Constraints on the Distance to SGR 1806-20 from H <scp>i</scp> Absorption
Constraints on the Distance to SGR 1806-20 from H <scp>i</scp> Absorption
The giant flare detected from the magnetar SGR 1806-20 on 2004 December 27 had a fluence more than 100 times higher than the only two other soft gamma repeater (SGR) flares ever recorded. Whereas the fluence is independent of distance, an estimate for the luminosity of the burst depends on …