Researchers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research have detected unusual radio signals from the rare binary star system GLEAM-X J0704-37, located in our galaxy. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The radio pulses, lasting between 30 and 60 seconds and repeating every 2.9 hours, were first observed in archival data from the Murchison Widefield Array telescope in Australia. Astronomers suspected the signals originated from a unique star system and confirmed the source's coordinates using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa.
Observations revealed that the radio emission comes from a red dwarf star interacting with a white dwarf companion. This discovery is significant because white dwarfs are remnants of stars that have completed their life cycles and possess extreme densities and strong magnetic fields.
The interaction between the red dwarf and the white dwarf produces powerful radio waves detectable from Earth. Scientists propose that the GLEAM-X J0704-37 system may exhibit a unique phenomenon known as dwarf pulsars. If confirmed, this would add to the limited number of known similar systems in the Milky Way.
Dwarf pulsars are extremely rare objects in the universe. Their study helps astronomers understand the interactions between stars in the late stages of evolution and the mechanisms generating radio emissions in binary systems. Observations of GLEAM-X J0704-37 could illuminate processes occurring in extreme magnetic fields and enhance knowledge of stellar pair dynamics.
“We observe an extraordinary cosmic mechanism where a low-mass red dwarf and a dense white dwarf interact to create regular radio pulses. It’s like the galaxy has a pulse that we have learned to hear,” explained the study's authors.
This discovery underscores how science continues to unveil the mysteries of the cosmos, with even the faintest radio signals revealing remarkable phenomena in the universe.