Astronomers have uncovered a stellar marvel 27,400 light-years away: a neutron star in the binary system 4U 1820-30, located in the Sagittarius constellation, is spinning at a jaw-dropping speed of 716 rotations per second. This unprecedented speed is nearly the upper limit theorized for neutron stars, a discovery that places it on par with the previously known fastest-spinning pulsar, PSR J1748-2446ad.
The breakthrough, led by astrophysicist Gaurava Jaisawal from the Technical University of Denmark, was made while observing thermonuclear bursts using NASA’s Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). The research team detected oscillations at 716 Hertz in one of the explosions, suggesting that this neutron star spins 716 times per second – a speed unimaginable for most celestial bodies.
Neutron stars, the remnants of massive stars, pack incredible mass into a dense sphere only about 20 kilometers across. When stars between 8 and 30 times the mass of the Sun reach the end of their lifecycle, they explode in supernovae, leaving behind neutron stars. Some of these stars, called pulsars, emit powerful beams of radio waves as they rotate, creating pulses detectable across the cosmos.
But 4U 1820-30 is no ordinary pulsar. In this system, the neutron star’s gravity is drawing material from a nearby white dwarf, leading to intense mass buildup and periodic thermonuclear explosions. During these outbursts, the neutron star shines up to 100,000 times brighter than the Sun, releasing an immense amount of energy.
“We were studying these bursts and found remarkable oscillations,” said Jaisawal, adding that if confirmed, “the 4U 1820-30 neutron star would be one of the fastest-spinning objects ever observed in the Universe.”
This exceptional star may also be the fastest-known X-ray pulsar, powered by nuclear explosions rather than the usual radio waves, making it a unique tool for studying the extremes of neutron star physics. Further observations could shed light on the ultimate limits of these compact, high-energy objects and their role in the universe’s grander story.
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Reference: https://www.sciencealert.com/wild-star-discovered-spinning-an-incredible-716-times-per-second
