Ideas, Inventions And Innovations
Reclusive Neutron Star Thought Found among Debris of Famous Supernova
Astronomers now have evidence from two X-ray telescopes (Chandra and NuSTAR) for a key component of a famous supernova remnant.
Supernova 1987A was discovered on Earth on February 24, 1987, making it the first such event witnessed during the telescopic age.
For decades, scientists have searched for a neutron star in SN 1987A, i.e. a dense collapsed core that should have been left behind by the explosion.
This latest study shows that a pulsar wind nebula created by such a neutron star may be present.
Credit: NASA s Chandra X-ray Observatory
Ideas, Inventions And Innovations
Extraordinary Magnetar Discovered Rotating Every 1.4 Seconds
Oh 12, 2020, astronomers detected a new magnetar with NASA s Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope. This is only the 31st known magnetar, out of the approximately 3,000 known neutron stars.
After follow-up observations, researchers determined that this object, dubbed J1818.0-1607, was special for other reasons. First, it may be the youngest known magnetar, with an age estimated to be about 500 years old. This is based on how quickly the rotation rate is slowing and the assumption that it was born spinning much faster. Secondly, it also spins faster than any previously discovered magnetar, rotating once around every 1.4 seconds.