http://arxiv.org/abs/2210.13509
Magnetospheres of neutron stars can be perturbed by star quakes or interaction in a binary system. The perturbations are typically in the kHz band and excite magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves. We show that compressive magnetospheric waves steepen into monster shocks mediated by radiation reaction, different from normal collisionless shocks. The shocks admit a simple analytical description. They expand through the magnetosphere with radiative losses, and then a blast wave is launched into the neutron-star wind. The monster shocks offer a new possible mechanism for X-ray bursts from magnetars and support the connection of magnetar X-ray activity with fast radio bursts. Similar shocks should occur in magnetized neutron-star binaries in every orbital period, generating an X-ray precursor of the binary merger. The presented method for calculating wave propagation and shock formation may have broader applications in relativistic MHD.
A. Beloborodov
Wed, 26 Oct 22
34/73
Comments: 26 pages, submitted to ApJ
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