Scientists trace first clue to understand transient high energy pulsesfrom magnetars several thousand times to that of the sun
Scientists have found the first clues to understand violent short duration flares from a compact star of rare category called magnetar located thirteen million light years away. These compact stars with the most intense magnetic field known, of which only thirty have been spotted so far in our galaxy, suffer violent eruptions that are still little known due to their unexpected nature and their short duration. Scientists have long been intrigued by such short and intence bursts --- transient X-ray pulses of energies several times that of the Sun and length ranging from a fraction of a few millisecond to a few microseconds. When massive stars like supergiant stars with a total mass of between 10 and 25 solar masses collapse they might form neutron stars. Among neutron stars, stands out a small group with the most intense magnetic field known: magnetars. These objects, of which only thirty are known so far, suffer violent eruptions ...