According to the inverse cube law mentioned, how does a magnetar's static magnetic field strength (B) decrease with distance (r)?
Answer
The magnetic field strength drops off according to the inverse cube of the distance ($B \propto 1/r^3$).
The magnetic field strength emanating from a magnetar follows an inverse cube relationship with distance ($B \propto 1/r^3$). This means that the field strength attenuates extremely rapidly as distance increases. While this rapid decay prevents magnetars from posing a threat across interstellar distances, the lethal effects—where the field is strong enough to overcome the electromagnetic bonds holding atoms together—begin almost immediately outside the star's surface, just a few hundred kilometers out, because the starting point for the calculation ($r$) is so close to the source.
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