Newly discovered neutron star 'Impossible' spins slowly emitting 7 types of signals

The latest discovery of a highly unusual neutron star by astronomers has questioned our idea about them. A team of astronomers led by a scientist from the University of Sydney has shown the unusual emission of radio-signal from a neutron star.

Moreover, the neutron star is extremely slow in completing its rotation – one rotation in every 76 seconds. The object also gives off seven different types of radio pulses. Since such slower rotation of the object is unusual to other known neutron stars, it can be expected to help unlock the mystery of fast radio bursts (FRBs).

Neutron stars are born after exploding giant stars into supernovas, and their cores collapse. Many of these neutron stars can be identified by the beams of radiation shedding from their poles. When such beams happen to pass by the Earth, these neutron stars appear to us for a brief moment as the regular pulses of radio emission. Hence, these are called ‘pulsars.’


Most of these pulsars rotate at an extreme speed, ranging from the scale milliseconds to a few seconds. The previously known slowest spinning record was taking 23.5 seconds per rotation. Now, this newly discovered neutron star seems to be rotating at a snail’s pace – one cycle in every 75.88 seconds. This pulsar is quite ‘unusual’ by being the lowest radio-emitting neutron star discovered yet.

Astronomers don’t consider its idle speed as a mere curiosity. Rather, they wonder about it as an impossibility. For a long time, it has been thought that neutron stars can produce their radio emissions due to their fast rotations. Their emissions will eventually stop if they slow down their rotation over time.

Now, the discovery of this new pulsar has questioned this belief. How would it be possible to produce its seven different types of pulses with over a minute per rotation speed? Astronomers are still now sure how the emission of this newly-discovered neutron star is generated.