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Unusual 44-Minute Radio and X-Ray Pulses Detected Deep in Milky Way

As the first long-period transient to exhibit matched radio, X-ray pulses, ASKAP J1832-0911 is prompting astronomers to rethink models of stellar remnants

Scientists have discovered a star behaving like no other seen before, giving fresh clues about the origin of a new class of mysterious objects. X-ray: NASA/CXC/ICRAR, Curtin Univ./Z. Wang et al.; Infrared: NASA/JPL/CalTech/IPAC; Radio: SARAO/MeerKAT; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk
"Unlike Anything We Have Seen Before": Repeating Signal From Deep In Galactic Plane Puzzles Astronomers

Overview

  • ASKAP’s radio telescope on Wajarri Country in Australia first picked up the source’s bright 44-minute radio flashes during 2024 observations.
  • Follow-up data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory confirmed synchronized 44-minute X-ray variations, marking the first multi-wavelength detection of a long-period transient.
  • Located about 15,000 light-years away in the Scutum constellation along the Milky Way’s plane, ASKAP J1832-0911 brightened dramatically in February 2024 after a quieter period.
  • The source’s behavior defies current astrophysical models, leading researchers to consider scenarios involving a magnetar core or a highly magnetized white dwarf binary.
  • Ongoing coordinated campaigns across radio and X-ray observatories aim to gather more data and uncover similar transients to refine theories of these enigmatic sources.