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Open AccessJournal ArticleDOI

The strongest cosmic magnets: soft gamma-ray repeaters and anomalous X-ray pulsars

Sandro Mereghetti
- 08 Jul 2008 - 
- Vol. 15, Iss: 4, pp 225-287
Abstract
Two classes of X-ray pulsars, the anomalous X-ray pulsars and the soft gamma-ray repeaters, have been recognized in the last decade as the most promising candidates for being magnetars: isolated neutron stars powered by magnetic energy. I review the observational properties of these objects, focussing on the most recent results, and their interpretation in the magnetar model. Alternative explanations, in particular those based on accretion from residual disks, are also considered. The possible relations between these sources and other classes of neutron stars and astrophysical objects are also discussed.

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Citations
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The Astrophysics of Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays

TL;DR: In this paper, the main effects of propagation from cosmologically distant sources, including interactions with cosmic background radiation and magnetic fields, are discussed, leading to a survey of candidate sources and their signatures.
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The McGill Magnetar Catalog

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a catalog of the 26 currently known magnetars and magnetar candidates, and investigate and plot possible correlations between their timing, X-ray, and multiwavelength properties.
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Unifying the observational diversity of isolated neutron stars via magneto-thermal evolution models.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of 2D simulations of the fully-coupled evolution of temperature and magnetic field in neutron stars, including the state-of-the-art kinetic coefficients and, for the first time, the important effect of the Hall term.
References
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Proceedings ArticleDOI

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TL;DR: Central Compact Objects (CCO) are a handful of soft X-ray sources located close to the centers of Supernova Remnants and supposed to be radio-quiet Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs) as mentioned in this paper.
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Journal ArticleDOI

The Nature of the “6 Second” and Related X-Ray Pulsars: Evolutionary and Dynamical Considerations

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