Isolated magnetar spin-down, soft X-ray emission and RXJ1856.5-3754

Abstract

When an isolated magnetar with magnetic dipole field B ~ 10^15 G moves at high velocity (v > 10^7 cm/s) through the ISM, its transition into propeller effect driven spin-down may occur in less than 10^6 years. We propose that the nearby neutron star RXJ1856.5-3754 is such a magnetar, and has spun down by the propeller effect to a period greater than 10^4 sec within ~5*10^5 years. This magnetar scenario is consistent with observed thermal X-ray emission properties and the absence of detectable spin-modulations of them. Detection of other rapidly moving long period (> 100 sec) magnetars with known ages would strongly constrain the very great variety of predicted propeller-effect torque magnitudes.