistical quality. For these two exceptional transients, such E p oscillations can be explained by magnetospheric density and pressure perturbations. For burst-emitting plasma consisting purely of e + e − pairs, these acoustic modes propagate along a highly magnetized flux tube of length up to around L ∼ 130 neutron star radii, with L being lower if ions are present in the emission zone. Detailed time-resolved analyses of other magnetar bursts are encouraged to evaluate the rarity of these events and their underlying mechanisms.

The Minimum Variation Timescales of X-Ray Bursts from SGR J1935+2154

The minimum variation timescale (MVT) of soft gamma-ray repeaters can be an important probe to estimate the emission region in pulsar-like models, as well as the Lorentz factor and radius of the possible relativistic jet in gamma-ray burst (GRB)–like models, thus revealing their progenitors and physical mechanisms. In this work, we systematically study the MVTs of hundreds of X-ray bursts (XRBs) from SGR J1935+2154 observed by Insight-HXMT, GECAM, and Fermi/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor from 2014 July to 2022 January through the Bayesian block algorithm. We find that the MVTs peak at ∼2 ms, corresponding to a light-travel time size of about 600 km, which supports the magnetospheric origin in pulsar-like models. The shock radius and the Lorentz factor of the jet are also constrained in GRB-like models. Interestingly, the MVT of the XRB associated with FRB 200428 is ∼70 ms, which is longer than that of most bursts and implies its special radiation mechanism. In addition, the median of MVTs is 7 ms, shorter than the median MVTs of 40 ms and 480 ms for short GRBs or long GRBs, respectively. However, the MVT is independent of duration, similar to GRBs. Finally, we investigate the energy dependence of MVT and suggest that there is a marginal evidence for a power-law relationship like GRBs, but the rate of variation is at least about an order of magnitude smaller. These features may provide an approach to identify bursts with a magnetar origin.

Reanalysis of the X-Ray-burst-associated FRB 200428 with Insight-HXMT Observations

A double-peak X-ray burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154 was discovered to be associated with the two radio pulses of FRB 200428 separated by 28.97 ± 0.02 ms. Precise measurements of the timing and spectral properties of the X-ray bursts are helpful for understanding the physical origin of fast radio bursts. In this paper, we have reconstructed some information about the hard X-ray events, which were lost because the High Energy X-ray Telescope (HE) on board the Insight-HXMT mission was saturated by this extremely bright burst, and used the information to improve the temporal and spectral analyses of the X-ray burst. The arrival times of the two X-ray peaks by fitting the new Insight-HXMT/HE lightcurve with multi-Gaussian profiles are 2.77 ± 0.45 ms and 34.30 ± 0.56 ms after the first peak of FRB 200428, respectively, while these two parameters are 2.57 ± 0.52 ms and 32.5 ± 1.4 ms if the fitting profile is a fast-rise and exponential decay function. The spectrum of the two X-ray peaks could be described by a cutoff power law with cutoff energy ∼60 keV and photon index ∼1.4; the latter is softer than the result obtained in Li et al. when the two X-ray peaks appeared.

A radio pulsar phase from SGR J1935+2154 provides clues to the magnetar FRB mechanism.

The megajansky radio burst, FRB 20200428, and other bright radio bursts detected from the Galactic source SGR J1935+2154 suggest that magnetars can make fast radio bursts (FRBs), but the emission site and mechanism of FRB-like bursts are still unidentified. Here, we report the emergence of a radio pulsar phase of the magnetar 5 months after FRB 20200428. Pulses were detected in 16.5 hours over 13 days using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, with luminosities of about eight decades fainter than FRB 20200428. The pulses were emitted in a narrow phase window anti-aligned with the x-ray pulsation profile observed using the x-ray telescopes. The bursts, conversely, appear in random phases. This dichotomy suggests that radio pulses originate from a fixed region within the magnetosphere, but bursts occur in random locations and are possibly associated with explosive events in a dynamically evolving magnetosphere. This picture reconciles the lack of periodicity in cosmological repeating FRBs within the magnetar engine model.

An X-Ray Burst Associated with FRB 200428 from a Magnetar-asteroid Impact

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are extragalactic radio transients with millisecond duration and brightness temperature. An FRB-associated X-ray burst (XRB) was recently found to arise from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154. Following the model of Dai, in which an FRB may originate from a magnetar encountering an asteroid, we focus on explaining the spectrum of the XRB associated with FRB 200428 from SGR J1935+2154. Collisions between asteroidal fragments and the magnetar surface produce a fireball, which further expands relativistically. Due to the velocity difference among some shells in the fireball, internal shocks would form far away from the magnetar, and further emit X-ray emission. We propose that the FRB-associated XRB can be produced by synchrotron emission from the internal shocks, and then constrain the physical parameters by the observed XRB spectrum.

Neutron Star Phase Transition as the Origin for the Fast Radio Bursts and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters of SGR J1935 + 2154

Magnetars are believed to be neutron stars (NSs) with strong magnetic fields. X-ray flares and fast radio bursts (FRBs) have been observed from the magnetar (soft gamma-ray repeater, SGR J1935+2154). We propose that the phase transition of the NS can power the FRBs and SGRs. Based on the equation of state provided by the MIT bag model and the mean field approximation, we solve the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff equations to get the NS structure. With the spin-down of the NS, the hadronic shell gradually transfers to the quark shell. The gravitational potential energy released by one time of the phase transition can be achieved. The released energy, time interval between two successive phase transitions, and glitch are all consistent with the observations of the FRBs and the X-ray flares from SGR J1935 + 2154. We conclude that the phase transition of an NS is a plausible mechanism to power the SGRs as well as the repeating FRBs.

The Northern Cross Fast Radio Burst project

Context. Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond radio transients observed at cosmological distances. The nature of their progenitors is still a matter of debate, although magnetars are invoked by most models. The proposed FRB–magnetar connection was strengthened by the discovery of an FRB-like event from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154. Aims. In this work we aim to investigate how prevalent magnetars such as SGR J1935+2154 are within FRB progenitors. Methods. To this end, we carried out an FRB search in a sample of seven nearby (< 12 Mpc) galaxies with the Northern Cross Radio Telescope for a total of 692 h. Results. We detected one 1.8 ms burst in the direction of M 101 with a fluence of 58 ± 5 Jy ms. Its dispersion measure of 303 pc cm−3 places it most likely beyond M 101. Considering that no significant detection comes indisputably from the selected galaxies, we place a 38 yr−1 upper limit on the total burst rate (i.e. including the whole sample) at the 95% confidence level. This upper limit constrains the event rate per magnetar to λmag < 0.42 magnetar−1 yr−1 or, if combined with literature observations of a similar sample of nearby galaxies, it yields a joint constraint of λmag < 0.25 magnetar−1 yr−1. We also provide the first constraints on the expected rate of FRBs hypothetically originating from ultra-luminous X-ray (ULX) sources, since some of the galaxies observed during our observational campaign host confirmed ULXs. We obtain < 13 yr−1 per ULX for the total sample of galaxies observed. Conclusions. Our results indicate that bursts with energies E > 1034 erg from magnetars such as SGR J1935+2154 appear more rarely compared to previous observations and further disfavour them as unique progenitors for the cosmological FRB population. This provides support to the idea that there is a greater contribution from a population of more exotic magnetars not born via core-collapsed supernovae.

Tidal capture of an asteroid by a magnetar: FRB-like bursts, glitch, and antiglitch

ABSTRACT Recently, remarkable antiglitch and glitch accompanied by bright radio bursts of the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154 were discovered. These two infrequent temporal coincidences between the glitch/antiglitch and the fast radio burst (FRB)-like bursts reveal their physical connection of them. Here, we propose that the antiglitch/glitch and FRB-like bursts can be well understood by an asteroid tidally captured by a magnetar. In this model, an asteroid is tidally captured and disrupted by a magnetar. Then, the disrupted asteroid will transfer the angular momentum to the magnetar producing a sudden change in the magnetar rotational frequency at the magnetosphere radius. If the orbital angular momentum of the asteroid is parallel (or antiparallel) to that of the spinning magnetar, a glitch (or antiglitch) will occur. Subsequently, the bound asteroid materials fall back to the pericentre and eventually are accreted to the surface of the magnetar. Massive fragments of the asteroid cross magnetic field lines and produce bright radio bursts through coherent curvature radiation. Our model can explain the sudden magnetar spin changes and FRB-like bursts in a unified way.

Pulsar and Magnetar Navigation with Fermi/GBM and GECAM

The determination of the absolute and relative position of a spacecraft is critical for its operation, observations, data analysis, scientific studies, as well as deep-space exploration in general. A spacecraft that can determine its own absolute position autonomously may perform better than those that must rely on transmission solutions. In this work, we report an absolute navigation accuracy of ∼20 km using 16 day Crab pulsar data observed with Fermi’s Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). In addition, we propose a new method with the inverse process of the triangulation for joint navigation using repeated bursts like those from the magnetar SGR J1935+2154 observed by the Gravitational-wave High-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor and GBM.

Localization Method for the Pointing Observation with the Collimated Telescopes of Insight-HXMT

An accurate target source position is sometimes useful for the pointing observation with the collimated telescopes of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT), which is determined by the reliability of the instrumental response. Insight-HXMT has the unique design that all three main payloads (LE, ME and HE) consist of detector groups with three fields of views (FOVs) whose orientations differ by 60°. As the point-spread functions are different at different positions in the FOV coordinates, the count rate ratios between the detector groups depend on the position of an X-ray source in the FOVs. Based on the multi-FOV design, we develop a localization method for an X-ray source in the pointing observation of Insight-HXMT. The accuracy of the method is investigated with the pointing observations of the Crab with different exposures. We find that the statistical error decreases with the exposure, and the systematic error is dominant for the exposure >128 s. With the exposure of 1024 s, the total error is 0.°015 for the Crab. This method can effectively distinguish the Rapid Burster H 1730–333 and Slow Burster GX 354–0, which are only 0.°5 apart and can both contribute to bursts in the light curve obtained by Insight-HXMT. We also apply the pointing observation localization method to locate the X-ray counterpart of FRB 200428 with high precision. The located position is consistent with SGR J1935+2154 within 1σ uncertainty of 10′, which provides important evidence that fast radio bursts can originate from magnetars.

Discovery of the linear energy dependence of the spectral lag of X-ray bursts from SGR J1935+2154

ABSTRACTSpectral lag of the low-energy photons with respect to the high-energy ones is a common astrophysical phenomenon (such as gamma-ray bursts and the Crab Pulsar) and may serve as a key probe to the underlying radiation mechanism. However, spectral lag in keV range of the magnetar bursts has not been systematically studied yet. In this work, we perform a detailed spectral lag analysis with the Li et al.’s Cross-Correlation Function (Li-CCF) method for SGR J1935+2154 bursts observed by Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), Gravitational Wave High-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM), and Fermi/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) from 2014 July to 2022 January. We discover that the spectral lags of about 61 per cent (non-zero significance >1σ) bursts from SGR J1935+2154 are linearly dependent on the photon energy (E) with tlag(E) = α(E/keV) + C, which may be explained by a linear change of the temperature of the blackbody-emitting plasma with time. The distribution of the slope (α) approximately follows a Gaussian function with mean and standard deviation of 0.02 ms keV−1 (i.e. high-energy photons arrive earlier) and 0.02 ms keV−1, respectively. We also find that the distribution can be well fitted with three Gaussians with mean values of ∼−10.009, 0.013, and 0.039 ms keV−1, which may correspond to different origins of the bursts. These spectral lag features may have important implications on the magnetar bursts.

Burst Phase Distribution of SGR J1935+2154 Based on Insight-HXMT

On 2020 April 27, the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR J1935+2154 entered its intense outburst episode again. Insight-HXMT carried out about one month observation of the source. A total number of 75 bursts were detected during this activity episode by Insight-HXMT, and persistent emission data were also accumulated. We report on the spin period search result and the phase distribution of burst start times and burst photon arrival times of the Insight-HXMT high energy detectors and Fermi/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). We find that the distribution of burst start times is uniform within its spin phase for both Insight-HXMT and Fermi/GBM observations, whereas the phase distribution of burst photons is related to the type of a burst’s energy spectrum. The bursts with the same spectrum have different distribution characteristics in the initial and decay episodes for the activity of magnetar SGR J1935+2154.

Magnetized neutron star crust within effective relativistic mean-field model

Even though the crystallize nature of the neutron star crust plays a pivotal role in describing various fascinating astrophysical observations, its microscopic structure is not fully understood in the presence of a colossal magnetic field. In the present work, we study the crustal properties of a neutron star within an effective relativistic mean field framework in the presence of magnetic field strength $\sim 10^{17}$G. We calculate the equilibrium composition of the outer crust by minimizing the Gibbs free energy using the most recent atomic mass evaluations. The magnetic field significantly affects the equation of state (EoS) and the properties of the outer crust, such as neutron drip density, pressure, and melting temperature. For the inner crust, we use the compressible liquid drop model for the first time to study the crustal properties in a magnetic environment. The inner crust properties, such as mass and charge number distribution, isospin asymmetry, cluster density, etc., show typical quantum oscillations (De Haas-van Alphen effect) sensitive to the magnetic field's strength. The density-dependent symmetry energy influences the magnetic inner crust like the field-free case. We study the probable modifications in the pasta structures and it is observed that their mass and thickness changes by $\sim 10-15 \%$ depending upon the magnetic field strength. The fundamental torsional oscillation mode frequency is investigated for the magnetized crust in the context of quasiperiodic oscillations (QPO) in soft gamma repeaters. The magnetic field strengths considered in this work influences only the EoS of outer and shallow regions of the inner crust, which results in no significant change in global neutron star properties. However, the outer crust mass and its moment of inertia increase considerably with increase in magnetic field strength.

The 100-month Swift catalogue of supergiant fast X–ray transients

Supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs) are high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) displaying X-ray outbursts that can reach peak luminosities up to 1038 erg s−1 and spend most of their lives in more quiescent states with luminosities as low as 1032−1033 erg s−1. During the quiescent states, less luminous flares are also frequently observed with luminosities of 1034−1035 erg s−1. The main goal of the comprehensive and uniform analysis of the SFXT Swift triggers presented in this paper is to provide tools to predict whether a transient that has no known X-ray counterpart may be an SFXT candidate. These tools can be exploited for the development of future missions exploring the variable X-ray sky through large field-of-view instruments. We examined all available data on outbursts of SFXTs that triggered the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) collected between 2005 August 30 and 2014 December 31, in particular those for which broad-band data, including the Swift/X-ray Telescope (XRT) data, are also available. This work complements and extends our previous catalogue of SFXT flares detected by BAT from 2005 February 12 to 2013 May 31, since we now include the additional BAT triggers recorded until the end of 2014 (i.e. beyond the formal first 100 months of the Swift mission). Due to a change in the mission’s observational strategy, virtually no SFXT triggers obtained a broad-band response after 2014. We processed all BAT and XRT data uniformly by using the Swift Burst Analyser to produce spectral evolution dependent flux light curves for each outburst in the sample. The BAT data allowed us to infer useful diagnostics to set SFXT triggers apart from the general γ-ray burst population, showing that SFXTs uniquely give rise to image triggers and are simultaneously very long, faint, and ‘soft’ hard-X-ray transients. We find that the BAT data alone can discriminate very well the SFXTs from other classes of fast transients, such as anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma repeaters. On the contrary, the XRT data collected around the time of the BAT triggers are shown to be decisive for distinguishing SFXTs from, for instance, accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars and jetted tidal disruption events. The XRT observations of 35 (out of 52 in total) SFXT BAT triggers show that in the soft X-ray energy band, SFXTs display a decay in flux from the peak of the outburst of at least three orders of magnitude within a day and rarely undergo large re-brightening episodes, favouring in most cases a rapid decay down to the quiescent level within three to five days (at most).

Power-law Distribution and Scale-invariant Structure from the First CHIME/FRB Fast Radio Burst Catalog

We study the statistical property of fast radio bursts (FRBs) based on a selected sample of 190 one-off FRBs in the first CHIME/FRB catalog. Three power law models are used in the analysis, and we find the cumulative distribution functions of energy can be well fitted by bent power law and thresholded power law models. The distribution functions of fluctuations of energy well follow the Tsallis q-Gaussian distribution. The q values in the Tsallis q-Gaussian distribution are constant with small fluctuations for different temporal scale intervals, indicating a scale-invariant structure of the bursts. The earthquakes and soft gamma repeaters show similar properties, which are consistent with the predictions of self-organized criticality systems.