Taverna, Roberto;
Turolla, Roberto;
Muleri, Fabio;
Heyl, Jeremy;
Zane, Silvia;
Baldini, Luca;
González-Caniulef, Denis;
... Xie, Fei; + view all
(2022)
Polarized x-rays from a magnetar.
Science
, 378
(6620)
pp. 646-650.
10.1126/science.add0080.
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Abstract
Magnetars are neutron stars with ultra-strong magnetic fields, which can be observed in x-rays. Polarization measurements could provide information on their magnetic fields and surface properties. We observe polarized x-rays from the magnetar 4U 0142+61 using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, finding a linear polarization degree of 13.5 ± 0.8% averaged over the 2 to 8 keV band. The polarization changes with energy: the degree is 15.0 ± 1.0% at 2 to 4 keV, drops below the instrumental sensitivity around 4 to 5 keV, and rises to 35.2 ± 7.1% at 5.5 to 8 keV. The polarization angle also changes by 90° around 4 to 5 keV. These results are consistent with a model in which thermal radiation from the magnetar surface is reprocessed by scattering off charged particles in the magnetosphere.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Polarized x-rays from a magnetar |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.add0080 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add0080 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Space and Climate Physics |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10159290 |
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