Oral Presentation

Rapid Spin Changes Around a Magnetar Fast Radio Burst

Author(s): Chin-Ping Hu (NCUE), Takuto Narita (KyotoU), Teruaki Enoto (KyotoU), George Younes (NASA), Zorawar Wadiasingh (NASA), Matthew G. Baring (RiceU), Wynn C. G. Ho (Haverford), Sebastien Guillot (CNES), Paul S. Ray (NRL) et al.

Presenter: Chin-Ping Hu (National Changhua University of Education)

Magnetars are neutron stars with extremely high magnetic fields. In 2020, a fast radio burst (FRB) was detected from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154, confirming the long-suspected association between some FRBs and magnetars. However, the mechanism for FRB generation in magnetars remains unclear. Here we report the X-ray observation of two glitches in SGR 1935+2154 within a time interval of approximately nine hours, bracketing an FRB that occurred on October 14, 2022. Each glitch involved a significant increase in the magnetar's spin frequency, being among the largest abrupt changes in neutron star rotation ever observed. Between the glitches, the magnetar exhibited a rapid spin-down phase, accompanied by an increase and subsequent decline in its persistent X-ray emission and burst rate. We postulate that a strong, ephemeral, magnetospheric wind provides the torque that rapidly slows the star's rotation. The trigger for the first glitch couples the star's crust to its magnetosphere, enhances the various X-ray signals, and spawns the wind that alters magnetospheric conditions that might produce the FRB.