More than meets the eye: magnetars in disguise
More than meets the eye: magnetars in disguise
It has recently been proposed that radio emission from magnetars can be evaluated using a ‘fundamental plane’ in parameter space between pulsar voltage gap and ratio of X-ray luminosity L_x to rotational energy loss rate Edot. In particular, radio emission from magnetars will occur if L_x/Edot < 1 and the voltage gap is large, and there is no radio emission if L_x/Edot > 1. Here we clarify several issues regarding this fundamental plane, including demonstrating that the fundamental plane is not uniquely defined. We also show that, if magnetars and all other pulsars are different manifestations of a unified picture of neutron stars, then pulsar radio activity (inactivity) appears to be determined by the ratio L_x/Edot <~ 1 (L_x/Edot >~ 1), although observational bias and uncertainty in the ratio for some sources may still invalidate this conclusion. Finally, we comment on the use of other pulsar parameters that are constructed from the three observables: spin period, P, period derivative, Pdot, and L_x.
113-118
Ho, Wynn C.G.
d78d4c52-8f92-4846-876f-e04a8f803a45
12 January 2013
Ho, Wynn C.G.
d78d4c52-8f92-4846-876f-e04a8f803a45
Ho, Wynn C.G.
(2013)
More than meets the eye: magnetars in disguise.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 429 (1), .
(doi:10.1093/mnras/sts317).
Abstract
It has recently been proposed that radio emission from magnetars can be evaluated using a ‘fundamental plane’ in parameter space between pulsar voltage gap and ratio of X-ray luminosity L_x to rotational energy loss rate Edot. In particular, radio emission from magnetars will occur if L_x/Edot < 1 and the voltage gap is large, and there is no radio emission if L_x/Edot > 1. Here we clarify several issues regarding this fundamental plane, including demonstrating that the fundamental plane is not uniquely defined. We also show that, if magnetars and all other pulsars are different manifestations of a unified picture of neutron stars, then pulsar radio activity (inactivity) appears to be determined by the ratio L_x/Edot <~ 1 (L_x/Edot >~ 1), although observational bias and uncertainty in the ratio for some sources may still invalidate this conclusion. Finally, we comment on the use of other pulsar parameters that are constructed from the three observables: spin period, P, period derivative, Pdot, and L_x.
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Published date: 12 January 2013
Organisations:
Applied Mathematics
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Local EPrints ID: 346939
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/346939
ISSN: 1365-2966
PURE UUID: 92a686dc-bd06-43ef-bf28-857cce4ca0fd
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Date deposited: 17 Jan 2013 17:28
Last modified: 09 Apr 2025 18:16
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