A newly published study has revealed a remarkable long-period radio transient (LPT), a stellar object that emits bright pulses of radio waves every 44 minutes, but with a twist. For the first time, astronomers have also detected pulsed X-ray emission occurring in sync with the radio bursts. This discovery was made using CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Previous LPTs have typically been interpreted as white dwarf systems interacting with companion stars. However, the detection of X-rays in this new case suggests a more complex picture. One possibility is that the object is a highly magnetised neutron star, or magnetar, displaying atypical behaviour. Alternatively, it could still be a white dwarf system, but one with far more extreme properties than previously observed.
Dr Michael Cowley, commenting in an ABC Science article on behalf of QUT, noted that LPTs may not represent a single class of objects. Instead, they might be best understood as a new observational category, defined by features such as long periods and coupled X-ray and radio emission, rather than a single astrophysical origin.
This unexpected discovery opens new avenues for studying the end stages of stellar evolution and the role of extreme magnetic fields in shaping the observable universe.