The highest magnetic field ever measured is the field of a newly discovered neutron star called SGR 1806-20. Its strength is about 800 trillion Gauss, about a thousand trillion times stronger than Earth's. This makes it a whole new kind of object, which astronomers call a magnetar(= magnetic star)
Like other neutron stars, a magnetar is formed when a normal star explodes in a supernova. What makes magnetars different is their magnetism, which is so huge that the magnetar's solid iron crust actually wrinkles and breaks under the magnetic stress.
When the crust breaks, there are immense "starquakes" that send huge bursts of gamma rays out into the universe. Magnetars were discovered when these gamma rays were detected.
The highest magnetic field: 强磁场
neutron star: 中子星
Gauss: 高斯，磁感强度或磁通密度的单位
supernova: 超级新星
iron crust: 铁壳
wrinkles and breaks: 发生褶皱和断裂
gamma rays: 伽马射线
|
