Astronomers Discover Around 300 New Gamma-Ray-Blasting Pulsars
An international team of astronomers has discovered around 300 new gamma-ray-blasting pulsars, a type of neutron star that emits beams of high-energy radiation. The discovery, made using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, more than triples the number of known gamma-ray pulsars and could help scientists better understand these enigmatic objects.
Gamma-ray pulsars are formed when a massive star collapses at the end of its life, creating a supernova. The remaining core of the star is crushed into a neutron star, which is incredibly dense and spins very rapidly. As the neutron star spins, it emits beams of gamma rays that sweep across the sky like lighthouse beacons.
The newly discovered pulsars are located in a variety of environments, including supernova remnants, binary star systems, and isolated pulsars. They spin at a wide range of speeds, from a few times per second to over a thousand times per second. The pulsars also emit gamma rays at a variety of energies, from a few billion electron volts to over a hundred billion electron volts.
The discovery of these new pulsars is a major breakthrough in our understanding of the universe. It will allow scientists to study the properties of neutron stars in more detail and to learn more about the processes that occur in supernovae. It may also lead to the discovery of new types of neutron stars and new sources of gamma rays.
Here are some of the key findings of the study:
- The number of known gamma-ray pulsars has increased by more than a factor of three.
- The newly discovered pulsars are located in a variety of environments.
- The pulsars spin at a wide range of speeds.
- The pulsars emit gamma rays at a variety of energies.
- The study was published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal.