Millisecond pulsar in spin mode: Gamma radiation of rapidly rotating neutron star casts doubt on origin models
Thursday, November 3, 2011 - 16:30
in Astronomy & Space
Astronomers have tracked down the first gamma-ray pulsar in a globular cluster of stars. It is around 27,000 light years away and thus also holds the distance record in this class of objects. Moreover, its high luminosity indicates that J1823-3021A is the youngest millisecond pulsar found to date, and that its magnetic field is much stronger than theoretically predicted. This therefore suggests the existence of a new population of such extreme objects.