Infrared, Submillimeter, and Millimeter Observations of the
Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters
Smith, I. A., Hurley, K., Van Paradijs, J., Waters, L. B. F. M.,
Schultz, A. S. B., Durouchoux, P., Joyce, R.,
Vrba, F. J., Hartmann, D., Kouveliotou, C., Wallyn, P., and Corbel, S.
The Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters appear to be a completely new manifestation
of neutron stars.
SGR 1806-20 and SGR 1900+14 may have highly unusual stellar counterparts,
whose spectra peak in the far infrared.
They have not been detected at submillimeter or millimeter wavelengths.
Their infrared spectra appear to contain several components:
the photospheric emission from star(s) dominates at shorter wavelengths,
a bright point source dominates at 25 microns, while an extended source
dominates at 60 microns.
Their spectra are inconsistent with monoenergetic synchrotron and black body
radiation models, but are consistent with simple dust models.
We briefly review here our latest millimeter, submillimeter, and
infrared observations.
We include new upper limits at 235 GHz (1.3 mm) for SGR 1806-20 and
SGR 0525-66.
The extended IRAS emission detected for SGR 0525-66 is consistent with
that expected from heated dust in the supernova remnant N49.
Here we show a preliminary analysis of our recent 9.862 micron imaging
of the region around SGR 0525-66.
We do not detect any point sources, at flux limits lower than would
be expected if the other two SGR were placed at the distance of the LMC.
Status:
Advances in Space Research, 22, 1133.
Final draft: 980413 available.
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