Scientists Trace Mysterious X-Ray Flashes to Neutron Star Collisions
Astronomers identify neutron star mergers as the source of long X-ray flashes, revealing cosmic secrets.
POLICY WIRE — City, Country — Astronomers have identified the origin of mysterious long-duration X-ray flashes emanating from deep space, linking them to collisions between neutron stars.
For years, scientists have puzzled over intense X-ray bursts originating from distant galaxies. While some were linked to the death of massive stars, many remained unexplained due to uncertainty about their distance and energy output.
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A breakthrough came when researchers analyzed data from the Einstein Probe satellite, which detected hundreds of these bright flashes since its launch in 2024. By quickly deploying other telescopes, they observed the aftermath of an explosion that led to the formation of a magnetar, a highly magnetized neutron star. This discovery could explain the origins of similar enigmatic X-ray events.
The findings, published in the journal Science Bulletin, detail how the collision of two neutron stars produced a rare, extended X-ray burst lasting nearly ten minutes. Eleonora Troja, a researcher on the team, noted that this was the longest X-ray flash ever recorded from such an event. Niccolò Passaleva, who led follow-up observations, called it a rare opportunity to study extreme cosmic forces.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
