Scientists record ‘first heartbeat’ of one of the most extreme objects in universe
SMRTR summary
Scientists captured the "first heartbeat" of a magnetar by detecting a periodic signal within a 2023 gamma-ray burst. After analyzing over 600,000 datasets, the team found a faint gamma-ray fluctuation lasting 160 milliseconds, revealing a newborn magnetar spinning 909 times per second after two stars collided in a distant galaxy. This discovery provides the first direct evidence that some gamma-ray bursts are powered by magnetars rather than black holes, fundamentally changing scientists' understanding of these cosmic explosions.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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