Radio and X-ray reactivation of magnetar PSR J1622-4950
ATel #10346; F. Camilo (SKA South Africa), P. Scholz (DRAO/NRC), J. Sarkissian (ATNF), J. Reynolds (ATNF)
on 4 May 2017; 11:46 UT
Credential Certification: Fernando Camilo (fernando@astro.columbia.edu)
Subjects: Radio, X-ray, Neutron Star, Pulsar, Magnetar
Referred to by ATel #: 10581
The magnetar PSR J1622-4950 was discovered in 2009 at the CSIRO
Parkes radio telescope (Levin et al. 2010). Archival observations
indicated that an X-ray outburst likely occurred prior to the radio
discovery (Anderson et al. 2012). We have been monitoring the pulsar
since 2011 using Parkes, finding that radio emission ceased in 2014,
and remained undetectable during 2015-2016 (Scholz et al. 2017,
submitted). Parkes observations in April 2017 show that the radio
emission has resumed. A 2.5 ks Swift observation done on 27 April
2017 shows that the magnetar is now detected at ~5x10^-12 erg/s/cm^2
(1-10 keV), several orders of magnitude above its quiescent flux.
PSR J1622-4950 has therefore resumed a more active state, and we
continue to monitor its X-ray and radio properties.
