[写真]NASAの観測衛星、マグネター周辺で「真空複屈折」の最も明確な兆候を観測

This artist’s concept depicts magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408, a rapidly rotating neutron star with magnetic fields over a trillion times stronger than Earth’s. Blue curves emanating from the star's two magnetic poles represent the magnetic field lines. The magnetar is a significant emitter of radio and X-ray radiation, with their peaks offset during its 2.1-second rotation period. This indicates the primary X-ray emitter is a secondary “hot spot” offset from the magnetic axis. These emitters are depicted as conical sections: the lighter blue radio emission peaks at the magnetic field's symmetry axis, while the darker blue X-ray emission peaks below. The upper and lower emission cones show X-ray polarization degrees of 40% and 80%, respectively. These high values, along with smooth, coherent variations in polarization across the rotation period, provide the most definitive signal to date of vacuum birefringence a long-sought prediction of quantum electrodynamics. (Pablo Garcia/Nasa.gov)