New Delhi, February 17: Recently, social media has been abuzz with the pulsar, a neutron star that spins hundreds of times per second. This rapid rotation produces a loud sound and exhibits remarkable magnetic power, as reported by NASA.
According to the American space agency, pulsars are among the most mysterious and fascinating celestial bodies in the universe. These neutron stars form from the remnants of a massive star after a supernova explosion, resulting in a core of extremely high density. They rotate so quickly that they can complete hundreds of spins in just one second, emitting pulses of radio waves, X-rays, or gamma rays from their magnetic poles.
From Earth, these pulses appear like a lighthouse beacon, shining at regular intervals. The discovery of pulsars occurred 50 years ago, in 1967, when researchers at Cambridge University in England analyzed data from a large radio telescope and noticed unusual disturbances on the data chart. These signals were creating regular patterns every 1.33730 seconds. Initially mistaken for alien signals, they were humorously dubbed “Little Green Men,” but it soon became clear that they were natural phenomena.
Following this discovery, many more pulsars were identified. Scientists Hewish and Martin Ryle received the Nobel Prize in 1974 for their groundbreaking work in this area.
Pulsars are formed from massive stars, typically 7 to 20 times heavier than our Sun. The core that remains after the explosion is of extremely high density, with even a small amount of its material weighing several tons on Earth. These stars possess incredibly strong magnetic fields and rotate at astonishing speeds. Today, over 2,000 pulsars are known, and NASA continues to study them.
NICER, NASA’s first mission dedicated to the special study of pulsars, was launched in June 2017 aboard the International Space Station and began scientific operations shortly thereafter. NICER observed the first pulsar, PSR B1919+21, also known as CP1919, to mark the 50th anniversary of the pulsar discovery.
NICER conducts X-ray observations, measuring the energy emitted from the pulsar’s million-degree surface and strong magnetic field. This research aids in understanding the internal structure of neutron stars, where neutrons, protons, electrons, and possibly quarks exist under extreme pressure.
According to Keith Gendreau, the principal investigator of NICER at Goddard, while there are many nuclear physics models, NICER’s sensitivity, X-ray resolution, and timing will provide precise measurements of radius and mass, enhancing these models.
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