The discovery was made by researchers from the Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia. With the help of the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope, it was observed an object with a very strong magnetic field. The find was reported in the scientific journal Nature.
Researchers point out that the celestial body rotated, sending a signal – in the form of a strong beam of electromagnetic radiation – every 18 minutes. The article indicated that the found object is most likely magnetarThat is neutron star the hypothetical quark star.
Astrophysicist Dr. Natasha Hurley-Walker of the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) describes that when observing the object appeared and disappeared. – It was very strange. It’s also a bit scary for an astronomer because it’s unlike anything known,’ the researcher said.
A pulsating object in the sky. Scientists have made an amazing discovery
Scientists emphasize that the celestial body is located about 4 thousand. light years from Earth. – It’s in our galactic backyard Dr. Hurkley-Walker assessed. – We did not expect to detect such a bright object – added the researcher.
Curtin University student Tyrone O’Doherty also spoke about the discovery. He was supposed to locate a mysterious object in the sky. – It’s exciting that the celestial body I found turned out to be so peculiar. (…) The wide field of view and exceptional sensitivity of the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope allow detecting such curiosities – he emphasised.
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Scientists predict that will continue to monitor the facility. They also want to see if there are similar celestial bodies nearby. “This will tell us whether this was a one-time observation or whether there are more magnetars nearby that we haven’t seen before,” said study co-author Dr Gemma Anderson.
This is how magnetars are formed. They are formed after a supernova explosion
Magnetars are compact, emitting objects gamma radiation and x-rays. They can send them on a regular basis, that is pulsateor irregular – in form flashes.
Objects are formed from the largest existing stars, with masses tens of times greater than the Sun. It comes to that due to a supernova explosion, during which a large part of the star’s matter escapes into space. After the explosion, only a hot and dense core remains. If the mass of this blast remnant is relatively large, it collapses to form black hole. However, if the mass is less, it will form neutron star.
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In the next few dozen seconds, the fate of the star is decided. collapsing the object retains angular momentum. It makes spins faster and faster. When the rate of rotation of the supernova remnant increases to 300-1000 revolutions per second, within a dozen or so seconds it is formed magnetarand if only up to 50-100, it remains ordinary neutron star.
Jan Manicki/polsatnews.pl
