Marcus Lower (CSIRO)

Marcus Lower Colloquium: A radio-loud magnetar with an identity crisis

Marsfield Lecture Theatre

Abstract

Magnetars are a rare class of highly magnetised neutron star. They are the primary source of local gamma-ray bursts and are speculated to produce a significant fraction of extragalactic fast radio bursts. Studying the local population of magnetars within the Milky-Way is therefore key to understanding these highly energetic objects and the role they play in the transient sky. In this talk I will present the initial results of on-going project to monitor a peculiar radio-loud magnetar, Swift J1818.0-1607, with Murriyang, the Parkes 64-m radio telescope. This includes the unusually pulsar-like properties of this object seen in early observations, and a brief identity crisis in which the neutron star displayed a host of unique behaviour never before seen any other radio pulsar.