The hibernating stellar magnet (artist's impression)

Astronomers have discovered a possible magnetar that emitted 40 visible-light flashes before disappearing again. Magnetars are young neutron stars with an ultra-strong magnetic field a billion times stronger than that of the Earth. The twisting of magnetic field lines in magnetars give rise to ''starquakes'', which will eventually lead to an intense soft gamma-ray burst. In the case of the SWIFT source, the optical flares that reached the Earth were probably due to ions ripped out from the surface of the magnetar and gyrating around the field lines.

Källa:

Credit: ESO/L.Calçada.

Om bilden

ID:eso0831a
Typ:Illustration
Publiceringsdatum:23 september 2008
Relaterade pressmeddelanden:eso0831
Storlek:3000 x 2000 px

Om objektet

Namn:Stars
Typ:Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Neutron Star : Magnetar
Avstånd:15000 ljusår
Kategori:Illustrations
Stars

Bildformat

Stor jpeg
2,1 MB
Skärmstor jpeg
209,3 kB

Skrivbordsunderlägg

1024x768
288,5 kB
1280x1024
472,9 kB
1600x1200
688,9 kB
1920x1200
821,2 kB
2048x1536
1,1 MB