A two-component explosion model for the giant flare and radio afterglow from SGR 1806-20

Abstract

The brightest giant flare from the soft γ-ray repeater (SGR) 1806-20 was detected on 2004 December 27. The isotropic-equivalent energy release of this burst is at least 1 order of magnitude more energetic than those of the two other SGR giant flares. Starting from about 1 week after the burst, a very bright (∼80 mJy), fading radio afterglow was detected. Follow-up observations revealed the multifrequency light curves of the afterglow and the temporal evolution of the source size. Here we show that these observations can be understood in a two-component explosion model. In this model, one component is a relativistic collimated outflow responsible for the initial giant flare and the early afterglow, and the other component is a subrelativistic wider outflow responsible for the late afterglow. We also discuss the triggering mechanisms of these two components within the framework of the magnetar model. © 2005. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.