Understand
There are several phenomenological similarities between Soft Gamma Repeaters and Fast Radio Bursts, including duty factors, time scales and probable repetition.
- The sudden release of magnetic energy in a neutron star magnetosphere, as in popular models of SGR, can meet the energy requirements of FRB but requires both the presence of magnetospheric plasma in order that dissipation occur in a transparent region and a mechanism for releasing much of that energy quickly.
- FRB sources and SGR are distinguished by long-lived (up to thousands of years) current-carrying coronal arches remaining from formation of the young neutron star and their decay ends the phase of SGR/AXP/FRB activity even though "magnetar" fields may persist.
- Runaway increase in resistance when the current density exceeds a threshold releases magnetostatic energy in a sudden burst and produces high brightness GHz emission of FRB by a coherent process; SGR are produced when released energy thermalizes as an equilibrium pair plasma.