Do magnetars glitch? : Timing irregularities in anomalous X-ray pulsars

Abstract

We examine the timing history of several anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs), and find that they exhibit spin down irregularities statistically similar to those of radio pulsars. We propose that these irregularities are simply glitches like those of radio pulsars and fit glitching spin down solutions to the data available for 1E~2259+586, 1E~1048.1-5937 and 4U~0142+61. The inferred magnitude of the glitches ($\Delta \Omega$) is comparable to that exhibited in radio pulsar glitching. With these results we argue that the three AXPs that we studied are isolated neutron stars spinning down by magnetic dipole radiation and powered by a combination of cooling, magnetic field decay and magnetospheric particle bombardment.

8 pages, 2 figures, submitted to MNRAS, corrected an equation, conclusions unchanged

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Cited by in corpus (23)

• An Accretion Model for Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars
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• Discovery of Two High-Magnetic-Field Radio Pulsars
• Changes in the X-ray Emission from the Magnetar Candidate 1E 2259+586 during its 2002 Outburst
• Physical Mechanisms for the Variable Spin-down of SGR 1900+14
• Long-Term RXTE Monitoring of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
• Variable Spin-down in the Soft Gamma Repeater SGR 1900+14 and Correlations with Burst Activity
• Precision Timing of Two Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars
• Large Torque Variations in Two Soft Gamma Repeaters
• A Glitch in an Anomalous X-ray Pulsar
• Long-Term RXTE Monitoring of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 1E 1048.1-5937
• A Second Glitch from the "Anomalous" X-ray Pulsar 1RXS J170849.0-4000910
• A QED Model for the Origin of Bursts from SGRs and AXPs
• Timing Noise in SGR 1806-20
• Study of the Long Term Stability of two Anomalous X-ray Pulsars 4U 0142+61 and 1E 1048.1-5937 with ASCA
• A Possible Magnetar Nature for IGR J16358-4726
• General Relativistic Constraints on Emission Models of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
• Suzaku Studies of the Supernova Remnant CTB~109 Hosting the Magnetar 1E~2259+586
• (Anomalous) X-ray Pulsars
• Evolution of superhigh magnetic fields of magnetars
• Differences between the Two Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars: Variations in the Spin Down Rate of 1E 1048.1-5937 and An Extended Interval of Quiet Spin Down in 1E 2259+586
• Thermal X-Ray Pulses Resulting From Pulsar Glitches
• Evidence for a Binary Companion to the Central Compact Object 1E 1207.4-5209