IIT Guwahati and ISRO Discover Surprising X-ray Behavior in Space Pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and the Indian Space Research Organisation have made a groundbreaking discovery about the first known Galactic Ultraluminous X-ray emitting pulsar, Swift J0243.6+6124. This pulsar, detected by NASA’s Swift spacecraft, shows much lower polarisation of X-rays than expected, challenging existing theories.
What is Swift J0243.6+6124?
Swift J0243.6+6124 is a special type of star called a pulsar that emits very bright X-rays. It was first noticed during a strong X-ray outburst in 2017-2018. Scientists used NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) to study it in 2023 and found that the X-rays it emits are less polarised than they thought they would be.
Why is This Important?
Dr. Anuj Nandi, one of the researchers, said that the IXPE mission helped them detect this low polarisation, which changes with the emitted pulses. Prof. Santabrata Das from IIT Guwahati explained that this discovery is important because it makes scientists rethink how these stars work. Neutron stars like Swift J0243.6+6124 have strong magnetic fields that affect the X-rays we see. The unexpected low polarisation means that our current understanding of these magnetic fields and X-rays needs to be updated.
Future Implications
This surprising result challenges current theories and opens new opportunities for studying similar X-ray sources in our galaxy and beyond. The research has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and was co-authored by Dr. Santabrata Das, Dr. Anuj Nandi, and researchers Seshadri Majumder, Rwitika Chatterjee, and Kiran M Jayasurya.
Doubts Revealed
IIT Guwahati -: IIT Guwahati is a famous engineering and technology college in India. It stands for Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.
ISRO -: ISRO is the Indian Space Research Organisation. It is India’s space agency that sends satellites and missions into space.
X-ray -: X-rays are a type of light that we cannot see with our eyes. They are used in hospitals to take pictures of our bones.
Pulsar -: A pulsar is a type of star that sends out regular bursts of energy, like a lighthouse.
Swift J0243.6+6124 -: Swift J0243.6+6124 is the name of a specific pulsar that scientists are studying. It is very far away in space.
Polarisation -: Polarisation is a way to describe the direction in which light waves are vibrating. It helps scientists understand more about the light’s source.
NASA -: NASA is the space agency of the United States. It stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
IXPE -: IXPE is a NASA mission that studies X-rays from space. It stands for Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer.
NICER -: NICER is another NASA mission that looks at X-rays from stars. It stands for Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer.
NuSTAR -: NuSTAR is a NASA telescope that looks at high-energy X-rays from space. It stands for Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array.
The Astrophysical Journal Letters -: The Astrophysical Journal Letters is a scientific magazine where scientists publish their new discoveries about space.
Dr. Santabrata Das -: Dr. Santabrata Das is a scientist who works at IIT Guwahati and studies space.
Dr. Anuj Nandi -: Dr. Anuj Nandi is a scientist who works with ISRO and studies space.
