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An illustration reveals a severe dead star or magnetar blasting out a quick radio burst. (Image credit: ESA)
New research study has actually exposed some exciting insights into the behavior of different types of neutron stars, born when massive stars die. These findings further support the theory that these dead stars, which are incredibly dense, might be behind mysterious blasts of radiation called Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs).
Since their discovery in 2007, these millisecond-long bursts of radio emission FRBs have seemed to come from sources beyond the limits of the Milky Way. However, their origins have remained shrouded in mystery. The new discovery by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) and the University of Manchester has found a relationship between the pulse structure and rotation in these highly magnetic neutron stars, or magnetars, and other “radio-loud” neutron stars.
The discovery of a similar “universal scaling” between different types of neutron stars suggests the plasma processes that could be responsible for these radio emissions, which also leads to the interpretation of structures seen in FRBs as the result of a corresponding rotational period, the group says.
“When we set out to compare magnetar emission with that of FRBs, we expected similarities,” said Michael Kramer, first author of a paper on the findings and the director of MPIfR. “What we didn’t expect is that all radio-loud neutron stars share this universal scaling.
Neutron stars form when massive stars run out of fuel for nuclear fusion. This causes the outer layers of the star to be blown away, leading to dramatic supernova explosions while the core collapses to form a body around the width of a city here on Earth. This incredibly dense matter is the essence of a neutron star.”
Learn more at Space.com
