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Repeated injections of energy in the first 600 ms of the giant flare of SGR 1806–20

Author

Listed:
  • Toshio Terasawa

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Yasuyuki T. Tanaka

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Yasuhiro Takei

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Nobuyuki Kawai

    (Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Atsumasa Yoshida

    (Aoyama Gakuin University)

  • Ken'ichi Nomoto

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Ichiro Yoshikawa

    (University of Tokyo
    ISAS/JAXA)

  • Yoshifumi Saito

    (ISAS/JAXA)

  • Yasumasa Kasaba

    (ISAS/JAXA)

  • Takeshi Takashima

    (ISAS/JAXA)

  • Toshifumi Mukai

    (ISAS/JAXA)

  • Hirotomo Noda

    (National Astronomical Observatory)

  • Toshio Murakami

    (Kanazawa University)

  • Kyoko Watanabe

    (Nagoya University)

  • Yasushi Muraki

    (Nagoya University)

  • Takaaki Yokoyama

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Masahiro Hoshino

    (University of Tokyo)

Abstract

Flares back in fashion On 27 December last year, SGR1806–20, a soft γ-ray repeater in Sagittarius, released a giant flare that has been called the brightest explosion ever recorded. SGRs are X-ray stars that sporadically emit low-energy γ-ray bursts. They are thought to be magnetars: neutron stars with observable emissions powered by magnetic dissipation. Five papers in this issue report initial and follow-up observations of this event. The data are remarkable: for instance in a fifth of a second, the flare released as much energy as the Sun radiates in a quarter of a million years. Such power can be explained by catastrophic global crust failure and magnetic reconnection on a magnetar. Releasing a hundred times the energy of the only two previous SGR giant flares, this may have been a once-in-a-lifetime event for astronomers, and for the star itself.

Suggested Citation

  • Toshio Terasawa & Yasuyuki T. Tanaka & Yasuhiro Takei & Nobuyuki Kawai & Atsumasa Yoshida & Ken'ichi Nomoto & Ichiro Yoshikawa & Yoshifumi Saito & Yasumasa Kasaba & Takeshi Takashima & Toshifumi Mukai, 2005. "Repeated injections of energy in the first 600 ms of the giant flare of SGR 1806–20," Nature, Nature, vol. 434(7037), pages 1110-1111, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:434:y:2005:i:7037:d:10.1038_nature03573
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03573
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