SWIFT OBSERVATIONS of TWO OUTBURSTS from the MAGNETAR 4U 0142+61

R. F. Archibald, V. M. Kaspi, P. Scholz, A. P. Beardmore, N. Gehrels, J. A. Kennea

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Abstract

4U 0142+61 is one of a small class of persistently bright magnetars. Here, we report on a monitoring campaign of 4U 0142+61 from 2011 July 26 to 2016 June 12 using the Swift X-ray Telescope, continuing a 16-year timing campaign with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. We show that 4U 0142+61 had two radiatively loud timing events, on 2011 July 29 and 2015 February 28, both with short soft γ-ray bursts, and a long-lived flux decay associated with each case. We show that the 2015 timing event resulted in a net spin-down of the pulsar that is due to overrecovery of a glitch. We compare this timing event to previous such events in other pulsars with high magnetic fields and discuss net spin-down glitches now seen in several young, high-B pulsars.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number163
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume834
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 10 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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