Astronomers have just solved a long-standing mystery about a rare, rapidly spinning neutron star known as PSR J1023+0038. Using NASA’s IXPE telescope and a fleet of observatories, scientists discovered that the system’s intense X-rays don’t come from its glowing accretion disk as previously believed, but from a chaotic, high-speed wind of particles hurled out by […]



Summary

Astronomers have solved the mystery of PSR J1023+0038’s X-ray source. This rapidly spinning neutron star, a rare “transitional millisecond pulsar,” was previously thought to emit X-rays from its accretion disk. However, new data from NASA’s IXPE and other observatories reveal that the X-rays actually originate from a high-speed wind of particles blasted outwards by the neutron star. This chaotic wind, rather than the accretion disk, is responsible for the intense X-ray emissions, resolving a long-standing question about this unique system.

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