SGR 1627-41
Encyclopedia
SGR 1627-41, is a soft gamma repeater
. It was discovered June 15, 1998 using the Burst and transient Source Experiment (BATSE) and was the first soft gamma repeater to be discovered since 1979. During a period of 6 weeks, the star bursted approximately 100 times, and then went quiet. The measured bursts lasted an average of 100 milliseconds, but ranged from 25 msec to 1.8 seconds. AGR 1627-41 is a persistent X-ray
source. It is located at a distance of 11 kpc
in the radio complex CTB 33, a star forming region that includes the supernova remnant
G337.0-0.1.
This object is believed to be a neutron star
that undergoes random outbursts of hard and soft X-rays. This may be caused by the loss of angular momentum of a highly magnetized neutron star, or magnetar
. Alternatively, it may be a quark star
, although this is considered less likely. After the 1998 outburst and the 40-day afterglow, SGR 1627-41 has remained dormant and is steadily cooling down from the peak during the event.
Soft gamma repeater
A soft gamma repeater is an astronomical object which emits large bursts of gamma-rays and X-rays at irregular intervals. It is conjectured that they are a type of magnetar or, alternatively, neutron stars with fossil disks around them....
. It was discovered June 15, 1998 using the Burst and transient Source Experiment (BATSE) and was the first soft gamma repeater to be discovered since 1979. During a period of 6 weeks, the star bursted approximately 100 times, and then went quiet. The measured bursts lasted an average of 100 milliseconds, but ranged from 25 msec to 1.8 seconds. AGR 1627-41 is a persistent X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
source. It is located at a distance of 11 kpc
Parsec
The parsec is a unit of length used in astronomy. It is about 3.26 light-years, or just under 31 trillion kilometres ....
in the radio complex CTB 33, a star forming region that includes the supernova remnant
Supernova remnant
A supernova remnant is the structure resulting from the explosion of a star in a supernova. The supernova remnant is bounded by an expanding shock wave, and consists of ejected material expanding from the explosion, and the interstellar material it sweeps up and shocks along the way.There are two...
G337.0-0.1.
This object is believed to be a neutron star
Neutron star
A neutron star is a type of stellar remnant that can result from the gravitational collapse of a massive star during a Type II, Type Ib or Type Ic supernova event. Such stars are composed almost entirely of neutrons, which are subatomic particles without electrical charge and with a slightly larger...
that undergoes random outbursts of hard and soft X-rays. This may be caused by the loss of angular momentum of a highly magnetized neutron star, or magnetar
Magnetar
A magnetar is a type of neutron star with an extremely powerful magnetic field, the decay of which powers the emission of copious high-energy electromagnetic radiation, particularly X-rays and gamma rays...
. Alternatively, it may be a quark star
Quark star
A quark star or strange star is a hypothetical type of exotic star composed of quark matter, or strange matter. These are ultra-dense phases of degenerate matter theorized to form inside particularly massive neutron stars....
, although this is considered less likely. After the 1998 outburst and the 40-day afterglow, SGR 1627-41 has remained dormant and is steadily cooling down from the peak during the event.