Magnetar Spectra and Twisted Magnetospheres

R. Turolla Dept. of Physics, University of Padova in collaboration with Luciano Nobili, Lucia Pavan, Silvia Zane

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Twisted Magnetospheres - I
Magnetars external field is likely twisted (i.e. B0; Thompson, Lyutikov & Kulkarni 2002) A sheared field requires supporting currents, jB=(c/4) x B jGJ Large optical depth for resonant cyclotron scattering (RCS) of thermal (surface) photons Formation of a power-law tail" in the spectrum

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Twisted Magnetospheres - II
Spectral formation in a twisted magnetosphere investigated quite in detail
(Lyutikov & Gavriil 2006; Fernandez & Thompson 2007; Nobili, Turolla & Zane 2008a)

Application to SGRs/AXPs quiescent emission (0.5-10 keV) RCS spectra in quantitative agreement with data (Rea et al 2008; Zane et al. 2009)

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

The Standard Picture

Present spectral calculations restricted to Conservative (Thomson) scattering in the ERF Globally twisted dipolar magnetospheres Simple prescriptions for the nature and energy distribution of the flowing charges (electrons with 1D maxwellian + constant bulk velocity)

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

And Beyond
AXPs/SGRs are hard X-ray emitters
Conservative scattering in the ERF if mc2; electron recoil not negligible above 50 keV QED effects important if 1

Magnetars external field is complex. Hints for a localized twist (Braithwaite & Spruit 2006; Mastrano &
Melatos 2008; Woods et al 2007)

Magnetospheric currents include pairs

(Beloborodov & Thompson 2007)

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Magnetic Compton Cross Sections - I

Nobili, Turolla & Zane (2008b) Magnetic QED scattering cross section available since long (e.g. Harding & Daugherty
1991)

Complete expression unwieldy

(infinite sum over all virtual Landau states; complicated functions of B, photon energy and direction before and after scattering) (res/wing

Non-resonant scattering negligible

105)

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Magnetic Compton Cross Sections - II

Retain only resonant contributions in the cross section

s = ( n ) = S ( n ) ( B, ) ( n )
n =1
s

n =1

S s( n ) ( B, ) =

n S s()s ' ( B, , l, f ) s ',l , f

n =

2nB 1 + 1 + 2nB sin 2

For implementation in the montecarlo code n2

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Resonant Factors - I

In the non-relativistic limit S(1), ~ const, S(2),~ B Deviations ~ 10% at B ~ 0.1 Bcr
"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Resonant Factors - II

Scatterings at the second resonance ~ 30% for B Bcr Transition 21 more probable than direct decay to the ground state Creation of an extra photon in the 10 radiative de-excitation Photon number not necessary conserved in Magnetic Compton Scattering
"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

The Relativistic MC Code

QED resonant cross sections generated beforehand on a (B, , ) grid and loaded into the MC code Calculation proceeds much as in the nonrelativistic case but
two decisions required for Thomson scattering (polarization state after scattering, target electron) five decisions for Compton scattering (previous 2 plus intermediate electron state, final electron state and spin if n=2) Allowance for spawned photons

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Results - I

Non Rel =1.15

Rel =1.15

Non Rel =1.7

Rel =1.7
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Results - II

Non Rel =7

Rel =7

Non Rel =22

Rel =22
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Multipolar Twisted Magnetospheres - I

Pavan, Turolla, Zane & Nobili (2009)
Construct a force-free, axisymmetric field adding a shear to a potential field General expression for an axisymmetric field

r B=

r r P ( r , ) e r sin

r r r The force free condition ( B ) = 0

implies (Low & Lou 1990, Wolfson 1995)

r + B ( r , )e

F ( P) B ( r, ) = , r sin

2P 1 2 2P dF + 2 + F ( P) =0 2 2 r r dP
GSS equation

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Multipolar Twisted Magnetospheres - II

Separation of variables and same radial dependence for all B components
B pole R P( r, ) = 2
2 NS

r R f ( ), F ( P ) = NS

C P1+1 / p p(1 + p )

GSS equation for the angular part of the flux function (Wolfson 1995, Thompson, Lyutikov &
Kulkarni 2002)

(1 2 ) f + p ( p + 1 ) f + Cf

1+ 2 / p

= 0

Applied to dipolar fields, has general validity though

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Multipolar Twisted Magnetospheres - III

Different untwisted multipoles have p =1, 2, 3,

Same boundary conditions (three) at different values of (C is an eigenvalue) Solutions of the GSS equation provide a sequence of globally-twisted multipolar fields: 0<p<1 (dipoles), 0<p<2 (quadrupoles), 0<p<3 (octupoles), WARNING: the force-free equation is non-linear. A combination of twisted, force-free fields is not a force-free field
"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

RCS in Higher Order Multipolar Fields

Charge density distribution different (even if twist is the same) Spectra are different Magnetar magnetospheres unlikely to be described by a single higher order twisted multipole Octupole offers a way to gain insight on localized twists: take it by the ear and twist only the N lobe (rest is potential)
"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

dipole

octupole

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

dipole quadupole octupole

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"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Two AXPs with Lobed Fields ?

Extreme spectral variations with phase discovered in the 1-200 keV emission from AXPs 1RXS J1708-4009 and 4U0142+61
(den Hartog et al 2008a,b)

Three different spectral components, hard one dominates for ~ 1/3 of the period Phase-resolved spectra and energy dependent lightcurves computed with the relativistic MC for (,) which maximize scattering depth variation with phase Different magnetic configurations tested
"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

A single lobed twisted octupole is the only magnetic configuration which can match the observed properties

kT=0.5 keV kTe=30 keV =0.5 =140 =32

0.5-2 2-10 10-100

keV keV keV

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Magnetospheric Currents
In a stationary, force-free field E=0 Charges can not be extracted from the surface and lifted against gravity to initiate the current The twist has to decay to provide E and hence its own supporting current

E is self-regulated in order to maintain j ~ jB

( B 2 / 8 ) = E|| j t

Beloborodov & Thompson (2007)

1 E|| = jB j c t

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One Dimensional Circuit - I

=0
C 0 +

=0
L A

If nothing else happens, a relativistic double layer (Carlqvist 1984) forms j ~ 02, e-1= 0/mec2, i-1 = (me/mi)(e-1) jB (c/4)B/RNS 1017 statampere/cm2 ( 3x1011
ampere/m2 )

Huge potential difference and E, e 109-1010

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One Dimensional Circuit - II

The need for a very large E kills the twist in a short time Electrons interact with thermal photons ( ~ 1keV) via RCS As soon as e ~ 2mec2 upscattered photons create pairs via + B e+ + e- + B ( ~ Bsin) e production limits e to ~ 1000 Current grows much faster with 0 (in practice 0/mec2 1000 can produce jB)
"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

Fast (And Furious)

RCS of 1keV photons on 103 e requires B~2BQ Pair creation expected along all the flux tube only in the inner magnetosphere A e relativistic double layer when pairs are produced only near the footpoints ? In any case e 1000
"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009

2 Fast (And 2 Furious)

Fits of MC RCS spectra require ~0.5 Help, where are the mildy relativistic particles ? Radiative losses important ?
Curvature radiation ineffective in slowing down the charges Compton cooling might do the job

Need to work out a detailed circuit model including Compton losses

"Thirty Years of Magnetars: New Frontiers" Aspen - February 1-7, 2009