ICRAR astronomers identified the system GPM J071507−114153, which features a spinning white dwarf paired with a Sun-like G-type companion. Researchers utilized the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre to analyze more than 100 hours of radio data, confirming the signals stem directly from the white dwarf or its immediate surroundings. This extraordinary signal clarity also let scientists track stellar flares and a plasma prominence on the companion star. Multiple international observatories contributed to identifying and confirming this unprecedented binary configuration.
Key points
This discovery marks the first time long-period transient radio pulses have been observed…: This discovery marks the first time long-period transient radio pulses have been observed coming from a white dwarf paired with a Sun-like star.
Clear signals from the system enabled scientists to observe plasma prominences and stella…: Clear signals from the system enabled scientists to observe plasma prominences and stellar flares erupting from the companion star.
The collaborative use of precursor radio telescopes demonstrates how the upcoming Square…: The collaborative use of precursor radio telescopes demonstrates how the upcoming Square Kilometre Array Observatory will reveal more rare transients.
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Scientists at the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have linked mysterious radio pulses to an unusual pairing of stars — a dead star that spins every eight minutes and a star similar to our own Sun.
The newly discovered system, known as GPM J071507−114153, consists of two stars orbiting each other: a white dwarf — the dense core left behind when a star dies — and a G-type star similar to our own Sun.
It is the first time radio pulses have been detected from a white dwarf orbiting a Sun-like star. Typically, such pulses are observed in systems with smaller and cooler red dwarf stars, meaning the discovery breaks new ground.
These types of stellar pairs belong to a broader class of objects known as long-period transients (LPTs), producing radio signals that switch on and off over intervals ranging from minutes to hours. Around a dozen have been detected since the first was discovered by the same ICRAR team in 2021, and astronomers are still working to understand them.
The European Space Agency's Euclid mission has published its first major dataset covering roughly 14% of its planned observation area. This initial release aims to help scientists investigate dark energy and dark matter, which together comprise about 95% of the cosmos. By studying how light distorts around distant formations, researchers hope to map invisible matter and test competing cosmological theories.
European Space Agency researchers are analyzing cosmic growth and gravitational phenomena to decode dark energy and dark matter, which together comprise roughly 95 percent of the cosmos. Tracking galactic positions across 10 billion years will allow scientists to reconstruct the universe's large-scale three-dimensional structure. Initial scientific conclusions regarding these invisible forces are scheduled for completion next year.
Lead author Pristine Onuoha has published a peer-reviewed study evaluating a compact genetic testing method designed to monitor astronaut DNA changes. The project, which targeted telomeres that may lengthen during spaceflight, proved capable of accurately quantifying genetic sequences in microgravity. These findings demonstrate that specialized fluorescence-based tools can effectively overcome the laboratory equipment constraints inherent to orbital habitats.