Astronomers discover unusual radio signals from a nearby magnetar that 'behave in complex ways'

Astronomers operating CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope in Australia say they have discovered unusual radio signals from Earth's closest magnetar that “behave in complex ways.”

A former dormant star with a strong magnetic field, XTE J1810-197, is just 8,000 light-years away, making it the closest star of its kind to Earth. However, unlike a typical magnetar that emits polarized light, this magnetar appears to emit circularly polarized radio waves. This means that light appears to spiral as it moves through the universe. This discovery was not only unexpected; a press release “It is absolutely unprecedented,” the announcement of the discovery said.

“Unlike the radio signals we've seen from other magnetars, this star is emitting huge amounts of rapidly changing circular polarization,” said Dr Marcus Loer, a postdoctoral fellow at the Australian National Science Agency – CSIRO, and leader of the research. an effort. “We've never seen anything like this before.”

Study co-author Dr. Manisha Kaleb from the University of Sydney agrees, noting that the readings do not match any previous radio signals coming from magnetars. In fact, they do not even match theoretical models that attempt to predict the behavior of various cosmic phenomena.

Caleb explained, “The signals emitted from this magnetar indicate that the interactions on the star's surface are more complex than previous theoretical explanations.”

Adding to the mystery behind the unusual radio signals is the fact that detecting any type of radio emission from a magnetar is extremely rare. According to researchers who detected signals coming from XTE J1810-197, only one of a handful of magnetars discovered by astronomers emits radio waves.

Adding to the mystery is the fact that the signals were first detected in 2003 before suddenly becoming silent. Then, in 2018, astronomers using the University of Manchester's 76-metre Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory saw the signals had returned. This data was soon followed up by Murriyang, the CSIRO device that detected the latest signals.

While there is no immediate explanation for the cause of the unusual radio signals, researchers say their complex behavior has led to an equally unusual theory.

“Our results indicate the presence of very hot plasma above the magnetic pole of the magnetar, which acts as a polarization filter,” said Dr. Lauer. However, the researcher admits that it is just a theory, and admits that the explanation for exactly how plasma does this “has not yet been determined.”

Follow-up studies will likely be needed to answer the mystery behind the complex and unusual radio waves coming from Earth's nearest magnetar. Fortunately, the researchers note that the 64-meter telescope is equipped with an “advanced wide-band receiver” and is ideal for this task.

“The receiver allows for more accurate measurements of celestial objects, especially magnetars, because it is very sensitive to changes in brightness and polarization over a wide range of radio frequencies,” the researchers explain.

While it may be a long time before we definitively know what's behind the unusual radio signals, the researchers behind this latest discovery, which… published In the magazine Nature astronomySuppose the study of magnetars is crucial to understanding a large number of mysteries of the universe.

“Studies of such magnetars provide insight into a range of extreme and unusual phenomena, such as plasma dynamics, X-ray and gamma-ray bursts, and possibly fast radio bursts,” the statement explains.

Christopher Blaine is a science fiction and fantasy novelist and the lead science writer for The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, Learn about his books in normal.comOr email him directly at [email protected].