Recently, neutron stars with very strong surface magnetic fields have been suggested as the site for the origin of observed soft gamma repeaters (SGRs). We investigate the influence of a strong magnetic field on the properties and internal structure of such strongly magnetized neutron stars (magnetars). The presence of a sufficiently strong magnetic field changes the ratio of protons to neutron...

We model thermal evolution of magnetars with a phenomenological heat source in a spherical internal layer and compare the results with observations of persistent thermal radiation from magnetars. We show that the heat source should be located in the outer magnetar’s crust, at densities ρ 5 × 1011 g cm−3, and the heating rate should be ∼ 1020 erg cm−3 s−1. Heating deeper layers is extremely inef...

We highlight how the downward revision in the distance to the star cluster associated with SGR1806–20 by Bibby et al. reconciles the apparent low contamination of BATSE short GRBs by intense flares from extragalactic magnetars without recourse to modifying the frequency of one such flare per 30 years per Milky Way galaxy. We also discuss the variety in progenitor initial masses of magnetars bas...

We study thermal structure and evolution of magnetars as cooling neutron stars with a phenomenological heat source in a spherical internal layer. We explore the location of this layer as well as the heating rate that could explain high observable thermal luminosities of magnetars and would be consistent with the energy budget of neutron stars. We conclude that the heat source should be located ...

We confront theoretical models for the rotational, magnetic, and thermal evolution of an ultramagnetized neutron star, or magnetar, with available data on the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs). We argue that, if the AXPs are interpreted as magnetars, their clustering of spin periods between 6 and 12 s (observed at present in this class of objects), their period derivatives, their thermal X-ray lum...

We highlight how the downward revision in the distance to the star cluster associated with SGR1806–20 by Bibby et al. reconciles the apparent low contamination of BATSE short GRBs by intense flares from extragalactic magnetars without recourse to modifying the frequency of one such flare per 30 years per Milky Way galaxy. We also discuss the variety in progenitor initial masses of magnetars bas...

Recently, neutron stars with very strong surface magnetic fields have been suggested as the site for the origin of observed soft gamma repeaters (SGRs). We investigate the influence of a strong magnetic field on the properties and internal structure of such strongly magnetized neutron stars (magnetars). The presence of a sufficiently strong magnetic field changes the ratio of protons to neutron...

Ultramagnetized neutron stars or magnetars have been invoked to explain several astrophysical phenomena. We examine how the magnetic field of a magnetar will decay over time and how this decay affects the cooling of the object. We find that for sufficiently strong nascent fields, field decay alters the cooling evolution significantly relative to similarly magnetized neutron stars with constant ...

We study the pulse morphologies and pulse amplitudes of thermally emitting neutron stars with ultrastrong magnetic fields. The beaming of the radiation emerging from a magnetar was recently shown to be predominantly non-radial, with a small pencil and a broad fan component. We show that the combination of this radiation pattern with the effects of strong lensing in the gravitational field of th...

Almost 40 years after the discovery of pulsars – and despite a plethora of secured data on them – pul-sar theory is still beset by a number of fundamental inconsistencies. In this short contribution, I will argue that (i) magnetars do not exist, (ii) (ordinary) pulsars turnoff (or 'die') when their wind pressure falls short of keeping the CSM at a safe distance, exceeding 10 15 cm, whereupon th...