I.F.Malov Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory, Lebedev Physical Institute RUSSIA Do «magnetars» really exist? AXPs and SGRs Magnetars (dP dr /dt) -11 Р(sec)=8.32x10 -2 [ —————————] 2/5, (L x ) 34 (W/P dr ) 2 P dr ƒ pl P (dP dr /dt) dP/dt = ——————, 2 P dr B (G) = P dr /Р 2 Drift waves CONCLUSIONS 1) There is no one criterion defining the magnetar type. The answer the question in the title must be negative, as we believe. What the word “magnetar” means ? 1) Is the supercritical dipole magnetic field ? But magnetic field of SGR is less than 7.5 x G 2)Is the bursting behaviour? Normal pulsars have the burst components and giant pulses. 3) Is the low rotational power with respect to their X-ray luminosity? The young pulsar PSR J in the SNR Kes 75 (τ = 884 years), P = 326 msec show X-ray bursts, similar to АХРs and SGRs. However its X-ray luminosity L x = 4.1 x erg/sec can be provided by the losses of the rotation energy dE/dt = 8.1x10 36 erg/sec. 4) Is the black body plus power-law X-ray spectrum? Normal radio pulsars emit thermal and non-thermal radiation outside the radio range. 5) Is the erratic radio pulse behaviour? Individual pulses of radio pulsars have different forms and spectra. So, there is no one criterion defining the magnetar type. Energy of a giant burst must be equal to magnetic energy: B 2 4 π R 0 3 B 2 R 0 3 —————— = ——— =10 46 erg 8 π 3 6 It is necessary to draw through the crust a sphere with R 0 ~ 1 km, i.e. 0.1 R * if an efficiency of transformation of magnetic energy to radiation is 100 %. Such an event must cause some catastrofic changes in the neutron star. There are no observational evidences of these changes. The geometry of the magnetosphere considered The oscillating behaviour of the angle between the axis of the emission cone and the line of sight For this model the angle β between the rotation axis and the magnetic moment must be small. Indeed our calculations have shown that in PSR J β = , in AXP J and 1E β < ) The detection of SGR with magnetic field of order of 7.5 x G gives birth doubts on the supercritical magnetic fields as the main peculiarity of АХРs and SGRs. 3) It is not enough to have magnetic fields ~10 16 G to provide bursts with energies ~10 46 erg. 4) The angle between magnetic and rotation axes in АХР PSR J is equal to This gives the possibility to use the drift model for the description of AXPs. 5) In the frames of this model parameters of PSR J are the rotation period Р = 0.32 sec, the strength of magnetic field in the region of generation of observed emission В = 950 G and at the surface of the neutron star B s = 3.39 x G. 6) It is shown that the cyclotron instability near the light cylinder of the PSR J can cause the generation of radio radiation. This radiation must be located in the narrow laye near the light cylindrr and the flux at low frequences ( ~100 MHz) is expected much more intense than at higher frequences. In the frame of the drift model we estimate the rotation period Р = 0.32 sec, dP/dt = 6.29 x , logB s = for PSR J The cyclotron instability causes the generation of transverse waves at the frequency 4 ω B 3 γ p 3 ω = —————, ω p 2 γ b where e B 8 π n p e 2 ω B = —— is the cyclotron frequency, ω p = ———— m c m plasma frequency, γ p Lorentz-factor of the secondary plasma, γ b Lorentz-factor of the primary beam. The distance of generation of radio waves r r e 2 B s 2 γ p 4 P r —— = ( ————————— ) 1 / 6 —— = 1, ν 8 -1/6 R* 2π 2 m 2 c 2 γ b 2 ν R* is of order of the light cylinder radius. The increment of the cyclotron instability π ω 2 ​ p res Г с = ――――― ω γ T 2 π e B s γ b ( R* / r ) 3 Г сt = ―――――――――― = А 2 ( R* / r ) 3 ν -1 m c P ν γ T γ t gives the amplification of waves with dr 3 А 2 R* 3 τ = ∫ Г ―― = ―――――― = 62.6 ν 8 -1 c 8 с r LC 2 ν This amplification must be effective at low frequencies. So, we must expect high fluxes at ν * ~ 100 MHz and much less at ν >> ν *.