NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has released an image of MSH 15-52, a young pulsar located in the constellation Circinus. The pulsar is believed to be one of the most powerful electromagnetic generators in the galaxy, blasting high-energy particles through space.
Researchers have added radio data to the image, revealing that some features don’t match up at different light wavelengths, indicating that scientists still don’t fully understand how the pulsar wind interacts with leftover supernova debris. The object is thought to be around 1,700 years old and is located about 17,000 light-years away.
The pulsar itself is only about 12 miles wide but spins seven times per second, making it fast and powerful. Its magnetic field is about 30 million times stronger than the most powerful steady magnet ever built on Earth.
A new composite image shows that particles from the pulsar form a bubble of glowing gas, while also being linked to surrounding supernova debris. The radio data reveals threadlike filaments that could result from the collision of the pulsar’s wind with the supernova’s debris.
However, some bright X-ray features don’t show up in radio waves, indicating that particles producing them are a higher-energy source. Researchers believe that highly energetic particles are leaking out from a shock wave near the pulsar and moving along magnetic field lines to create fingerlike shapes.
To further understand this phenomenon, scientists will likely need more detailed computer models. The study’s findings have been published in The Astrophysical Journal and provide new insights into how pulsars create high-energy particles that could eventually become cosmic rays reaching Earth.
Source: https://mashable.com/article/nasa-pulsar-cosmic-hand-nebula-image