Scientists have made a significant discovery regarding a magnetar, a highly magnetic neutron star located near the center of the Milky Way galaxy, by detecting powerful “glitches” in its rotation that have led to a dramatic increase in its spin speed.
These glitches, abrupt changes in the star’s rotation, provide a unique opportunity to study the interior of the neutron star, commonly referred to as a dead star. Understanding the inner workings of magnetars could potentially elucidate the mechanism behind the production of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), elusive and transient bursts of light that can momentarily outshine an entire galaxy.
Although the existence of FRBs is well-established, their origin has remained a mystery. However, by studying the glitches in the rotation of magnetars, scientists hope to uncover clues about the processes underlying FRBs.
According to Sebastien Guillot, an assistant professor at Paul Sabatier University in France and a member of the research team, these glitches represent abrupt changes in the star’s rotation speed. The observed glitches are among the largest ever recorded for pulsars and magnetars.
The magnetar in question normally rotates slightly faster than three times per second, but the first glitch resulted in a significant increase in its rotation speed. Subsequently, a second glitch occurred approximately nine hours later, causing the rotation speed to increase by approximately 100 times more than the first glitch.
Lead researcher Chin-Ping Hu, an associate professor at the National Changhua University of Education, noted that during the interval between the two glitches, there was a notable decrease in the neutron star’s rotation speed. This deceleration occurred at a rate 100 times faster than the speed prior to the glitch, and roughly 1000 times faster than its long-term average, spanning a duration longer than the glitches themselves.
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