Recent results on magnetars

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent observational results on magnetars, particularly SGR 1627-41 and AXP 1E 1547.0-5408, highlighting their properties, outbursts, and the evidence supporting their classification as highly magnetized neutron stars.

Contribution

It reports new observational findings on specific magnetars, demonstrating their bursting activity and reinforcing the magnetar model as a unified explanation for SGRs and AXPs.

Findings

SGR 1627-41 experienced a new outburst after 10 years.

AXP 1E 1547.0-5408 showed remarkable bursting activity.

Observations support the magnetar model for SGRs and AXPs.

Abstract

Several observations obtained in the last few years indicate that Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters (SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) are basically a single class of isolated neutron stars. Their properties are well explained by the magnetar model, based on neutron stars powered by magnetic fields as high as 10^14 -10^15 G. Here I report some recent results obtained for the transient Soft Gamma-ray Repeater SGR 1627-41, that started a new outburst after about 10 years from the previous one, and for the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 1E 1547.0-5408. The latter source recently showed a remarkable bursting activity, that reinforces the similarity between AXPs and SGRs.