Using 2.5 Ms of data obtained by the INTEGRAL satellite in 2003-2004 , we discovered persistent hard X-ray emission from the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1900 + 14 .
Its 20-100 keV spectrum is well described by a steep power law with photon index \Gamma =3.1 \pm 0.5 and flux 1.5 \times 10 ^ { -11 } erg cm ^ { -2 } s ^ { -1 } .
Contrary to SGR 1806–20 , the only other soft gamma-ray repeater for which persistent emission above 20 keV was reported , SGR 1900 + 14 has been detected in the hard X-ray range while it was in a quiescent state ( the last bursts from this source were observed in 2002 ) .
By comparing the broad band spectra ( 1-100 keV ) of all the magnetars detected by INTEGRAL ( the two SGRs and three anomalous X-ray pulsars ) we find evidence for a different spectral behaviour of these two classes of sources .
– pulsars : general