Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery by finding ten unique dead stars, known as neutron stars, near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. These neutron stars are located in the Terzan 5 ball cluster, situated 18,000 light years away. The cluster is densely packed with hundreds of thousands of stars varying in ages from 12 to 4.5 billion years.
Among the stars discovered are several peculiar pulsars, including “spider” pulsars that consume surrounding stars with their plasma networks, and a Vampire star that absorbs its companions. Neutron stars have the ability to rotate at incredible speeds of up to 700 revolutions per second, emitting radiation beams from their poles and earning the name “pulsars.”
A team of scientists from the US National Radio Astronomical Observatory (NSF NRAO) utilized Green Bank and Meerkat telescopes to identify the pulsars in Terzan 5. By comparing new data with observations spanning two decades, researchers unveiled the distinct characteristics of these stars.
Among the discoveries were two neutron stars forming an exceptionally rare double system. While there are approximately 3,600 known pulsars in the Milky Way, only 20 of them exist in double systems. When these systems come together, one neutron star pulls material from the other, enhancing its rotational speed. This unique pair has the potential to reach record-breaking rotational speeds exceeding 716 revolutions per second.
Furthermore, scientists uncovered three new Pulsars categorized as “Redbacks” and “Black Widows” based on the mass of the satellite star they absorb. Redbacks prey on satellites weighing between 10% to 50% of the sun’s mass, while Black Widows target stars with less than 5% of the sun’s mass.
This discovery of the peculiar neutron stars in Terzan 5 will provide astronomers with valuable insights into the nature of pulsars and their evolution within ball clusters. Researchers are optimistic about finding more of these stars in Terzan 5 through the participation of ordinary individuals in the einstein@home project, which allows volunteers to utilize their computer downtime to aid in the search for new neutron stars.