Humanity has discovered just 31 magnetic neutron stars , or magnetars , stellar object with unbelievable magnetic attraction . New observations of one of these stars report some bizarre never - before - seen behaviour , suggest that these objects might have a more complex magnetized field than previously thought .
The virtuoso is know as Swift J1818.0 - 1607 , or J1818 for short . It was attain just under a yr ago and it has already gotplenty of media attentiondue to it being the fastest and youngest magnetar known , as well as being a pulsar , a pulsating neutron wiz . To this list of achievement , the new field publish in theMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societyadds another one : This is the first magnetar with a misaligned magnetic pole .
J1818 is an incredible object . From the get - go , after its uncovering in March 2020 , researchers noticed that it was being “ wireless - tatty ” , let out beat of wireless waves like a pulsar . By the summer , its emissions were jump between a bright state and a weak one . In July , the squad saw it flicker between a “ pulsar - like ” state and a more classic “ magnetar - comparable " state .
“ This bizarre behaviour has never been seen before in any other wireless - loud magnetar , ” lead source and Swinburne University graduate researcher Marcus Lower enounce in astatement . “ It appears to have only been a short - lived phenomenon as by our next observation it had settled for good into this new magnetar - alike state . ”
The general musical theme of how magnetars are sees the magnetic bailiwick at the opposite terminal of the star , in a courteous north - south pole configuration . The magnetic pole of J1818 instead appear to be found close to each other near the equator , with the southern one dominating the radio emission .
“ From our observation , we found that the magnetic axis of J1818 is n’t align with its rotation axis of rotation , ” said low . “ Instead , the radio - emit magnetic pole seems to be in its southern cerebral hemisphere , site just below the equator . Most other magnetars have magnetic fields that are line up with their spin axis or are a petty ambiguous . ”
The finding are also fit by other research that looked at the magnetar in wavelengths beyond radio . X - ray observationshave spotlight a individual magnetic distortion . This could be two modest but closely spaced poles as the radio reflexion appear to suggest .
The squad plan to keep this star under constant monitoring to see any other change to the magnetic field . Further studies might lead to something unique : mapping the magnetic field of a magnetar for the first time .
