What is a Magnetar?

Few months ago, On April 28 a magnetar which is a supermagnetized stellar remnant blasted out a simultaneous mix of X-ray and radio signal. This first radio burst (FRB) has seen from our Milky Way galaxy. It has been observed that magnetars can produce these mysterious and powerful radio blasts.

A magnetar is a type of isolated neutron star, the crushed, city-size remains of a star many times more massive than our Sun. The magnetic filed of a magnetar is a thousand times stronger than a typical neutron star’s. This enormous energy of a magnetar causes outbursts. Several satellites including NASA’s Wind mission were detected the X-ray portion of the synchronous bursts.

"We only know of about 10 magnetars in the Milky Way galaxy." remarked Dr. Peter Woods of the Universities Space Research Association. "If the antics of the magnetar we are studying now are typical, then there very well could be hundreds more out there." NASA research has suggested there may be far more magnetars than previously thought.

Magnetars, the most magnetic stars known, aren't powered by a conventional mechanism such as nuclear fusion or rotation, according to Dr. Vicky Kaspi. "Magnetars represent a new way for a star to shine, which makes this a fascinating field," said Kaspi.

The radio component was discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), a radio telescope located at Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in British Columbia and led by McGill University in Montreal, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Toronto.

Astronomers would like to find FRB outside of our galaxy that coincides with an X-ray burst from the same source. Approximately 18,000 light years from Earth, a magnetar named 1E 2259 is being studied. In June 2002,It suddenly began bursting, with over 80 bursts recorded within a 4-hour window. Since then, Magnetar 1E 2259 hasn't disturbed the depths of space.