Astronomers have identified the source of a repeating radio signal emanating from a binary star system approximately 1,600 light years away. This system consists of two stars orbiting closely enough that their magnetic fields interact, generating radio emissions categorized as long-period radio transients. Previously thought to derive from pulsars, these signals have unique characteristics, repeating every two hours. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, could lead to discovering new cosmic radio sources, particularly those related to neutron star or magnetar binaries, expanding our understanding of these rare astronomical phenomena.
"Now, we know at least some long-period radio transients come from binaries. We hope this motivates radio astronomers to localize new classes of sources that might arise from neutron star or magnetar binaries."
"Taking a closer look at the timing of these pulses, we found that they arrive every two hours. We compared the location of the radio pulses to optical catalogues... And there it was - we found there was a faint red star exactly at the location of our radio pulses."
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