Astronomers Identify Source of Mysterious Repeating Cosmic Radio Signals
Astronomers have traced a class of repeating cosmic radio signals to a rare binary star system in which a white dwarf is drawing material from a companion red dwarf star. The discovery was made using Australia's ASKAP radio telescope, which detected powerful radio waves and X-rays emitted every 1.4 hours as the siphoned material spirals inward. The finding resolves a longstanding astronomical mystery and offers a new framework for understanding similar unexplained cosmic signals.
Using Australia's ASKAP radio telescope, astronomers have identified the source of a puzzling class of repeating cosmic signals that had stumped scientists for years. The signals originate from a rare binary stellar system in which a dense white dwarf continuously pulls material from a nearby red dwarf companion. As the stolen matter spirals toward the white dwarf, the system produces powerful bursts of radio waves and X-rays on a regular 1.4-hour cycle. Researchers are describing the system as a stellar 'Rosetta stone' because it may help decode other similar unexplained signals observed across the cosmos. The discovery represents a significant step forward in understanding long-period radio transients, a relatively new and poorly understood category of astronomical phenomena.
What's missing
The article does not specify the name or location of the binary star system, the research team or institution behind the discovery, or whether the findings have been peer-reviewed and published in a scientific journal.
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- Science DailyCenter
A stellar “Rosetta stone” reveals the source of mysterious cosmic signals
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