VLBA Discovers New Insights about Fastest-Spinning Magnetar

Aug 8, 2024 by News Staff

Swift J1818.0-1617 is located approximately 22,000 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius.



An artist’s impression of the magnetar Swift J1818.0-1617. Image credit: NSF / AUI / NRAO / S. Dagnello.


Discovered in 2020, Swift J1818.0-1617 is believed to be the fastest-spinning, rotating with a spin period of 1.36 seconds, and the youngest magnetar discovered thus far.

Situated on the other side of the Milky Way’s bulge and 22,000 light years away, the star’s position is relatively close to Earth. Close enough, in fact, to utilize the parallax method to accurately determine its 3D location within our Galaxy.

The lifespan of a magnetar is unknown at this time, but astronomers estimate that Swift J1818.0-1617 is only a few hundred years old.

“A magnetar’s bright X-ray emissions necessitate a mechanism of extremely high energy outflow; only the rapid decay of its intense magnetic field can explain the power behind these spectral signatures,” said Dr. Hao Ding, an astronomer at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and colleagues.

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https://www.sci.news/astronomy/vlba-fastest-spinning-magnetar-13164.html