The object, dubbed ASKAP J1832-0911, pulses radio and X-ray emissions every 44 minutes, with each episode lasting two minutes. This marks the first detection of a so-called long-period transient (LPT) in X-rays, opening new avenues for understanding these enigmatic signals that have puzzled astronomers since their initial discovery in 2022.
The team identified ASKAP J1832-0911 using the ASKAP radio telescope in Australia, correlating the radio pulses with X-ray emissions detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. "Discovering that ASKAP J1832-0911 was emitting X-rays felt like finding a needle in a haystack," said Dr Ziteng (Andy) Wang from ICRAR's Curtin University node. "The ASKAP radio telescope has a wide field view, while Chandra observes only a fraction of the night sky. It was fortunate that Chandra happened to be observing the same region."
Since 2022, astronomers have detected ten LPTs worldwide, yet their exact nature remains a mystery. "This object is unlike anything we have seen before," Dr Wang added. "ASKAP J1832-0911 might be a magnetar, or a highly magnetised white dwarf in a binary system. But even these possibilities do not fully explain what we observe, suggesting a new type of physics or stellar evolution may be at play."
Detecting both X-ray and radio emissions may help astronomers find more LPTs and deepen our understanding. Professor Nanda Rea, second author from ICE-CSIC and IEEC in Spain, said, "Finding one such object hints at the existence of many more. The discovery of its transient X-ray emission opens fresh insights into their mysterious nature."
She highlighted the study's global collaboration: "What was also truly remarkable is that this study showcases an incredible teamwork effort, with contributions from researchers across the globe with different and complementary expertise."
ASKAP J1832-0911's X-ray detection significantly narrows the possibilities of what these objects might be, given that X-rays carry much more energy than radio waves. This discovery may point toward previously unknown physical mechanisms or evolutionary pathways for certain stellar remnants.
Research Report:Detection of X-ray Emission from a Bright Long-Period Radio Transient
Related Links
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research
Understanding Time and Space
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