Discovery of Slowest-Spinning Neutron Star Challenges Astrophysics

Australian scientists from the University of Sydney and CSIRO have discovered a rare neutron star that appears to be spinning slower than any previously recorded. Using the ASKAP radio telescope on Wajarri Yamaji Country in Western Australia, the researchers identified the object emitting radio light at an unusually slow rate. The discovery challenges current descriptions of radio neutron star behavior and could provide valuable insights into the physics of these extreme cosmic objects.

The object, named ASKAP J1935+2148, is believed to be about 16,000 light years away and exhibits three distinct emission states. The leading hypothesis is that it is a slow-spinning neutron star, although the possibility of it being part of a binary system with another neutron star or white dwarf cannot be ruled out. The findings, led by Dr. Manisha Caleb at the University of Sydney and Dr. Emil Lenc at CSIRO, suggest that our understanding of neutron stars or white dwarfs may need to be reconsidered in light of this new data.