An exceptionally bright flare from SGR 1806–20 and the origins of short-duration γ-ray bursts

K. Hurley (), S. E. Boggs, D. M. Smith, R. C. Duncan, R. Lin, A. Zoglauer, S. Krucker, G. Hurford, H. Hudson, C. Wigger, W. Hajdas, C. Thompson, I. Mitrofanov, A. Sanin, W. Boynton, C. Fellows, A. von Kienlin, G. Lichti, A. Rau and T. Cline
Additional contact information
K. Hurley: UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
S. E. Boggs: UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
D. M. Smith: University of California
R. C. Duncan: University of Texas
R. Lin: UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
A. Zoglauer: UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
S. Krucker: UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
G. Hurford: UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
H. Hudson: UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
C. Wigger: Paul Scherrer Institute
W. Hajdas: Paul Scherrer Institute
C. Thompson: Canadian Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics
I. Mitrofanov: Space Research Institute (IKI)
A. Sanin: Space Research Institute (IKI)
W. Boynton: University of Arizona
C. Fellows: University of Arizona
A. von Kienlin: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
G. Lichti: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
A. Rau: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
T. Cline: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Nature, 2005, vol. 434, issue 7037, 1098-1103

Abstract: Abstract Soft-γ-ray repeaters (SGRs) are galactic X-ray stars that emit numerous short-duration (about 0.1 s) bursts of hard X-rays during sporadic active periods. They are thought to be magnetars: strongly magnetized neutron stars with emissions powered by the dissipation of magnetic energy. Here we report the detection of a long (380 s) giant flare from SGR 1806–20, which was much more luminous than any previous transient event observed in our Galaxy. (In the first 0.2 s, the flare released as much energy as the Sun radiates in a quarter of a million years.) Its power can be explained by a catastrophic instability involving global crust failure and magnetic reconnection on a magnetar, with possible large-scale untwisting of magnetic field lines outside the star. From a great distance this event would appear to be a short-duration, hard-spectrum cosmic γ-ray burst. At least a significant fraction of the mysterious short-duration γ-ray bursts may therefore come from extragalactic magnetars.

Date: 2005
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DOI: 10.1038/nature03519

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