Astronomers have successfully pinpointed the origin of a set of unusual long-duration radio signals that differ from the typical pulses emitted by pulsars. These signals, lasting anywhere from several seconds to minutes, do not come from a single star—but rather from an interacting pair: a white dwarf and a red dwarf.
The signals were first detected in 2022 using the LOFAR radio telescope. The source is located 1,600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. Follow-up observations revealed that the two stars orbit a common center of mass every 125 minutes.
Researchers believe the radio pulses may be triggered either by an extremely strong magnetic field from the white dwarf or by the interaction of magnetic fields from both stars. However, further observations are needed to confirm which hypothesis is correct.
The discovery reinforces the idea that powerful radio signals aren’t exclusive to neutron stars. While similar systems have been observed before, the exact mechanism behind their emissions remains a mystery. Scientists are continuing to analyze LOFAR data in hopes of uncovering more objects like this one.
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