Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery linking mysterious radio signals from the Milky Way to a binary star system featuring a white dwarf and a red dwarf. The signals, lasting seconds to minutes, are unlike those emitted by known neutron stars, which typically pulse in mere milliseconds.
Scientists suspect that these long-period transients (LPTs) originate from the intense magnetic field of the white dwarf or its interaction with its companion. This finding expands our understanding of stellar magnetism and reveals that compact objects beyond neutron stars can emit powerful radio waves.
The research focused on a series of periodic radio signals detected in 2022. Using advanced imaging techniques, scientists identified multiple LPT pulses in data collected by the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), an international network of radio telescopes. Follow-up observations revealed that the signals were not produced by a single star but rather two stars in orbit around each other.
A dynamic duo of a white dwarf and red dwarf orbits a common center of gravity every 125 minutes. Researchers propose two possible explanations for how the stars generate these long radio pulses: the strong magnetic field of the white dwarf or the interaction of its magnetic fields with its companion.
“This discovery shows that compact objects other than neutron stars can produce bright radio emission,” comments Dr. Kaustubh Rajwade, lead researcher on the project. “We’re excited to continue searching for more LPTs in our data and learning more about these extreme astrophysical objects.”
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/mysterious-space-signals-went-unexplained-for-years-astronomers-just-found-the-star-system-behind-them