SWIFT study of the first SGR-like burst from AXP 1E 1841-045 in SNR Kes 73

Abstract

We report the study of the short (32 ms) and first SGR-like burst observed from the anomalous X-ray pulsar (AXP) 1E 1841-045 associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) Kes 73, discovered on 2010 May 6 by the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) onboard the Swift gamma-ray observatory. The 15-100 keV time-averaged burst spectrum is modeled by a single power-law (PL) with a photon index Gamma=3.2${}_{-1.0}^{+1.8}$, and has a fluence of 1.1${}_{-0.6}^{+0.4}$$\times$10${}^{-8}$ ergs cm${}^{-2}$, luminosity of 2.9${}_{-1.6}^{+1.1}$$\times$10${}^{39}$ ergs s${}^{-1}$, and energy of 7.2${}_{-0.6}^{+0.4}$$\times$10${}^{36}$ ergs. The prompt after-burst 0.5-10 keV quiescent spectrum obtained with the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) is best-fit by an absorbed PL model with Gamma=2.6$\pm$0.2 and an unabsorbed flux of 9.1${}_{-1.4}^{+1.2}$$\times$10${}^{-11}$ ergs cm${}^{-2}$ s${}^{-1}$. To investigate the pre-burst 0.5-10 keV persistent emission, we analyzed the archival XMM-Newton observations and the spectra are well fitted by a two-component blackbody (BB) plus PL model with a temperature kT=0.45$\pm$0.03 keV, Gamma=1.9$\pm$0.2, and an unabsorbed flux of 4.3${}_{-1.2}^{+0.9}$$\times$10${}^{-11}$ ergs cm${}^{-2}$ s${}^{-1}$. Comparing the Swift-XRT spectrum with the XMM-Newton spectrum, spectral softening post-burst is evident with a 2.1 times increase in the unabsorbed flux. We discuss the burst activity and the persistent emission properties of AXP 1E 1841-045 in comparison with other magnetars and in the context of the magnetar model.

3 figures and 1 table. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters

References in corpus (5)

• The strongest cosmic magnets: Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
• Untwisting magnetospheres of neutron stars
• The Distance and Age of the SNR Kes 73 and AXP 1E 1841-045
• Exciting the Magnetosphere of the Magnetar CXOU J164710.2-455216 in Westerlund 1
• Searching for X-ray Variability in the Glitching Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 1E 1841-045 in Kes 73

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• The McGill Magnetar Catalog
• A unified model of the magnetar and radio pulsar bursting phenomenology
• The Five Year Fermi/GBM Magnetar Burst Catalog
• The 2009 outburst of magnetar 1E 1547-5408: Persistent radiative and burst properties
• Discovery of the transient magnetar 3XMM J185246.6+003317 near supernova remnant Kesteven 79 with XMM-Newton
• Deep NuSTAR and Swift Monitoring Observations of the Magnetar 1E 1841-045
• Burst and Persistent Emission Properties during the Recent Active Episode of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 1E 1841-045
• Pulsars and magnetars
• Chandra and XMM-Newton imaging and spectroscopic study of the supernova remnant Kes 73 hosting the magnetar 1E 1841-045
• A glitch and an anti-glitch in the anomalous X-ray pulsar 1E 1841-045
• Chandra observations of SGR 1627-41 near quiescence
• Long-term evolution of anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma repeaters
• Study of the extended radio emission of two supernova remnants and four planetary nebulae associated to MIPSGAL bubbles
• Exploring a search for long-duration transient gravitational waves associated with magnetar bursts
• X-Ray Observations of Magnetar SGR 0501+4516 from Outburst to Quiescence
• Long-Term Timing and Glitch Characteristics of Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 1RXS J170849.0-400910