Investigating the Outburst Spectral Evolution of the Young Magnetar Swift J1818.0-1607

Magnetars are a type of neutron star characterized by long periods, large period derivatives, and strong magnetic fields which power significant transient emission. Outbursts are one such type of transient activity, in which a magnetar’s X-ray luminosity increases by a factor of up to ~1000 followed by a months- to years-long decay back to quiescence. The young magnetar Swift J1818.0-1607 was discovered when it emitted such an outburst in March 2020. We present an analysis of the spectral and temporal evolution of the outburst by combining observations from four X-ray telescopes taken over a 2.5 year period following the initial detection. We will extend the same analytical process to the larger sample of magnetar outbursts in future studies, providing a more complete understanding of the long-term spectral evolution of magnetar outbursts.