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Are short GRBs powered by magnetars?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2012

Paul T. O'Brien
Affiliation:
Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of LeicesterUniversity Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom email: [email protected]
Antonia Rowlinson
Affiliation:
Astronomical Institute “Anton Pannekoek”, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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The standard model for a short duration Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) involves the merger of a neutron star binary system, resulting in a black hole which accretes for a brief period of time. However, some of the short-duration GRBs observed by the Swift satellite show features in their light curves which are difficult to explain in this model. As an alternative, we examine the light curves of the Swift short GRB sample to see if they can be explained by the presence of a highly magnetised, rapidly rotating pulsar, or magnetar. We find that magnetars may be present in a large fraction of short bursts, and discuss briefly how this model can be tested using the next generation of gravity-wave observatories.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2012

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