Free electron laser in magnetars/Fast Radio Bursts

2020/06/29 by Maxim Lyutikov, Lyutikov, Maxim · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE) #Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics #Magnetic confinement fusion research #Plasma Physics (physics.plasm-ph) #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2006.16029

openalex publication_date 2020/06/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We discuss coherent free electron laser (FEL) operating during explosive reconnection events in magnetized pair plasma of magnetar magnetospheres. The model explains many salient features of Fast Radio Bursts/magnetars' radio emission: temporal coincidence of radio and high energy bursts, high efficiency of conversion of plasma kinetic energy into coherent radiation, presence of variable, narrow-band emission features drifting down in frequency, high degree of linear polarization. The model relies on magnetar-specific drifting e^± plasma components (which generate wiggler field due to the development of the firehose instability) and the presence of reconnection-generated particle beam with mild Lorentz factor of γ_b ∼ few hundred.

Citations

• Millisecond extragalactic radio bursts as magnetar flares
• Fast Radio Bursts from reconnection events in magnetar magnetospheres
• An X-Ray Burst from a Magnetar Enlightening the Mechanism of Fast Radio Bursts

Cited by

• Origin of Pulsed Radio Emission from Magnetars

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