The Final Symphony of Neutron Stars ⚡ экспресс
Imagine twisting a rubber band — it builds up tension. Something similar happens with the magnetic fields of two neutron stars before they merge. Scientists have modeled this process in 3D for the first time and discovered that the twisted fields periodically release energy, like mini solar flares. These outbursts produce gamma rays and radio bursts that can be caught minutes before the catastrophic collision. Such a 'scream' from the stars will help us know about the merger in advance.
Two neutron stars — these are ultra-dense remnants of dead stars, each the size of a city but heavier than the Sun. Their existence was predicted back in 1934 by Fritz Zwicky. A teaspoon of this matter weighs billions of tons. When two such objects draw close before merging, their magnetic fields twist and snap like taut strings. This produces powerful gamma-ray flashes and rapid radio pulses — a farewell symphony accessible to observers minutes before the catastrophe.
These signals, as it turns out, explain the enigmatic fast radio bursts — millisecond-long pulses from deep in the universe that have puzzled scientists until now. Astronomers will be able to aim telescopes in advance and witness the very moment of merger. Many neutron stars, by the way, manifest as pulsars — cosmic lighthouses discovered by Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and the merger itself generates gravitational waves — ripples in spacetime itself.
🎯 It turns out that fast radio bursts, which have baffled astronomers for decades, may be born precisely from the magnetic 'strings' between merging neutron stars.