Probing Magnetars Using Spectral Lines with Future Telescopes

TL;DR

This paper explores how future high-resolution X-ray telescopes can detect and analyze spectral lines from magnetars to better understand their magnetic field geometry and emission regions during quiescent and burst states.

Contribution

It demonstrates the potential of upcoming telescopes to improve magnetar spectral line detection and modeling, emphasizing the importance of constraining line parameters for magnetic field insights.

Findings

Simulations show future telescopes can detect spectral lines in magnetars.

Constraining line depth, width, and energy is crucial for understanding magnetic fields.

Upcoming telescopes will enhance probing of magnetar emission regions.

Abstract

We present our findings on magnetar spectral line analysis in the context of upcoming high resolution, high effective area, high throughput X-ray telescopes for two cases: persistent magnetar emission and magnetar bursts. For magnetars in quiescence, we present our preliminary work on modelling for phase-resolved emission. Our results reveal the necessity of constraining line depth and width concurrently with line energy to conclusively determine hotspot emission and corresponding magnetic field geometry. We then present the results of our simulations using effective area and response of various current and upcoming X-ray telescopes for magnetar spectral line detection and expand on the exciting opportunities upcoming telescopes provide to probe quiescent and burst emission region geometry and propagation in the extreme magnetic field of a magnetar