NICER Magnetar Burst Catalog

Abstract In this paper, we present a comprehensive catalog of short bursts from magnetars based on 8 yr of NICER observations. A total of 1130 bursts were identified from 14 sources, with the sample dominated by SGR 1935+2154, which accounts for 76% of all detected bursts. We analyzed burst durations, spectral properties, and their correlations across multiple sources. Bursts from SGR 1935+2154 exhibit significantly longer durations, with a mean of 317 ms, compared to a mean of 23 ms for bursts from other magnetars. Two microsecond-scale bursts were detected for the first time, originating from 1E 1048.1−5937 and CXOU J010043.1−721134. Spectral analysis in the 0.5–8 keV range using both blackbody and power-law models shows that bursts with higher fluences have harder spectra. In contrast, correlations between burst duration and spectral parameters are weak or absent. This catalog provides a valuable dataset for studying magnetar short bursts, enabling future modeling efforts and improving our understanding of the diversity and physical mechanisms of magnetar bursts.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Published
2026-05-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/ae5655
Primary Topic
Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

NICER Magnetar Burst Catalog

Wynn C. G. Ho, George Younes, Alex Van Kooten, C. Kouveliotou et al.
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
article

NICER Magnetar Burst Catalog

Wynn C. G. Ho, George Younes, Alex Van Kooten, C. Kouveliotou, A. Sanna, R. J. Stewart, Sébastien Guillot, Zorawar Wadiasingh, Marlon L. Bause, Teruaki Enoto, Che-Yen Chu, Zaven Arzoumanian, Keith C. Gendreau, Chin‐Ping Hu, Tolga Güver, Matthew G. Baring
article en

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, we present a comprehensive catalog of short bursts from magnetars based on 8 yr of NICER observations. A total of 1130 bursts were identified from 14 sources, with the sample dominated by SGR 1935+2154, which accounts for 76% of all detected bursts. We analyzed burst durations, spectral properties, and their correlations across multiple sources. Bursts from SGR 1935+2154 exhibit significantly longer durations, with a mean of 317 ms, compared to a mean of 23 ms for bursts from other magnetars. Two microsecond-scale bursts were detected for the first time, originating from 1E 1048.1−5937 and CXOU J010043.1−721134. Spectral analysis in the 0.5–8 keV range using both blackbody and power-law models shows that bursts with higher fluences have harder spectra. In contrast, correlations between burst duration and spectral parameters are weak or absent. This catalog provides a valuable dataset for studying magnetar short bursts, enabling future modeling efforts and improving our understanding of the diversity and physical mechanisms of magnetar bursts.

The Astrophysical Journal Supplement SeriesVol. 284(1)
Openalex Percentile: Top 98%
Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
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