Vacuum Polarization Effects in Baryon-Loaded Magnetar Bursts and Implications for X-ray Polarization

Fuente: arXiv
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Autore principale: Wada, Tomoki
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Wada, Tomoki
author_facet Wada, Tomoki
contents Magnetars provide natural laboratories for strong-field quantum electrodynamics processes, such as vacuum polarization, which gives rise to vacuum resonance together with the plasma response. We develop a general framework to describe vacuum resonance in a three-component plasma consisting of ions, electrons, and positrons, as expected in baryon-loaded magnetar bursts. By introducing a parametrization of the plasma composition, we establish the general criterion for the occurrence of vacuum resonance in such plasmas. Our analysis encompasses both Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein-like adiabatic mode conversion and nonadiabatic eigenmode transition, highlighting their dependence on the plasma composition. Applying this framework to baryon-loaded fireballs in magnetar bursts, we estimate the characteristic X-ray polarization signatures. Detection of these polarizations will provide observational signatures of vacuum polarization as well as baryon loading in magnetar fireballs.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_06743
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Vacuum Polarization Effects in Baryon-Loaded Magnetar Bursts and Implications for X-ray Polarization
Wada, Tomoki
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Magnetars provide natural laboratories for strong-field quantum electrodynamics processes, such as vacuum polarization, which gives rise to vacuum resonance together with the plasma response. We develop a general framework to describe vacuum resonance in a three-component plasma consisting of ions, electrons, and positrons, as expected in baryon-loaded magnetar bursts. By introducing a parametrization of the plasma composition, we establish the general criterion for the occurrence of vacuum resonance in such plasmas. Our analysis encompasses both Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein-like adiabatic mode conversion and nonadiabatic eigenmode transition, highlighting their dependence on the plasma composition. Applying this framework to baryon-loaded fireballs in magnetar bursts, we estimate the characteristic X-ray polarization signatures. Detection of these polarizations will provide observational signatures of vacuum polarization as well as baryon loading in magnetar fireballs.
title Vacuum Polarization Effects in Baryon-Loaded Magnetar Bursts and Implications for X-ray Polarization
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.06743