Synchronized Stars Power Cosmic Radio Laser
Researchers have helped unravel the mystery of why certain pairs of stars pulse with regular, long-period bursts of radio waves. The particular class of objects they observed come in pairs that always include a compact dead star, called a white dwarf, locked in orbit with an M dwarf, a red star smaller than our Sun.
Scientists have discovered that certain binary star systems, consisting of a white dwarf and an M-type red dwarf star, emit powerful radio signals that pulse every few minutes. These systems were previously thought to create the radio waves through a process involving a powerful current generated by the orbiting moon Io around Jupiter.
However, Caltech researchers have now provided a clearer explanation using supercomputer simulations. The new study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, demonstrates how electron cyclotron maser instability (ECMI) causes the radio bursts. ECMI is a phenomenon where electrons spiral through magnetic fields in a synchronized manner, producing radio emissions.
The simulations reveal that the ECMI mechanism is ten times more efficient than previously thought, suggesting that the radio emissions from these binary systems can be modeled more accurately.
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