What’s more, the light emitted from CHIME J1634+44 is the most polarized ever observed in an LPT, indicating a highly complex surrounding environment. Scientists are particularly intrigued by the perfectly circular polarization of its radio pulses — something never seen before.
“The discovery of CHIME J1634+44 expands the known population of LPTs and challenges existing models of neutron stars and white dwarfs,” Dong said.
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A Neutron Star… or a White Dwarf Pulsar?
Two independent research teams—one led by Dong and another by Sanne Bloot from the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy—detected CHIME J1634+44 separately but reached similar conclusions about its properties. The object appears to be in a binary system, likely accreting material from a nearby companion, which may be what’s causing its spin-up behavior.
Dong’s team suggests it may be a neutron star, particularly a pulsar, since pulsars are known to emit rhythmic bursts and can increase their spin rate.
