A giant γ-ray flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20

D. M. Palmer; S. Barthelmy; N. Gehrels; R. M. Kippen; T. Cayton; C. Kouveliotou; D. Eichler; R. A.M.J. Wijers; P. M. Woods; J. Granot; Y. E. Lyubarsky; E. Ramirez-Ruiz; L. Barbier; M. Chester; J. Cummings; E. E. Fenimore; M. H. Finger; B. M. Gaensler; D. Hullinger; H. Krimm; C. B. Markwardt; J. A. Nousek; A. Parsons; S. Patel; T. Sakamoto; G. Sato; M. Suzuki; J. Tueller

doi:10.1038/nature03525

A giant γ-ray flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20

D. M. Palmer, S. Barthelmy, N. Gehrels, R. M. Kippen, T. Cayton, C. Kouveliotou, D. Eichler, R. A.M.J. Wijers, P. M. Woods, J. Granot, Y. E. Lyubarsky, E. Ramirez-Ruiz, L. Barbier, M. Chester, J. Cummings, E. E. Fenimore, M. H. Finger, B. M. Gaensler, D. Hullinger, H. KrimmC. B. Markwardt, J. A. Nousek, A. Parsons, S. Patel, T. Sakamoto, G. Sato, M. Suzuki, J. Tueller

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Two classes of rotating neutron stars-soft γ-ray repeaters (SGRs) and anomalous X-ray pulsars-are magnetars, whose X-ray emission is powered by a very strong magnetic field (B ≈ 10¹⁵ G). SGRs occasionally become 'active', producing many short X-ray bursts. Extremely rarely, an SGR emits a giant flare with a total energy about a thousand times higher than in a typical burst. Here we report that SGR 1806-20 emitted a giant flare on 27 December 2004. The total (isotropic) flare energy is 2 × 10⁴⁶ erg, which is about a hundred times higher than the other two previously observed giant flares. The energy release probably occurred during a catastrophic reconfiguration of the neutron star's magnetic field. If the event had occurred at a larger distance, but within 40 megaparsecs, it would have resembled a short, hard γ-ray burst, suggesting that flares from extragalactic SGRs may form a subclass of such bursts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1107-1109
Number of pages	3
Journal	Nature
Volume	434
Issue number	7037
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03525
State	Published - 28 Apr 2005
Externally published	Yes

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Palmer, D. M., Barthelmy, S., Gehrels, N., Kippen, R. M., Cayton, T., Kouveliotou, C., Eichler, D., Wijers, R. A. M. J., Woods, P. M., Granot, J., Lyubarsky, Y. E., Ramirez-Ruiz, E., Barbier, L., Chester, M., Cummings, J., Fenimore, E. E., Finger, M. H., Gaensler, B. M., Hullinger, D., ... Tueller, J. (2005). A giant γ-ray flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20. Nature, 434(7037), 1107-1109. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03525

@article{ca4b482896554879bc5ded11401fe5c7,

title = "A giant γ-ray flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20",

abstract = "Two classes of rotating neutron stars-soft γ-ray repeaters (SGRs) and anomalous X-ray pulsars-are magnetars, whose X-ray emission is powered by a very strong magnetic field (B ≈ 1015 G). SGRs occasionally become 'active', producing many short X-ray bursts. Extremely rarely, an SGR emits a giant flare with a total energy about a thousand times higher than in a typical burst. Here we report that SGR 1806-20 emitted a giant flare on 27 December 2004. The total (isotropic) flare energy is 2 × 1046 erg, which is about a hundred times higher than the other two previously observed giant flares. The energy release probably occurred during a catastrophic reconfiguration of the neutron star's magnetic field. If the event had occurred at a larger distance, but within 40 megaparsecs, it would have resembled a short, hard γ-ray burst, suggesting that flares from extragalactic SGRs may form a subclass of such bursts.",

author = "Palmer, {D. M.} and S. Barthelmy and N. Gehrels and Kippen, {R. M.} and T. Cayton and C. Kouveliotou and D. Eichler and Wijers, {R. A.M.J.} and Woods, {P. M.} and J. Granot and Lyubarsky, {Y. E.} and E. Ramirez-Ruiz and L. Barbier and M. Chester and J. Cummings and Fenimore, {E. E.} and Finger, {M. H.} and Gaensler, {B. M.} and D. Hullinger and H. Krimm and Markwardt, {C. B.} and Nousek, {J. A.} and A. Parsons and S. Patel and T. Sakamoto and G. Sato and M. Suzuki and J. Tueller",

year = "2005",

month = apr,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1038/nature03525",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "434",

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Palmer, DM, Barthelmy, S, Gehrels, N, Kippen, RM, Cayton, T, Kouveliotou, C, Eichler, D, Wijers, RAMJ, Woods, PM, Granot, J, Lyubarsky, YE, Ramirez-Ruiz, E, Barbier, L, Chester, M, Cummings, J, Fenimore, EE, Finger, MH, Gaensler, BM, Hullinger, D, Krimm, H, Markwardt, CB, Nousek, JA, Parsons, A, Patel, S, Sakamoto, T, Sato, G, Suzuki, M & Tueller, J 2005, 'A giant γ-ray flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20', Nature, vol. 434, no. 7037, pp. 1107-1109. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03525

TY - JOUR

T1 - A giant γ-ray flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20

AU - Palmer, D. M.

AU - Barthelmy, S.

AU - Gehrels, N.

AU - Kippen, R. M.

AU - Cayton, T.

AU - Kouveliotou, C.

AU - Eichler, D.

AU - Wijers, R. A.M.J.

AU - Woods, P. M.

AU - Granot, J.

AU - Lyubarsky, Y. E.

AU - Ramirez-Ruiz, E.

AU - Barbier, L.

AU - Chester, M.

AU - Cummings, J.

AU - Fenimore, E. E.

AU - Finger, M. H.

AU - Gaensler, B. M.

AU - Hullinger, D.

AU - Krimm, H.

AU - Markwardt, C. B.

AU - Nousek, J. A.

AU - Parsons, A.

AU - Patel, S.

AU - Sakamoto, T.

AU - Sato, G.

AU - Suzuki, M.

AU - Tueller, J.

PY - 2005/4/28

Y1 - 2005/4/28

N2 - Two classes of rotating neutron stars-soft γ-ray repeaters (SGRs) and anomalous X-ray pulsars-are magnetars, whose X-ray emission is powered by a very strong magnetic field (B ≈ 1015 G). SGRs occasionally become 'active', producing many short X-ray bursts. Extremely rarely, an SGR emits a giant flare with a total energy about a thousand times higher than in a typical burst. Here we report that SGR 1806-20 emitted a giant flare on 27 December 2004. The total (isotropic) flare energy is 2 × 1046 erg, which is about a hundred times higher than the other two previously observed giant flares. The energy release probably occurred during a catastrophic reconfiguration of the neutron star's magnetic field. If the event had occurred at a larger distance, but within 40 megaparsecs, it would have resembled a short, hard γ-ray burst, suggesting that flares from extragalactic SGRs may form a subclass of such bursts.

AB - Two classes of rotating neutron stars-soft γ-ray repeaters (SGRs) and anomalous X-ray pulsars-are magnetars, whose X-ray emission is powered by a very strong magnetic field (B ≈ 1015 G). SGRs occasionally become 'active', producing many short X-ray bursts. Extremely rarely, an SGR emits a giant flare with a total energy about a thousand times higher than in a typical burst. Here we report that SGR 1806-20 emitted a giant flare on 27 December 2004. The total (isotropic) flare energy is 2 × 1046 erg, which is about a hundred times higher than the other two previously observed giant flares. The energy release probably occurred during a catastrophic reconfiguration of the neutron star's magnetic field. If the event had occurred at a larger distance, but within 40 megaparsecs, it would have resembled a short, hard γ-ray burst, suggesting that flares from extragalactic SGRs may form a subclass of such bursts.

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DO - 10.1038/nature03525

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VL - 434

SP - 1107

EP - 1109

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7037

ER -

A giant γ-ray flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20

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