Weird Pulsar emits a mysterious unexplained light and scientists do not know why

Astronomers have noticed something unusual coming out of a nearby neutron star, known as RX J0806.4-4123.

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, a team led by Bettina Posselt of Pennsylvania State University, has detected a strange emission of infrared light from a region surrounding the named star, which could indicate the existence of unpublished features.

Neutron stars are among the strangest objects in the universe. They are produced when massive stars arrive at the end of their life cycle and undergo titanic explosions known as supernovas, which explode the outer layers of matter. If the mass of the explosive star is insufficient to produce a black hole, the remaining central region will collapse under the effect of gravity and is compressed to such an extent that the protons and electrons get combine to form neutrons.

The resulting objects are very small for stars (usually between 20 and 30 kilometers in diameter), but they are incredibly dense. Despite their small size, they tend to have a mass of about 1.4 times that of our Sun. According to NASA, this means that a teaspoon of a neutron star would weigh a billion tons.

Because of their extremely high density, they also have powerful gravitational fields. In fact, the gravitational field on the surface of a neutron star is about 200 billion times that of the Earth. Stars can also spin very fast, rotating several hundred times a second. Some neutron stars, such as RX J0806.4-4123 for example, generate intense beams of radiation, such as interstellar headlamps. These are the pulsars.

These beams tend to be studied in the X-ray spectrum, gamma rays and radio waves, but for the latest research, the team used Hubble's infrared vision to observe the RX J0806.4-4123 – the first Neutron star has been seen only in infrared light.

"This neutron star belongs to a group of seven near-X-ray pulsars – nicknamed" the gorgeous Seven "- which are warmer than they should be given their age and the reservoir. available energy provided by the loss of rotational energy, "said Posselt. in a report.

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"We have observed an extended infrared emission zone around this neutron star, whose total size translates into about 200 astronomical units (about 18 billion kilometers) at the supposed pulsar distance."

In an article published in the Astrophysical Journalresearchers propose two possible explanations for the mysterious infrared emission. The first is that there is a disc of material, consisting mainly of dust, surrounding the star.

"There could be a so-called" rescue disk "of material that has merged around the neutron star after the supernova," said Posselt. "Such a disc would be composed of material from the massive star of the ancestor. His subsequent interaction with the neutron star could have heated the pulsar and slowed its rotation. "

If this hypothesis is confirmed, it could change our general understanding of the evolution of neutron stars, according to Posselt.

The second explanation is that there is an energetic wind blowing on the neutron star that interacts with gas in interstellar space, creating a characteristic known as the "pulsar wind nebula". Pulsar winds are generated when particles are accelerated in the electric field produced by the rapid rotation of neutron stars with a strong magnetic field.

This illustration shows a neutron star (RX J0806.4-4123) with a hot dust disk that produces an infrared signature detected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. NASA, ESA and N. Tr'Ehnl (Pennsylvania State University)

"As the neutron star passes through the interstellar medium at a speed greater than that of the sound, a shock can occur where the interstellar medium and the pulsar wind interact," said Posselt. "The shocked particles would then emit synchrotron radiation, causing the extended infrared signal we see. As a general rule, pulsar wind nebulae are seen in X-rays and an all-infrared pulsar wind nebula would be very unusual and exciting.

When NASA's next James Webb Space Telescope begins to be operational, scientists will be able to further explore unexplained phenomena such as those uncovered by the latest findings. The advanced observatory is expected to be launched in 2021 and will succeed Hubble. It will offer unprecedented resolution and sensitivity, enabling it to conduct a wide range of investigations beyond the reach of current technology.

Hubble, which is run jointly by NASA and the European Space Agency, has been operating for more than 28 years. At that time, he captured some of the most spectacular and striking images of our universe. Although it is not the first space observatory to be launched, it is one of the largest and most versatile, providing astronomers with many options for observing the cosmos.