Scientists have been left baffled by the discovery of a neutron star (pulsar) that is behaving in a way that has never been observed before. Pulsars emit beams of radiation from their poles – either radio waves, gamma rays or X-rays. Astronomers at the Institute for Space Research in Utrecht have discovered a star that emits two types of radiation. Experts say the pulsar has a “split personality” and are trying to find answers.
The phenomenon
The researchers found that this pulsar emits radio waves but suddenly stops and for a few hours starts emitting X-rays. Then, just as suddenly and without any visible change (i.e. change in its motion) the pulsar returns to emitting radio waves. “This is the first time that this variability has been detected,” says Wim Hemsen, a member of the research team that made the discovery. The research is published in the journal Science.
Pulsars
Neutron stars, better known as "pulsars," are high-density objects formed by stars that have completed their life cycles and are collapsing. All pulsars emit beams of radiation from their poles, and as they rotate, they become visible from Earth as periodic, brief flashes. Pulsars emit radiation at a constant rate. Some even describe them as "cosmic radio beacons.".
