Magnetar-Like Emission from the Young Pulsar in Kes 75
F. P. Gavriil,1,2*
M. E. Gonzalez,3
E. V. Gotthelf,4
V. M. Kaspi,3
M. A. Livingstone,3
P. M. Woods5,6
We report the detection of magnetar-like x-ray bursts from the
young pulsar PSR J1846–0258, at the center of the supernova
remnant Kes 75. This pulsar, long thought to be exclusively
rotation-powered, has an inferred surface dipolar magnetic field
of 4.9
x 10
13 gauss, which is higher than those of the vast
majority of rotation-powered pulsars, but lower than those of
the approximately 12 previously identified magnetars. The bursts
were accompanied by a sudden flux increase and an unprecedented
change in timing behavior. These phenomena lower the magnetic
and rotational thresholds associated with magnetar-like behavior
and suggest that in neutron stars there exists a continuum of
magnetic activity that increases with inferred magnetic field
strength.
2 Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA.
3 Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada.
4 Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027–6001, USA.
5 Dynetics, 1000 Explorer Boulevard, Huntsville, AL 25806, USA.
6 National Space Science and Technology Center, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: fotis.p.gavriil{at}nasa.gov
