Influx of Earth-bound positrons must have exotic origin, study suggests

Influx of Earth-bound positrons must have exotic origin, study suggests

The excess positrons arriving at Earth must have a more exotic origin than nearby pulsars, report researchers. Their results are based on observations from the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) gamma-ray observatory in Mexico, which detects the shower of…

NuSTAR discovers first ultraluminous pulsar, impossibly bright dead star

NuSTAR discovers first ultraluminous pulsar, impossibly bright dead star

Astronomers working with NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) have found a pulsating dead star beaming with the energy of about 10 million suns. The object, previously thought to be a black hole because it is so powerful, is in fact a pulsar – the

Fermi catches a never before seen ‘transformer’ neutron star

Fermi catches a never before seen ‘transformer’ neutron star

In late June 2013 astronomers using Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope observed an exceptional binary containing a rapidly spinning neutron star which suddenly underwent a dramatic change in behavior. The pulsar's radio beacon vanished, while at the same time the

The Quantum Guide – Pulsars

The Quantum Guide – Pulsars

A pulsar is a neutron star that emits beams of radiation that sweep through Earth’s line of sight. Like a black hole, it is an endpoint to stellar evolution. The “pulses” of high-energy radiation we see from a pulsar are due to a misalignment of the neutron star’s