Quasi-periodic sub-pulse structure as a unifying feature for radio-emitting neutron stars

Abstract

Magnetars are highly-magnetised rotating neutron stars that are predominantly observed as high-energy sources. Six of this class of neutron star are known to also emit radio emission, and magnetars are, thus, a favoured model for the origin for at least some of the Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). If magnetars, or neutron stars in general, are indeed responsible, sharp empirical constraints on the mechanism producing radio emission are required. Here we report on the detection of polarised quasi-periodic sub-structure in the emission of all well-studied radio-detected magnetars. A correlation previously seen, relating sub-structure in pulsed emission of radio emitting neutron stars to their rotational period, is extended, and shown to now span more than six of orders of magnitude in pulse period. This behaviour is not only seen in magnetars but in members of all classes of radio-emitting rotating neutron stars, regardless of their evolutionary history, their power source or their inferred magnetic field strength. If magnetars are responsible for FRBs, it supports the idea of being able to infer underlying periods from sub-burst timescales in FRBs.

published in Nature Astronomy, 48 pages (main text, methods, extended data figures & tables and supplementary information), in total 17 figures, 4 tables

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• The emission of interpulses by a 6.45-hour period coherent radio transient
• CHIME/FRB/Pulsar discovery of a nearby long period radio transient with a timing glitch
• A highly magnetized long-period radio transient exhibiting unusual emission features
• CHIME/FRB Discovery of an Unusual Circularly Polarized Long-Period Radio Transient with an Accelerating Spin Period
• The Curious Case of Twin Fast Radio Bursts: Evidence for Neutron Star Origin?
• FRB Line-of-sight Ionization Measurement From Lightcone AAOmega Mapping Survey: the First Data Release
• Comprehensive analysis of the Apertif Fast Radio Burst sample: similarities with young, energetic neutron stars
• A comprehensive search for Long and Short Periodic Features from an Extremely Active Cycle of FRB 20240114A
• High-cadence monitoring of the emission properties of magnetar XTE J1810-197 with the Stockert radio telescope
• RRAT J2325-0530: A Rotating Radio Transient with an Atypical Waiting-time Distribution
• Estimation of neutron star mass and radius of FRB 20240114A by identification of crustal oscillations
• Evidence of the association of repeating fast-radio-burst sources with fast-spinning super-twisted magnetars
• Deep Synoptic Array Science: Searching for Long Duration Radio Transients with the DSA-110