Multi-wavelength observations of the radio magnetar PSRJ 1622-4950 and discovery of its possibly associated supernova remnant

Abstract

We present multi-wavelength observations of the radio magnetar PSRJ1622-4950 and its environment. Observations of PSRJ1622-4950 with Chandra (in 2007 and 2009) and XMM (i n 2011) show that the X-ray flux of PSRJ1622-4950 has decreased by a factor of 50 over 3.7years, decaying exponentially with a characteristic time of τ = 360 ± 11days. This behavior identifies PSRJ1622-4950 as a possible addition to the small class of transient magnetars. The X-ray decay likely indicates that PSRJ1622-4950 is recovering from an X-ray outburst that occurred earlier in 2007, before the 2007 Chandra observations. Observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array show strong radio variability, including a possible radio flaring event at least one and a half years after the 2007 X-ray outburst that may be a direct result of this X-ray event. Radio observations with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope reveal that PSRJ1622-4950 is 8′ southeast of a diffuse radio arc, G333.9+0.0, which appears non-thermal in nature and which could possibly be a previously undiscovered supernova remnant (SNR). If G333.9+0.0 is an SNR then the estimates of its size and age, combined with the close proximity and reasonable implied velocity of PSRJ1622-4950, suggest that these two objects could be physically associated. © 2012. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.