Unraveling the secrets of space, scientists lean on the Event Horizon Telescope to detect elusive millisecond pulsars near the galaxy's core.
In the vastness of the Milky Way lies a phenomenon that could redefine our understanding of the universe: millisecond pulsars. These fast-rotating neutron stars serve as nature’s precise cosmic timers. And if found near our galaxy’s supermassive black hole, they might put Einstein’s theory of general relativity to its most rigorous test yet.
Millisecond pulsars, the remnants of massive stars, pulsate beams of radio energy, acting as remarkably consistent cosmic clocks. These stars are so precise that even the slightest motion changes can be detected. Such exactness has allowed scientists to use them in monitoring the universe’s gravitational shifts and even proposed them as celestial navigation tools.
The Potential Treasure Trove in Our Backyard
The Milky Way is believed to house close to a billion pulsars. However, only 2,000 have been observed due to challenges like interstellar dust and vast distances. But herein lies the excitement: with such a multitude, several pulsars might be orbiting our supermassive black hole, Sag A*. If found, they could become the gateway to testing gravitational theories beyond what’s currently feasible.
Despite the dense gas and dust that shroud our galaxy’s center, radio astronomy offers a glimpse into this mysterious realm. Observations of stars swirling around Sag A* have already verified the accuracy of general relativity in potent gravitational fields. However, to differentiate between Einstein’s theory and alternative gravitational models like AQUAL or TeVeS, we need the precision that pulsars could offer.
The Hunt with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT)
Eager to find these elusive pulsars, astronomers turned to data from the EHT, a project that’s been monitoring our supermassive black hole since 2017. While the first image of Sag A* was only revealed in 2022, the collected data holds much more, potentially including signs of these sought-after millisecond pulsars.
A recent study, now on the arXiv preprint server, adopted three detection techniques centered on Fourier analysis to unearth potential pulsar signals in the EHT data. Although this attempt did not spot any undiscovered pulsars, and the chances were admittedly slim, there’s still a wealth of data left to explore. The quest is far from over.
While the EHT might not have pinpointed any pulsars yet, their existence near the Milky Way’s heart is almost assured. It’s not a question of if, but when these cosmic clocks will emerge from the shadows.
Have something to add? Visit Curiosmos on Facebook. Join the discussion in our mobile Telegram group. Also, follow us on Google News. Interesting in history, mysteries, and more? Visit Ancient Library’s Telegram group and become part of an exclusive group.
