During the past week, NuSTAR observed the transient magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408, a highly magnetized neutron star that previously exhibited Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) accompanied by X-ray burst activity. Earlier joint NuSTAR and NICER ToO observations revealed a dynamic outburst of this magnetar in 2022, including a forest of short X-ray bursts and a pair of rotational glitches occurring before and after the FRB emission. The association of magnetars with FRBs represents a major breakthrough in understanding these mysterious powerful millisecond radio flashes. Yet, the exact mechanism that powers FRBs in magnetars remains an open question. X-ray monitoring of outbursts through this week’s and upcoming NuSTAR DDT observations aims to further probe the FRB-magnetar connection, including potential trigger mechanisms, and search for similar burst and glitch behavior. Coordinated observations with NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) are also planned, promising unique insights into magnetar outbursts and FRBs through spectro-polarimetry. This may also reveal signatures of physics in extreme magnetic fields, including potential quantum electrodynamic (QED) effects in the magnetar environment.

Author:  Demet Kirmizibayrak (Caltech, Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate)