Transient pulsed radio emission from a magnetar

Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) are slowly rotating neutron stars with very bright and highly variable X-ray emission that are believed to be powered by ultra-strong magnetic fields of >10(14) G, according to the 'magnetar' model. The radio pulsations that have been observed from more than 1,700 neutron stars with weaker magnetic fields have never been detected from any of the dozen known magnetars. The X-ray pulsar XTE J1810-197 was revealed (in 2003) as the first AXP with transient emission when its luminosity increased 100-fold from the quiescent level; a coincident radio source of unknown origin was detected one year later. Here we show that XTE J1810-197 emits bright, narrow, highly linearly polarized radio pulses, observed at every rotation, thereby establishing that magnetars can be radio pulsars. There is no evidence of radio emission before the 2003 X-ray outburst (unlike ordinary pulsars, which emit radio pulses all the time), and the flux varies from day to day. The flux at all radio frequencies is approximately equal--and at >20 GHz XTE J1810-197 is currently the brightest neutron star known. These observations link magnetars to ordinary radio pulsars, rule out alternative accretion models for AXPs, and provide a new window into the coronae of magnetars.     

反常X射线脉冲星可能的高能辐射

 利用新的外间隙模型研究了反常X射线脉冲星可能的高能辐射.在该模型中,考虑了磁场几何效应对高能辐射的影响,同时利用平均半径〈r〉处的外间隙大小表示外间隙的特征大小,〈r〉是磁倾角α的函数.这样外间隙大小可以表示为f(P,B,〈r〉(α)),它是周期P,磁场B和平均距离〈r〉的函数.利用该模型计算了反常X射线脉冲星的γ射线的光度和流量,并与以前的计算结果进行比较,分析了考虑磁场几何效应所产生的结果.最后利用该模型计算了几颗典型反常X射线脉冲星(如:4U 0142+615(AXP 0142+615),1E 1841-045,PSR J1809-1943)可能的高能辐射.     

在脉冲星的观测证据中寻找夸克解禁态

简述了中子星结构、组成、演化的理论研究以及相关的观测进展,对演化后期孤立毫秒脉冲星和处于双星系统中的脉冲星可能存在夸克解禁和夸克重囚禁的现象进行了理论上和观测证据上的探讨。认为双星系统中的脉冲星可能会由于条件不同,会分别出现夸克解禁和夸克重囚禁的现象。     

An optical counterpart to the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U0142+61

The energy source of the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) is not understood, hence their designation as anomalous. Unlike binary X-ray pulsars, no companions are seen, so the energy cannot be supplied by accretion of matter from a companion star. The loss of rotational energy, which powers radio pulsars, is insufficient to power AXPs. Two models are generally considered: accretion from a large disk left over from the birth process, or decay of a very strong magnetic field (10(15) G) associated with a 'magnetar'. The lack of counterparts at other wavelengths has hampered progress in our understanding of these objects. Here we report deep optical observations of the field around 4U0142+61, which is the brightest AXP in X-rays. The source has no associated supernova remnant, which, together with its spin-down timescale of approximately 10(5) yr (ref. 5), suggests that it may be relatively old. We find an object with peculiar optical colours at the position of the X-ray source, and argue that it is the optical counterpart. The optical emission is too faint to admit the presence of a large accretion disk, but may be consistent with magnetospheric emission from a magnetar.     

Magnetar-like X-ray bursts from an anomalous X-ray pulsar

Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) are a class of rare X-ray emitting pulsars whose energy source has been perplexing for some 20 years. Unlike other X-ray emitting pulsars, AXPs cannot be powered by rotational energy or by accretion of matter from a binary companion star, hence the designation 'anomalous'. Many of the rotational and radiative properties of the AXPs are strikingly similar to those of another class of exotic objects, the soft-gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs). But the defining property of the SGRs--their low-energy-gamma-ray and X-ray bursts--has not hitherto been observed for AXPs. Soft-gamma-ray repeaters are thought to be 'magnetars', which are young neutron stars whose emission is powered by the decay of an ultra-high magnetic field; the suggestion that AXPs might also be magnetars has been controversial. Here we report two X-ray bursts, with properties similar to those of SGRs, from the direction of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 1E1048.1 - 5937. These events imply a close relationship (perhaps evolutionary) between AXPs and SGRs, with both being magnetars.     

脉冲星的周期变化与地壳运动

本文研究脉冲星的周期变化与地壳运动的关系,指出:(1)由地震引起的板块运动和板内运动会影响观测到的脉冲星的脉冲周期的变率,特别是一些周期变率较小的脉冲星,这种影响将产生显著的观测效应;(2)分析现代脉冲星的观测资料,有助于研究板块结构,板块运动和地震预报.     

Optical pulsations from the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U0142+61

Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) differ from ordinary radio pulsars in that their X-ray luminosity is orders of magnitude greater than their rate of rotational energy loss, and so they require an additional energy source. One possibility is that AXPs are highly magnetized neuron stars or 'magnetars' having surface magnetic fields greater than 10(14) G. This would make them similar to the soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs), but alternative models that do not require extreme magnetic fields also exist. An optical counterpart to the AXP 4U0142+61 was recently discovered, consistent with emission from a magnetar, but also from a magnetized hot white dwarf, or an accreting isolated neutron star. Here we report the detection of optical pulsations from 4U0142+61. The pulsed fraction of optical light (27 per cent) is five to ten times greater than that of soft X-rays, from which we conclude that 4U0142+61 is a magnetar. Although this establishes a direct relationship between AXPs and the soft gamma-ray repeaters, the evolutionary connection between AXPs, SGRs and radio pulsars remains controversial.     

A large age for the pulsar B1757-24 from an upper limit on its proper motion

The 'characteristic age' of a pulsar is usually considered to approximate its true age, but this assumption has led to some puzzling results, including the fact that many pulsars with small characteristic ages have no associated supernova remnants. The pulsar B1757-24 is located just outside the edge of a supernova remnant; the properties of the system indicate that the pulsar was born at the centre of the remnant with a substantial velocity, and that it has subsequently overtaken the expanding blast wave. With a characteristic age of 16,000 yr, the pulsar is expected to have a proper motion of 63-80 milliarcseconds (mas) per year. Here we report observations of the nebula surrounding the pulsar, which limit its proper motion to less than 25 mas yr(-1), implying a minimum age of 39,000 yr. A more detailed analysis argues that the true age may be as great as 170,000 yr, which is significantly larger than the characteristic age. We conclude from this result and other discrepancies associated with pulsars that characteristic ages greatly underestimate the true ages of pulsars.     

电磁推力轴承的力学特性研究

文中讨论了计入推力盘静态倾斜影响后的电磁推力轴承的力学特性,导出了其静、动特性的系数公式,并结合某涡轮膨胀机的电磁推力轴承进行了实例计算．结果表明,推力盘的静态倾斜对电磁推力轴承的力学特性将产生显著影响,使得电磁推力轴承对系统中的电磁径向轴承产生强烈的耦合作用．该结果可用于五自由度电磁轴承转子系统的机电耦合的动力学分析．