Radio pulses first detected from previously radio-silent star

(ECNS) -- Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough by detecting radio pulses from a central compact object (CCO) — a type of young, dense dead star previously believed to be completely radio-silent.

The discovery, made by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' National Astronomical Observatories and Tsinghua University, provides the first direct observational evidence linking CCOs with ordinary radio pulsars, rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of radio waves like cosmic beacons.

The findings were published in Nature Astronomy on June 26.

CCOs are located at the centers of supernova remnants, the expanding clouds of debris left behind after massive stars explode. Although these objects emit strong X-rays, they had never been observed producing radio waves, leaving scientists uncertain whether they were truly silent or simply too faint to detect.

Using the highly sensitive MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, the research team observed several CCOs and detected a faint radio pulse from 1E 1207.4-5209, a typical CCO located within the supernova remnant PKS 1209-51/52.

The signal repeated every 424 milliseconds, marking the first confirmed radio pulse from a CCO and providing new insights into how young neutron stars form and evolve.

(By Kira)