Astronomers have discovered a new neutron star 35,000 light-years from Earth. This is the so-called accretion millisecond X-ray pulsar.
New millisecond pulsar
Astronomers report the discovery of a new neutron star. The newly discovered object, designated SRGA J144459. 2-604207 (or SRGA J1444 for short), turned out to be a bursting accretion millisecond X-ray pulsar.
X-ray pulsars are known to show strict periodic changes in the intensity of high-energy radiation, which can last only a fraction of a second. Their special type is objects with an accretion disk.
Accretion millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs) are a special type of similar objects in which short spin periods are caused by long-term mass transfer from a low-mass companion star through an accretion disk to a slowly rotating neutron star.
Astronomers perceive them as astrophysical laboratories, which can be crucial for deepening our knowledge about the processes of thermonuclear explosions. And it was such an object that was discovered on February 21, 2024, in a position close to the galactic plane.
Parameters of discovered neutron star
An intensive observation campaign conducted immediately after the discovery showed that SRGA J1444 is a new accretion millisecond pulsar with a spin period of 447.8 Hz, which demonstrates regular Type-I X-ray bursts.
If we assume that the mass of the neutron star in SRGA J1444 is 1.4 solar, then its companion star must have at least 0.25 solar masses. The system has a circular orbit with a period of approximately 5.2 hours and is estimated to be 27,000 to 35,000 light-years from Earth.
According to phys.org
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