[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/www.ieec.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/slider-comunicacio.jpg” max_height=”130px” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”24px||11px|||” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Unitats de recerca” module_class=”ieec-orgs” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_font_size=”16px” header_font=”|700|||||||” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” header_font_size_tablet=”28px” header_font_size_phone=”26px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoiY3VzdG9tX21ldGFfb3JnYW5pemFjaW9uZXMiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsImVuYWJsZV9odG1sIjoib2ZmIn19@[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_title author=”off” categories=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” admin_label=”T\u00edtol i data” module_class=”ieec-title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Cairo|300|||||||” title_font_size=”40px” meta_font=”||on||||||” meta_font_size=”16px” title_font_size_tablet=”35px” title_font_size_phone=”30px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text admin_label=”Subt\u00edtols” module_class=”ieec-summary” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Source Sans Pro||on||||||” text_font_size=”24px” text_line_height=”1.1em” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”22px” text_font_size_phone=”20px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title title=”off” meta=”off” module_class=”ieec-img-container” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” border_width_top=”10px” border_color_top=”#406fda” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text module_class=”ieec-img-footer” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_line_height=”1.1em” background_color=”rgba(64,111,218,0.15)” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”30px|20px|30px|20px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
An image of the sky showing the region around ASKAP J1832-0911. X-rays from NASA\u2019sChandra X-ray Observatory, radio data from the SouthAfrican MeerKAT radio telescope, and infrared data fromNASA\u2019s Spitzer Space Telescope. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n An international team of astronomers led by Australia’s<\/span> International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research<\/span><\/a> (ICRAR), with the participation of researchers from the <\/span>Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia<\/span><\/a> (IEEC \u2014 Institut d\u2019Estudis Espacials de Catalunya) at the <\/span>Institute of Space Sciences<\/span><\/a> (ICE-CSIC), and the <\/span>Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia<\/span><\/a> (IAA-CSIC), has detected a new long-period transient object: a recently discovered type of cosmic phenomenon. The study is published in the journal <\/span>Nature<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n The object, known as ASKAP J1832-0911, emits <\/span>pulses of radio waves and X-rays for two minutes every 44 minutes<\/b>.<\/span> This is the first time objects like these, called long-period transients (LPTs), have been detected in X-rays. It is located in our Milky Way galaxy, about 15,000 light-years from Earth. Astronomers hope it may provide insights into the sources of similar mysterious signals observed across the sky. Detecting these objects using both X-rays and radio waves may help astronomers find more examples and learn more about them.<\/span><\/p>\n The team discovered ASKAP J1832-0911 by using <\/span>ASKAP radio telescope<\/span><\/a> on Wajarri Country in Australia, owned and operated by Australia\u2019s national science agency, CSIRO. They correlated the radio signals with X-ray pulses detected by NASA\u2019s <\/span>Chandra X-ray Observatory<\/span><\/a>, which was coincidentally observing the same part of the sky.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||on||||” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n \u201cDiscovering that ASKAP J1832-0911 was emitting X-rays felt like finding a needle in a haystack,\u201d said lead author Dr Ziteng (Andy) Wang from the Curtin University node of ICRAR. \u201cThe ASKAP radio telescope has a wide field view of the night sky, while Chandra observes only a fraction of it. So, it was fortunate that Chandra observed the same area of the night sky at the same time,\u201d he adds.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”section-title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”25px” hover_enabled=”0″ header_2_font_size_tablet=”23px” header_2_font_size_phone=”23px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n LPTs, which emit radio pulses that occur minutes or hours apart, are a relatively recent discovery. Since their first detection by ICRAR researchers in 2022, ten LPTs have been discovered by astronomers across the world. Currently, <\/span>there is no clear explanation for what causes these signals<\/b>, or why they \u2018switch on\u2019 and \u2018switch off\u2019 at such long, regular and unusual intervals.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis object is unlike anything we have seen before. ASKAP J1831-0911 could be a magnetar (the core of a dead star with powerful magnetic fields), or it could be a pair of stars in a binary system where one of the two is a highly magnetised white dwarf (a low-mass star at the end of its evolution),\u201d Dr Wang said. \u201cHowever, even those theories do not fully explain what we are observing. This discovery could indicate a new type of physics or new models of stellar evolution,\u201d he adds.<\/span><\/p>\n According to second author Professor Nanda Rea, IEEC researcher at the ICE-CSIC, \u201cfinding one such object hints at the existence of many more. The discovery of its transient X-ray emission opens fresh insights into their mysterious nature.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat was also truly remarkable is that this study showcases an incredible teamwork effort, with contributions from researchers across the globe with different and complementary expertise,\u201d added Rea, who contributed to the results interpretation and the X-band observations.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time that X-ray emission has been detected in this kind of object, and the most surprising thing is that its behavior is unlike anything known in our galaxy: it is extremely bright, varies greatly in intensity and does not fit into traditional categories, such as neutron stars or white dwarfs,\u201d says Miguel A. P\u00e9rez-Torres, an IAA-CSIC researcher involved in the study. \u201cThe object is thousands of times more luminous than expected based on its rotation, which forces us to reconsider some physical models,\u201d he notes.<\/span><\/p>\n The discovery also helps narrow down what the objects might be<\/b>. Since X-rays are much higher energy than radio waves, any theory must account for both types of emissions\u2014a valuable clue, given their nature remains a cosmic mystery.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Press release prepared in collaboration with the Institute of Space Sciences.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”30px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#406fda” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”M\u00e9s informaci\u00f3” module_class=”ieec-sub-title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Cairo|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#406fda” text_font_size=”20px” custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n More information<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”ieec-sub-text” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.1em” link_font=”|700|||on||||” custom_margin=”20px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n This research is presented in a paper entitled \u201c<\/span>Detection of X-ray Emission from a Bright Long-Period Radio Transient<\/span><\/a>\u201d, by <\/span>Ziteng Wang, Nanda Rea<\/span> et al.<\/span><\/i>, to appear in the journal Nature on 28 May 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#406fda” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” 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IEEC fosters collaborations both locally and worldwide and is an efficient agent of knowledge, innovation and technology transfer. As a result of more than 25 years of high-quality research, done in collaboration with major international organisations, IEEC ranks among the best international research centres, focusing on areas such as: astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, and Earth Observation. IEEC\u2019s engineering division develops instrumentation for ground- and space-based projects, and has extensive experience in working with private or public organisations from the aerospace and other innovation sectors.<\/p>\n The IEEC is a non-profit public sector foundation that was established in February 1996. It has a Board of Trustees composed of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona (UAB), Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Catalunya \u00b7 BarcelonaTech (UPC), and the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). The IEEC is also a CERCA centre.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is the first time a long-period transient object has been detected in X-rays. The finding, made with IEEC participation, has been published in the Nature journal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":36333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"2880","footnotes":""},"categories":[111,74,98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlighted-news-small","category-news","category-science"],"yoast_head":"\n
Ziteng (Andy) Wang, ICRAR<\/strong><\/p>\nA new cosmic phenomenon<\/h2>\n
\n
IEEC Communication Office<\/h4>\n
E-mail: comunicacio@ieec.cat<\/a><\/p>\nLead Researcher at the IEEC<\/h4>\n
Nanda Rea<\/h4>\n
Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC)
E-mail: rea@ieec.cat,<\/a> rea@ice.csic.es<\/a><\/p>\nAbout the IEEC<\/h2>\n