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(617) 495-7462
Christine Pulliam
(617) 495-7463
pubaffairs@cfa
A 110-by-75 light-year-wide hole in the neutral hydrogen gas surrounding a magnetar shows that a massive star gave birth to this powerful magnetic object. Magnetars are the rare "white tigers" of stellar astrophysics, comprising only 1% of known pulsars. In this image, red shows the neutral hydrogen gas mapped with CSIRO's Australia Telescope Compact Array and Parkes radio telescope, while blue represents Chandra X-ray Observatory data showing the magnetar. The bubble in the hydrogen was cleared out by a superstrong wind from the magnetar's progenitor star.
Credit: ATNF/CXC/B. Gaensler (CfA)
Low Resolution Image (jpg)
Credit: ATNF/CXC/B. Gaensler (CfA)
Low Resolution Image (jpg)
This artist's concept shows a magnetar - a neutron star with a super-strong magnetic field, represented by the lines in this illustration. A team led by Bryan Gaensler (CfA) has linked magnetars to massive stars, showing that the biggest stars produce the strongest magnets when they explode as supernovae.
Credit: Robert S. Mallozzi (UAH/NASA MSFC)
Low Resolution Image (jpg)
Credit: Robert S. Mallozzi (UAH/NASA MSFC)
Low Resolution Image (jpg)
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