# Collaborative Research: Pulsed X-ray Spectral and Polarization Signals  from Magnetar Atmospheres

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Hope College (MI) · $208,384

## Abstract

Magnetars are neutron stars with incredibly strong magnetic fields, the like of which are not possible to recreate in an Earth-bound laboratory. Currently only about 30 have been identified, and much about them remains unknown. A collaborative group of researchers at Rice University and Hope College will take significant strides in increasing the understanding of magnetars by developing a comprehensive simulation study of the emission from strongly-magnetized atmospheres straddling their surfaces. The project will provide training and support for the next generation of scientists, including a graduate student at Rice University and undergraduate students at Hope College, a primarily undergraduate institution. An on-line mini-course on compact object astrophysics for senior high school students will also be developed.

This program will develop state-of-the-art models for the atmospheric emission of magnetars. An extant Monte Carlo simulation for polarized X-ray transport in fully ionized light element atmospheres will be upgraded to treat hydrostatic support by gas, radiation and magnetic pressure, and incorporate bremsstrahlung opacity and ion cyclotron absorption lines. It applies to arbitrary magnetic field orientations, addressing all locations on the neutron star surface, from the magnetic pole to the equator. Emissivities and polarization signals from hot active zones will be integrated, and as the light passes through the magnetosphere, modifications due to general r

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2510632
- **Awardee organization:** Hope College (MI)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** YBR2AJ9X4BK9
- **PI:** Peter L Gonthier
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS, QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE
- **Estimated total:** $208,384
- **Funds obligated:** $208,384
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2510632

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2510632, Collaborative Research: Pulsed X-ray Spectral and Polarization Signals  from Magnetar Atmospheres. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2510632. Licensed CC0.

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