Neutron stars are the remnants of dead stars after their explosion, much like that of white dwarf stars, but they are spawned from much more massive stars. These supernovae are greatly intensified and leave behind a super-condensed core of pure neutrons, instead of the carbon and oxygen typical of white dwarf stars. In a recent article by Sergio Belmonte Diaz of the Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophysics and collaborators, a new black widow pulsar, PSR J1544−2555, was discovered using the ULTRACAM on the New Technology Telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile.
Join us this week as Mike explores this black-widow-like pulsar eating it's partner.
Astro Brief is a collaboration between KSMU, the Missouri Space Grant, and MSU's Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science. Hosted by Dr. Mike Reed, Astro Brief focuses on astronomical events, the field of astronomy, and astronomy-related guests. It airs Thursdays at 9:45 am on KSMU.