Research Projects

Magnetars are isolated neutron stars with high magnetic fields, typically young ages, and persistent but variable X-ray emission. Their dynamic activities, such as X-ray outburts and flares, and anomalously high luminosities are attributed to their magnetic activity and spontaneous field decay. Magnetars also form the basis of many models to explain the origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs), which are milliseconds-wide highly luminous radio transient events of extra-galactic origin. Recently, a very strong radio burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154 was detected, filling the large gap between energies observed from Galactic neutron stars and those from FRBs. To establish a meaningful observational link between magnetars and FRBs, a much larger sample of such bursts from various magnetars needs to be detected. While a few more bursts with high fluences have been observed, we are still far from detecting a burst as energetic as typical FRBs or a statistically useful number of bursts to estimate and extrapolate event rates and energetics to FRBs. No similar bright burst has been detected from any other known Galactic magnetars. MagBurstS, the Magnetar super-bright radio BURST Scanner, will facilitate extended long-term monitoring of Galactic magnetars at a population level and search for energetic bursts in real-time. The scanner will develop a real-time search engine and use an existing 15 m dish with its associated front-end and back-end facilities located at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics.