A team of researchers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has made a groundbreaking discovery about the magnetar SGR 0501+4516. The study reveals that this runaway magnetar is likely not born in a supernova explosion, as previously predicted, but rather formed through an unknown mechanism.
Magnetars are neutron stars composed entirely of neutrons and are characterized by their extremely powerful magnetic fields. A magnetar’s field is about a trillion times more powerful than Earth’s magnetosphere, making it nearly impossible for humans to approach without severe damage.
The researchers used Hubble’s sensitive instruments and precise benchmarks from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia spacecraft to track SGR 0501+4516’s movement across the sky. The data showed that the magnetar’s motion was not associated with a nearby supernova remnant, contradicting previous theories about its birthplace.
The discovery opens up new possibilities for understanding the formation of magnetars and may shed light on the mechanism behind fast radio bursts. Fast radio bursts are brief but powerful flashes of radio waves that originate from ancient stellar populations.
“Understanding Magnetar Birth Rates is Crucial”
According to Nanda Rea, a researcher involved in the study, “Magnetar birth rates and formation scenarios are among the most pressing questions in high-energy astrophysics, with implications for many of the universe’s most powerful transient events.”
The research team plans to conduct further Hubble observations to study other magnetars in the Milky Way, helping to unravel the mystery behind their origins. The discovery highlights the importance of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and its continued contributions to our understanding of the universe.
Source: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-tracks-a-roaming-magnetar-of-unknown-origin