doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02882-x
Credibility: 989
#FRB
Astronomers have finally deciphered one of the universe’s most intriguing mysteries: strangely repeating radio signals from deep space
These signals, called long-period transients, were traced to a binary star system where one star acts like a “vampire,” slowly sucking matter from its companion.
This discovery, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, may be the key to understanding an entire class of cosmic emissions that have intrigued scientists for years.
It all began with observations from the ASKAP telescope in Australia, which detected strong radio pulses coming from a specific direction in the sky.
Unlike the famous “fast radio bursts,” which last only milliseconds, these signals repeat every few hours or minutes, with each burst lasting a few seconds.
For a long time, no one could explain their origin.
Some thought of slowly rotating pulsars or other exotic phenomena, but the theories didn’t quite fit.
Now, researchers have identified the source as the ASKAP J1745-5051 system.
In it, a white dwarf-what remains of a star similar to the Sun after it has exhausted its fuel, the size of Earth but with the mass of the Sun-orbits a smaller red dwarf star.
The two are so close that they complete a full orbit in just about 1.3 hours.
The white dwarf, with its strong gravity, pulls material from its companion, creating an “accretion” process.
This material spirals towards the white dwarf, heats up intensely, and generates X-ray emissions.
At the same time, the interactions between the stars’ magnetic fields and the electrically charged material produce regular radio pulses.
It’s as if the smaller star is being slowly devoured by the larger, denser one.
Astronomers compare this to a cosmic vampire.
The radio signals are not constant: they vary in intensity, change frequency, and even stop for a few hours.
X-rays also follow a similar pattern, linked to the orbital motion of the stars.
This shows that both radio and X-ray emission are directly connected to the dance between the two stars.
This observation is important because it strengthens the idea that at least some of these long-period transients come from binary white dwarf systems, especially the so-called cataclysmic magnetic variables.
Previously, some of these signals were associated with isolated white dwarfs, but now there is clear evidence that the interaction between stars, with matter transfer, is fundamental to generating these bursts of energy.
Scientists used an impressive combination of instruments to reach this conclusion: in addition to ASKAP, they relied on the ATCA and MeerKAT telescopes (for radio), optical telescopes in Chile such as SOAR and Magellan, and space observatories such as Swift and Einstein Probe to capture the X-rays.
Optical spectroscopy confirmed the emission lines typical of a system that is actively transferring matter.
This discovery not only solves a nearly 20-year-old enigma but also opens doors to better understanding how stars die, interact, and generate different types of radiation in the universe.
There may be many other similar systems out there, helping astronomers to better map the population of compact objects and magnetic binaries in the Milky Way.
In short, what seemed like a random and mysterious signal from the cosmos has revealed itself to be the result of a fascinating stellar drama: a vampire star slowly devouring its partner, releasing energy in the form of radio waves and X-rays that reach us after traveling thousands of light-years.
It is further proof of how dynamic, violent, and full of surprises the universe is, which we are only now beginning to understand.
This celestial “Rosetta Stone” will help decipher many other similar signals in the future.
Published in 06/06/2026 04h02
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
Reference article:
Original study: