Researchers Identify Resurrected Star Rotating at Rapid Pace of 716 Revolutions Per Second
Space researchers have found a disordered scene hidden in the cosmos. Situated a vast distance from Earth, a tiny yet massively dense star is spitting out energy blasts as potent as recurring nuclear blasts, all while twisting crazily on its own axis.
Employing NASA's NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR) space telescope, a team of astronomers discovered this mystifying object, making it one of the swiftest spinning objects ever detected. This neutron star, the condensed core of a colossal star, whirls 716 times each second while drawing material from its partner star and emitting it in the shape of nuclear roars. The discovery is detailed in a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Positioned 26,000 light-years away from Earth, the neutron star is embedded in an x-ray binary star system called 4U 1820-30. X-ray binaries comprise a regular star and a collapsed star—either a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole—rotating around each other in a gravitational ballet. In this case, however, the rapid-spinning neutron star is accompanied by a white dwarf star approximately the same size as Earth. The white dwarf orbits the neutron star every 11 minutes, marking the briefest known orbital period of a binary system.
Matters become even more peculiar. Due to the fierce gravitational attraction between the two stars, the neutron star drags material from its white dwarf companion. When sufficient material amasses on its surface, a strong blast of material erupts from the neutron star, akin to an atomic explosion, according to researchers.
“During these explosions, the neutron star becomes up to 100,000 times brighter than the Sun, releasing an immense amount of energy,” Jerome Chenevez, associate professor at Technical University of Denmark, and co-author of the new study, stated in a statement. “Therefore, we are dealing with extremely intense events, and by investigating them, we gain new knowledge about the thrilling life cycles of binary star systems and the origin of elements in the universe.”
The star system, located in the Sagittarius constellation close to the heart of our galaxy, was discovered by NICER, an instrument installed on the International Space Station that studies black holes, neutron stars, and other intense gravitational phenomena. Between 2017 and 2021, the researchers observed 15 nuclear X-ray bursts from the binary star system.
“We were examining nuclear explosions from this system and then encountered astonishing oscillations, suggesting a neutron star rotating wildly around its central axis at an astounding 716 times per second,” Gaurava Jaisawal, a scientist at the Technical University of Denmark, and lead author of the study, stated in a statement. “If future observations confirm this, the 4U 1820-30 neutron star would be one of the fastest-spinning objects ever observed in the universe, matched only by another neutron star called PSR J1748–2446.”
Looking toward the future, the team is hoping to conduct additional observations of the neutron star, which may offer further insights into how these unusual duos of deceased stars bring about cosmic turmoil.
This groundbreaking discovery in the field of space science and technology could pave the way for new theories about binary star systems and the origin of elements in the universe. With advanced tools like NASA's NICER, we can expect more intriguing finds in the future, potentially unveiling even faster-spinning neutron stars.
