Astronomers discover new radio wave source in Milky Way

radio wave source, designated ASKAP J1832-0911, has generated significant interest within the astronomical community. Located approximately 15,000 light-years from Earth in the Milky Way galaxy, this object exhibits notable emissions of both radio waves and X-rays every 44 minutes . The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope first identified this intriguing "long-period transient" (LPT), marking a groundbreaking moment in cosmic observation. Follow-up studies utilizing NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory confirmed the matching X-ray emissions, further highlighting the object's unique characteristics .

Milky Way brimming with stars, gas and dust, this object could be a highly magnetized dead star like a neutron or white dwarf, Curtin University's Ziteng Andy Wang said in an email from Australia.

Or it could be "something exotic" and unknown, said Wang, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature.

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory spotted the X-ray emissions by chance last year while focusing on a supernova remnant, or the remains of an exploded star. Wang said it was the first time X-rays had been seen coming from a so-called long-period radio transient, a rare object that cycles through radio signals over tens of minutes.

Using Chandra, the team discovered that ASKAP J1832 is also regularly varying in X-rays every 44 minutes. This is the first time that such an X-ray signal has been found in a long period radio transient.

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope (cyan, light blue, teal and orange), and radio from LOFAR (red). An inset shows a more detailed view of the immediate area around this unusual object in X-ray and radio light.

Despite extensive observations, the precise nature of ASKAP J1832-0911 remains elusive. Researchers speculate that it could represent a dead star configuration, potentially a highly magnetic neutron star or magnetar. Alternatively, it might be part of a binary system featuring a magnetized white dwarf . This discovery not only enhances our understanding of stellar evolution but also raises questions about other similar phenomena in distant galaxies.

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Sara H

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