Magnetars have the most powerful magnetic field in the universe, and when the super-strong magnetic field emits strong radiation along the magnetar’s equator, it will split the magnetar in two like a “blade” under the action of extreme centrifugal force. This radiation beam travels farther than many times the radius of the original star until it eventually dissipates, explaining some of the more persistent gamma-ray bursts in the universe.
When a massive star dies, it may transform into a neutron star, and the neutron star rapidly rotates and collapses, and may then turn into a celestial body with the strongest magnetic field in the universe: a magnetar. It is estimated that 1 in every 10 supernova explosions will become a magnetar instead of an ordinary neutron star or pulsar.
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The environment around the newborn magnetar is quite chaotic. Its own gravity draws back the remaining atmospheric plasma of the parent star, but the strong radiation and magnetic field whip them wildly. Previous research concluded that a jet will form along the magnetar’s rotation axis and form Traveling across magnetars.
But a team from the New York University Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics discovered that the magnetic field of a magnetar can also emit intense beams of radiation along the magnetar’s equator. These radiations form relativistic blades under the extreme centrifugal force of the rotating magnetar, traveling at nearly the speed of light. The star moves outward, carrying more energy than a supernova explosion.
The researchers also said that this relativistic blade is powerful enough to cut the magnetar in half when it leaves the magnetar, and as time goes out, it can reach as far as several times the radius of the star. It continues to interact with other matter during the movement, and can Explain why some gamma-ray bursts disappear very slowly.
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The team said the next step will be to study how this “blade” evolves over time, identify key features that identify the same type of explosion, and determine whether some of the gamma-ray bursts we have previously observed can be explained by this model.
paperThe preprint is published on the arXiv website and has not yet been peer-reviewed.
(The first picture is a schematic diagram of a magnetar, source:OzGrav）
