| Title: |
4XMM J175136.8−275858: a new magnetar candidate? |
| Authors: |
Webbe, Robbie; Khan, Norman; Webb, N; Quintin, E |
| Contributors: |
Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (IRAP); Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Toulouse (EPE UT); Communauté d'universités et établissements de Toulouse (Comue de Toulouse)-Communauté d'universités et établissements de Toulouse (Comue de Toulouse); European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC); Agence Spatiale Européenne = European Space Agency (ESA); ANR-20-CE31-0010,MORPHER,Modélisation, Observation, Recherche de Pulsars: de la Haute Énergie à la Radio(2020) |
| Source: |
ISSN: 0035-8711. |
| Publisher Information: |
CCSD; Oxford University Press (OUP): Policy P - Oxford Open Option A |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Collection: |
Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier: HAL-UPS |
| Subject Terms: |
stars: magnetars; X-rays: bursts; [SDU.ASTR.HE]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena [astro-ph.HE]; [SDU.ASTR.SR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [astro-ph.SR] |
| Description: |
International audience ; Magnetars are very rare astrophysical objects, with $\sim$31 known to date. They are best understood as highly magnetized neutron stars, but a greater number need to be found to constrain their role in stellar evolution pathways. We apply a novel approach for the detection of fast, transient X-ray sources, using a revised version of the EPIC XMM–Newton Outburst Detector with the aim of detecting and identifying new and rare variable compact objects. We detect a transient, variable source notable for its strong variability and hard spectrum. The emission from 4XMM J175136.8−275858 is well characterized by a blackbody, with temperatures between $\sim$1.8 and 5 keV during its lower luminosity phase. Its temperature is poorly constrained during its brightest phase, and we observe an increase in luminosity by two orders of magnitude over time-scales of a few ks. This is driven by increased emission of X-rays at energies above 2 keV, with a luminosity decay potentially over weeks or months. Derived luminosities for 4XJ1751−2759 range up to $\sim 10^{35}\, \text{erg s}^{-1}$ at 8 kpc at the Galactic centre, but neutral hydrogen column densities are greater than predicted Galactic values possibly implying a greater distance to the source, still within our galaxy, further increasing its luminosity. A consideration of optical and IR information in combination with the X-ray observations allows us to exclude the possibility that 4XJ1751−2759 is a star, rotationally powered pulsar or supergiant fast X-ray transient. This rapid, hard, variability is closest to that of outbursts in magnetars than any other known class of X-ray transient. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/arxiv/2505.04206; ARXIV: 2505.04206 |
| DOI: |
10.1093/mnras/staf632 |
| Availability: |
https://hal.science/hal-05512918; https://hal.science/hal-05512918v1/document; https://hal.science/hal-05512918v1/file/2505.04206v1.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf632 |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ; info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.A076FF2D |
| Database: |
BASE |