China’s FAST telescope, located in Pingtang County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, has made a groundbreaking discovery. It has identified a binary pulsar with an orbital period of just 53.3 minutes, making it the shortest orbital period ever recorded for a pulsar binary system.
The research was conducted by a team from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) and was published in the prestigious journal Nature on Wednesday. This discovery is significant as pulsars, which are fast-spinning neutron stars, provide valuable insights into the existence of gravitational radiation and black holes, as well as helping to answer other important questions in physics.
The binary pulsar, named PSR J1953+1844 (M71E), belongs to the spider pulsar system and has the largest orbital angular velocity observed so far. This finding is particularly noteworthy as it fills a gap in the spider pulsar theory of evolution. Jiang Peng, the chief engineer of the FAST telescope, stated that this is the first time the intermediate state of evolving from a redback pulsar to a black widow pulsar has been identified.
Astronomical observations have previously revealed that some pulsars have companion stars in close orbits. However, the short orbital period of the pulsar in this discovery, combined with the close distance between the two stars, posed significant challenges for observations. Han Jinlin, a researcher at NAOC, explained that thanks to the high sensitivity and detection ability of FAST, the evolution path of the binary pulsar could be ascertained.
FAST, which stands for Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, is located in a deep and naturally spherical karst basin. It officially began operations in January 2020 and was opened to the world on March 31, 2021. Considered the most sensitive radio telescope in the world, FAST has proven its capabilities once again with this groundbreaking discovery.
The identification of this binary pulsar with such a short orbital period opens up new possibilities for studying the evolution of pulsars and deepening our understanding of the universe. The research conducted by the team from NAOC demonstrates the importance of China’s FAST telescope in advancing astronomical knowledge and pushing the boundaries of scientific exploration.
How does the discovery of the binary pulsar with the shortest orbital period contribute to our understanding of pulsar evolution?
China’s FAST telescope, located in Pingtang County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, has made an incredible breakthrough. It has discovered a binary pulsar with the shortest orbital period ever recorded for a pulsar binary system – just 53.3 minutes!
The groundbreaking research was conducted by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) and was published in the renowned journal Nature. This discovery is significant because pulsars, which are rapidly rotating neutron stars, provide valuable insights into gravitational radiation, black holes, and other fundamental questions in physics.
The binary pulsar, named PSR J1953+1844 (M71E), is part of the spider pulsar system and possesses the highest orbital angular velocity observed to date. This finding is particularly remarkable as it fills a gap in the spider pulsar theory of evolution. The chief engineer of the FAST telescope, Jiang Peng, emphasized that this is the first identification of the intermediate state between a redback pulsar and a black widow pulsar.
Observations have previously revealed that some pulsars have companion stars in close orbits. However, the short orbital period and proximity of the two stars in this discovery presented significant challenges for observation. Han Jinlin, a researcher at NAOC, explained that thanks to the high sensitivity and detection ability of FAST, they were able to discern the evolutionary path of the binary pulsar.
FAST, or the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, is situated in a deep and naturally spherical karst basin. It commenced operations in January 2020 and was opened to the world on March 31, 2021. Widely regarded as the most sensitive radio telescope worldwide, FAST has once again showcased its capabilities with this groundbreaking discovery.
The identification of a binary pulsar with such a short orbital period opens up new avenues for studying pulsar evolution and deepening our understanding of the universe. The research conducted by the NAOC team highlights the crucial role of China’s FAST telescope in advancing astronomical knowledge and pushing the boundaries of scientific exploration.
This groundbreaking discovery by China’s FAST Telescope opens up new frontiers in our understanding of pulsars, adding yet another feather to the cap of their impressive astronomical achievements. Exciting times lie ahead for studying PSR J1953+1844 and unraveling the mysteries of this shortest orbital period binary pulsar!