SGR 0418+5729 as an evolved Quark-Nova compact remnant

Soft gamma repeaters and anomalous X-ray pulsars are believed to be magnetars, i.e. neutron stars powered by extreme magnetic fields, B~10^(14)-10^(15) Gauss. The recent discovery of a soft gamma repeater with low magnetic field (< 7.5x10^(12) Gauss), SGR 0418+5729, which shows bursts similar to those of SGRs, implies that a high surface dipolar magnetic field might not be necessary for magnetar-like activity. We show that the quiescent and bursting properties of SGR 0418+5729 find natural explanations in the context of low-magnetic field Quark-Nova (detonative transition from a neutron star to a quark star) remnants, i.e. an old quark star surrounded by degenerate (iron-rich) Keplerian ring/debris ejected during the Quark-Nova explosion. We find that a 16 Myr old quark star surrounded by a ~ 10^(-10)xM_sun ring, extending in radius from ~ 30 km to 60 km, reproduces many observed properties of SGR 0418+5729. The SGR-like burst is caused by magnetic penetration of the inner part of the ring and subsequent accretion. Radiation feedback results in months-long accretion from the ring's non-degenerate atmosphere which matches well the observed decay phase. We make specific predictions (such as an accretion glitch of Delta P/P ~ - 2x10^(-11) during burst and a sub-keV proton cyclotron line from the ring) that can be tested by sensitive observations.Comment: Version to appear on MNRAS (7 journals pages. 3 figures). Extended discussion and conclusions. Elaboration on predictions of the mode

Quark-nova remnants IV: Application to radio emitting AXP transients

(Abridged) XTE J1810-197 and 1E 1547.0-5408 are two transient AXPs exhibiting radio emission with unusual properties. In addition, their spin down rates during outburst show opposite trends, which so far has no explanation. Here, we extend our quark-nova model for AXPs to include transient AXPs, in which the outbursts are caused by transient accretion events from a Keplerian (iron-rich) degenerate ring. For a ring with inner and outer radii of 23.5 km and 26.5 km, respectively, our model gives a good fit to the observed X-ray outburst from XTE J1810-197 and the behavior of temperature, luminosity, and area of the two X-ray blackbodies with time. The two blackbodies in our model are related to a heat front (i.e. Bohm diffusion front) propagating along the ring's surface and an accretion hot spot on the quark star surface. Radio pulsations in our model are caused by dissipation at the light cylinder of magnetic bubbles, produced near the ring during the X-ray outburst. The delay between X-ray peak emission and radio emission in our model is related to the propagation time of these bubbles to the light cylinder. We predict a ~1 year and ~1 month delay for XTE J1810-197 and 1E 1547.0-5408, respectively. The observed flat spectrum, erratic pulse profile, and the pulse duration are all explained in our model as a result of X-point reconnection events induced by the dissipation of the bubbles at the light cylinder. The spin down rate of the central quark star can either increase or decrease depending on how the radial drift velocity of the magnetic islands changes with distance from the central star. We suggest an evolutionary connection between transient AXPs and typical AXPs in our model.Comment: 16 journal pages, 4 figures and 1 table [Version accepted for publication in A&A

A Spallation Model for the Titanium-rich Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Titanium-rich subluminous supernovae are rare and challenge current SN nucleosynthesis models. We present a model in which ejecta from a standard Supernova is impacted by a second explosion of the neutron star (a Quark-nova), resulting in spallation reactions that lead to 56Ni destruction and 44Ti creation under the right conditions. Basic calculations of the spallation products shows that a delay between the two explosions of ~ 5 days reproduces the observed abundance of 44Ti in Cas A and explains its low luminosity as a result of the destruction of 56Ni. Our results could have important implications for lightcurves of subluminous as well as superluminous supernovae.Comment: Accepted/to be published in Physical Review Letters. [ for more info on the Quark Nova, see: http://quarknova.ucalgary.ca/

Quark nova inside supernova: Application to GRBs and XROs

In this paper we consider a quark nova occurring inside an exploding star. The quark nova ejecta will shock when interacting with the stellar envelope. When this shock reaches the surface of the star, the energy is radiated away. We suggest that this energy may be seen in X-rays, and show here that this may explain some flares seen in the X-ray afterglow of long gamma ray bursts (GRBs). A quark nova inside an exploding star need not be followed by a GRB, or the GRB may not be beamed towards us. However, the shock breakout is likely not beamed and could be seen even in the absence of a GRB. We suggest that XRO 080109 is such an event in which a quark nova occurs inside an exploding star. No GRB is formed, but the break out of the shock leads to the XRO.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. To appear in Proceedings for "Compact stars in the QCD phase diagram II (CSQCD II), May 20-24, 2009, KIAA at Peking University, Beijing - P. R. China [http://vega.bac.pku.edu.cn/rxxu/csqcd.htm

Quark nova imprint in the extreme supernova explosion SN 2006gy

The extremely luminous supernova 2006gy (SN 2006gy) is among the most energetic ever observed. The peak brightness was 100 times that of a typical supernova and it spent an unheard of 250 days at magnitude -19 or brighter. Efforts to describe SN 2006gy have pushed the boundaries of current supernova theory. In this work we aspire to simultaneously reproduce the photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2006gy using a quark nova model. This analysis considers the supernova explosion of a massive star followed days later by the quark nova detonation of a neutron star. We lay out a detailed model of the interaction between the supernova envelope and the quark nova ejecta paying special attention to a mixing region which forms at the inner edge of the supernova envelope. This model is then fit to photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2006gy. This QN model naturally describes several features of SN 2006gy including the late stage light curve plateau, the broad H{\alpha} line and the peculiar blue H{\alpha} absorption. We find that a progenitor mass between 20Msun and 40Msun provides ample energy to power SN 2006gy in the context of a QN.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure