Modelling spin evolution of magnetars

TL;DR

This study models the spin evolution of magnetars using Monte Carlo simulations, revealing that their magnetic fields decay exponentially with a timescale of 0.5-10 kyr and suggesting links to other neutron star populations.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive population synthesis model considering different magnetic field decay laws and a fade-away process, providing new constraints on magnetar evolution parameters.

Findings

Magnetic fields decay exponentially with a characteristic timescale of ~4 kyr.

Initial spin periods are constrained to be less than 2 seconds.

Magnetars are likely evolutionarily linked to XDINSs, but not to RRATs.

Abstract

The origin and fate of magnetars (young, extremely magnetized neutron stars, NSs) remain unsolved. Probing their evolution is therefore crucial for investigating possible links to other species of isolated NSs, such as the X-ray dim NSs (XDINSs) and rotating radio transients (RRATs). Here we investigate the spin evolution of magnetars. Two avenues of evolution are considered: one with exponentially decaying B-fields, the other with sub- and super-exponential decay. Using Monte Carlo methods, we synthesize magnetar populations using different input distributions and physical parameters, such as for the initial spin period, its time derivative and the B-field decay timescale. Additionally, we introduce a fade-away procedure that can account for the fading of old magnetars, and we briefly discuss the effect of alignment of the B-field and spin axes. Imposing the Galactic core-collapse supernova rate of ~20 kyr^-1 as a strict upper limit on the magnetar birthrate and comparing the synthetic populations to the observed one using both manual and automatic optimization algorithms for our input parameter study, we find that the B-field must decay exponentially or super-exponentially with a characteristic decay timescale of 0.5-10 kyr (with a best value of ~4 kyr). In addition, the initial spin period must be less than 2 sec. If these constraints are kept, we conclude that there are multiple choices of input physics that can reproduce the observed magnetar population reasonably well. We also conclude that magnetars may well be evolutionary linked to the population of XDINSs, whereas they are in general unlikely to evolve into RRATs.