Journal
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS
Volume 748, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/748/1/L1
Keywords
astrometry; pulsars: individual (PSR J1550-5418, 1E 1547.0-5408); stars: neutron
Categories
Funding
- Commonwealth of Australia
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The formation mechanism of neutron stars with extremely large magnetic field strengths (magnetars) remains unclear. Some formation scenarios predict that magnetars should be born with extremely high space velocities, >1000 km s(-1). Using the Long Baseline Array in Australia, we have measured the proper motion of the intermittently radio-bright magnetar PSR J1550-5418 (1E 1547.0-5408): mu = 9.2 +/- 0.6 mas yr-1. For a likely distance of 6 +/- 2 kpc, the implied transverse velocity is 280(-120)(+130) km s(-1) after correcting for Galactic rotation. Along with the approximate to 200 km s(-1) transverse velocity measured for the magnetar XTE J1810-197, this result suggests that formation pathways producing large magnetic fields do not require very large birth kicks.
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