Tidal capture of an asteroid by a magnetar: FRB-like bursts, glitch, and antiglitch

Recently, remarkable antiglitch and glitch accompanied by bright radio bursts of the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154 were discovered. These two infrequent temporal coincidences between the glitch/antiglitch and the fast radio burst (FRB)-like bursts reveal their physical connection of them. Here, we propose that the antiglitch/glitch and FRB-like bursts can be well understood by an asteroid tidally captured by a magnetar. In this model, an asteroid is tidally captured and disrupted by a magnetar. Then, the disrupted asteroid will transfer the angular momentum to the magnetar producing a sudden change in the magnetar rotational frequency at the magnetosphere radius. If the orbital angular momentum of the asteroid is parallel (or antiparallel) to that of the spinning magnetar, a glitch (or antiglitch) will occur. Subsequently, the bound asteroid materials fall back to the pericentre and eventually are accreted to the surface of the magnetar. Massive fragments of the asteroid cross magnetic field lines and produce bright radio bursts through coherent curvature radiation. Our model can explain the sudden magnetar spin changes and FRB-like bursts in a unified way.

Automated summary

Recently, a physical connection between antiglitch/glitch and fast radio burst (FRB)-like bursts of the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154 has been discovered. A proposed model suggests that these phenomena can be explained by an asteroid tidally captured and disrupted by the magnetar, leading to sudden changes in rotational frequency and the production of bright radio bursts. This model provides a unified explanation for the observed events.