Using advanced radio telescopes, astronomers have made the landmark discovery of 10 new pulsars in the dense globular cluster Terzan 5, located in the constellation Sagittarius.
The findings, a joint effort between the US National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory’s MeerKAT telescope, were published in the journal Astronomy and astrophysics.
This discovery not only increases the known population of pulsars in this cluster, but also provides deeper insight into the nature and behavior of these exotic objects.
New neutron stars in a crowded cluster
Terzan 5, located towards the center of the Milky Way galaxy, is a busy globular cluster that is home to hundreds of thousands of stars. Pulsars, which are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit bright pulses of light from their magnetic fields, are exceptionally dense—millions or even billions of times denser than ordinary stars.
Before this discovery, astronomers had already identified 39 pulsars Terzan 5. The addition of 10 more pulsars highlights the complexity of the cluster and the unique conditions that allow such exotic objects to form and persist.
Scott Ransomscientist in NSF NRAO, expressed his excitement at the discovery, saying, “It is very unusual to find exotic new pulsars. But what’s really exciting is the wide variety of such oddities in one cluster.” This diversity underscores the unique evolutionary paths these pulsars have taken, shaped by their dense and dynamic environments. Crowded nature Terzan 5 it provides a rich hunting ground for pulsars, whose interactions and gravitational influences within the cluster lead to their diverse and unusual properties.
Detailed observation and analysis
The MeerKAT telescope played a key role in determining their location and rate of rotation pulsarsbased on two decades of data from NSF Green Bank Telescope (GBT). This collaboration has allowed astronomers to map the positions of pulsars and track their orbits, revealing intricate details about their behavior and properties. The team used precise timing measurements of pulsars to understand their rotational dynamics and orbital changes over time.
“Without the NSF Green Bank Telescope archive, we would not have been able to characterize these pulsars and understand their astrophysics,” Ransom added. Archive data from NSF GBT were essential in confirming the identity of pulsars and understanding their unique astrophysical properties. These observations provided a clearer picture of the location of pulsars in the cluster and how their orbits evolve, contributing to a deeper understanding of their formation and evolution.
Discovery of binary neutron stars
Among the newly discovered pulsars, astronomers have identified two probable ones neutron stars in binary system. Of the 3,600 known pulsars in the galaxy, only 20 have been identified as binaries with a double neutron star. These binary systems are particularly fascinating because the gravitational pull between the stars can cause one star to spin even faster and become a millisecond pulsar. This newly discovered pair could potentially set the record for the fastest rotating pulsar in a binary neutron star system and the longest orbit of its kind.
Binary pulsar systems they offer unique opportunities to study the effects of strong gravity and relativistic physics. When pulsars pair up in binaries, the gravitational interaction can transfer material and angular momentum from one star to the other, resulting in fast rotation rates and complex orbital dynamics.
The current record holder for the fastest spinning pulsar already resides in Terzan 5and this new discovery adds to the remarkable population of pulsars in the cluster. “Future observations will reveal the truth,” Ransom noted, stressing the need for continuous monitoring to fully understand these systems.
Discovery of Spider Pulsars
In addition to binary neutron stars, astronomers also observed three new rare binary systems known as spider pulsars. Categorized as either “Redbacks” or “Black Widows” depending on their companion stars, these systems contain a pulsar that gradually erodes its companion star through a web of plasma created by the pulsar’s energy. These interactions provide valuable insights into the extreme environments and dynamics of such binary systems.
Spider pulsars they are of particular interest because of their complex interaction with their companion stars. The energy emitted by the pulsar can strip material from the companion, creating a plasma cloud that envelops both stars. This process can lead to dramatic changes in the pulsar’s rotation velocity and magnetic field. The discovery of these spider pulsars, along with other new pulsars, improves our understanding of the different categories of pulsars and the environments they inhabit. These findings also offer opportunities to test and extend existing theories of stellar evolution and neutron star behavior.
