The merger of a newly observed neutron star has raised doubts about previously known mechanisms for black hole formation.
Astronomers in the UK have discovered a “supermassive neutron star” that emitted radiation for an unusually long time before collapsing into a black hole, casting doubt on several theories surrounding this scientific phenomenon. The observation was published on November 11.
Neutron stars are highly magnetized, and one of them sometimes produces radio emissions. (Photo: Global Look Press).
A research team at the University of Bath in Somerset observed a binary merger that produced a “supermassive” neutron star, emitting gamma rays for over a day before it collapsed into a black hole. The black hole has been named GRB 180618A, located about 10.6 billion light-years away from us, and was detected by NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in orbit. Subsequently, a robotic observatory in the Canary Islands zoomed in on the aftermath.
Dr. Nuria Jordana-Mitjans, the lead author of the study, stated: “A giant neutron star is usually thought to be unable to exist for such a long lifespan. This is a mystery.”
Dr. Jordana-Mitjans and her colleagues explained in their study published in the Astrophysical Journal: “The unusual temporal and spectral characteristics” of the object “serve as evidence of a highly magnetized neutron star.” They noted that this discovery “opens a new era in the search for gravitational wave counterparts with fast-paced surveys.”
Neutron stars are believed to be the collapsed cores of supergiants formed by supernova explosions, with a radius of about 10 kilometers and a mass of about 1.4 solar masses. They are held together by a phenomenon known as “neutron degeneracy pressure” and will collapse if their mass exceeds a certain limit.
Professor Carole Mundell, a co-author of the study, remarked: “They are bizarre and exotic objects. This is the first direct look we can have at a supermassive neutron star in nature.”
According to The Guardian, gamma-ray bursts associated with the collapse of neutron stars are some of the most energy-intensive events in the universe since the Big Bang. They are believed to originate from the poles of newly formed black holes, but new observations suggest they emit from the neutron star itself.
