A Cosmic Lighthouse Born from a Star's Explosion ⚡ экспресс
Results of radio interferometric observations (VLBI) of the stripped-envelope supernova SN 2012au 8–13 years after core collapse are presented. The source remains compact (≤1.4×10^17 cm) and stationary (≤0.36c) with steady fading. These data rule out the off-axis relativistic jet model and are well consistent with emission from a decade-old pulsar wind nebula (PWN), though an interpretation involving shock interaction with dense circumstellar medium is also possible. Assuming a PWN nature, the initial pulsar spin-down power lies in the range 10^36–4×10^42 erg/s, and the radio efficiency η_R ≥ 3×10^−7 (99.7% confidence interval). If confirmed, SN 2012au would be the first extragalactic pulsar wind nebula born in a modern supernova, opening an unprecedented opportunity to study the properties of a young pulsar.
When a massive star dies, it explodes as a supernova (a term coined by Fritz Zwicky). At its core remains a city-sized sphere crushed to unimaginable density — a neutron star. If it spins rapidly, it emits two narrow beams of radiation, like a lighthouse.
A few years after the SN 2012au explosion in a distant spiral galaxy, astronomers noticed a strengthening radio signal. A network of radio telescopes, working as one giant ear, revealed that the source is nearly stationary and very small. Its speed is less than a third of the speed of light, typical for a young pulsar, not for ejecta in cosmic dust clouds.
If confirmed, this is the first radio pulsar in another galaxy caught shortly after birth. By studying it, we’ll see how these cosmic lighthouses gain strength. An amazing fact: a pulsar’s rotational energy is so stable that it can be used to calibrate atomic clocks — even millions of years later.
🎯 Some pulsars spin up to 700 times per second — faster than the crankshaft of a Formula 1 racing car.