GoKawiilICRAR astronomers find white dwarf orbiting Sun-like star emitting 8-minute radio pulses
Researchers at Curtin University's ICRAR node identified a binary star system, GPM J071507−114153, pairing a white dwarf with a Sun-like G-type star, marking the first detection of radio pulses from such a combination. Previously these periodic radio signals, known as long-period transients, were only seen in systems involving smaller red dwarf stars. Lead author Sam McSweeney said the data, drawn from over 100 hours of observations processed at the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre, clearly show the white dwarf's orbital motion, pinpointing the pulses as originating from near or on the white dwarf itself.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The finding could broaden scientists' understanding of long-period transients, a mysterious class of objects first identified by the same ICRAR team in 2021, of which only about a dozen are known. Co-author Natasha Hurley-Walker suggested the pulses also let researchers detect flares from the companion star, which may offer a new way to study stellar activity in binary systems. This discovery could help astronomers determine more precisely which stellar component drives these periodic radio emissions in similar systems.
- First known detection of radio pulses from a white dwarf paired with a Sun-like star
- System named GPM J071507−114153 belongs to a rare class called long-period transients
- Analysis of 100+ hours of radio data pinpointed the white dwarf as the pulse source
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Published there as: “Researchers discover rare star system that emits radio signals every 8 minutes”
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