Magnetar Giant Flares in Multipolar Magnetic Fields --- II. Flux Rope Eruptions With Current Sheets

TL;DR

This paper models magnetar giant flares using a magnetospheric framework with flux ropes and current sheets, revealing mechanisms for energy release and flux rope escape consistent with observations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel magnetospheric model incorporating flux ropes and current sheets, analyzing their equilibrium and eruption behaviors in multipolar magnetic fields.

Findings

Magnetic energy release during state transitions can power giant flares.

Flux ropes can escape dynamically, explaining radio afterglows.

Larger flux ropes are more likely to erupt.

Abstract

We propose a physical mechanism to explain giant flares and radio afterglows in terms of a magnetospheric model containing both a helically twisted flux rope and a current sheet (CS). With the appearance of CS, we solve a mixed boundary value problem to get the magnetospheric field based on a domain decomposition method. We investigate properties of the equilibrium curve of the flux rope when the CS is present in background multipolar fields. In response to the variations at the magnetar surface, it quasi-statically evolves in stable equilibrium states. The loss of equilibrium occurs at a critical point and, beyond that point, it erupts catastrophically. New features show up when the CS is considered. Especially, we find two kinds of physical behaviors, i.e., catastrophic state transition and catastrophic escape. Magnetic energy would be released during state transitions. The released magnetic energy is sufficient to drive giant flares. The flux rope would go away from the magnetar quasi-statically, which is inconsistent with the radio afterglow. Fortunately, in the latter case, i.e., the catastrophic escape, the flux rope could escape the magnetar and go to infinity in a dynamical way. This is more consistent with radio afterglow observations of giant flares. We find that the minor radius of flux rope has important implications for its eruption. Flux ropes with larger minor radius are more prone to erupt. We stress that the CS provides an ideal place for magnetic reconnection, which would further enhance the energy release during eruptions.