NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has released a stunning image of a pulsar and its surrounding nebula that resembles a cosmic hand. Researchers have combined radio data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) with Chandra’s X-ray data to gain new insights into this exploded star and its environment.
At the center of the new image lies pulsar B1509-58, a rapidly spinning neutron star about 12 miles in diameter. This tiny object is responsible for producing an intricate nebula called MSH 15-52, which spans over 150 light-years or about 900 trillion miles. The nebula resembles a human hand with a palm and extended fingers pointing to the upper right in X-rays.
The collapse of a massive star created the pulsar when much of the star crashed inward once it burned through its sustainable nuclear fuel. An ensuing explosion sent the star’s outer layers outward into space as a supernova. The pulsar spins around almost seven times every second and has a strong magnetic field, making it one of the most powerful electromagnetic generators in the Galaxy.
The new composite image reveals complex filaments that are aligned with the directions of the nebula’s magnetic field. These filaments could result from the collision of the pulsar’s particle wind with the supernova’s debris. By comparing radio and X-ray data, researchers identified key differences between the sources of the two types of light, suggesting that highly energetic particles are leaking out from a shock wave near the pulsar.
The data also shows that RCW 89’s structure is different from typical young supernova remnants. Much of the radio emission is patchy and closely matches clumps of X-ray and optical emission. However, researchers do not fully understand all that the data is showing them, particularly the sharp boundary of X-ray emission in the upper right of the image.
Further work is needed to provide better understanding of the complex interplay between the pulsar wind and the supernova debris. The new findings have been published in The Astrophysical Journal and offer a glimpse into the fascinating world of cosmic explosions.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/x-ray-and-radio-go-hand-in-hand-in-new-image