Anatoly Spitkovsky

New simulations show: before merging, neutron stars twist magnetic fields like strings, generating gamma-ray bursts and radio signals. These precursors will help astronomers prepare for the event and perhaps unravel the mystery of fast radio bursts.

Why do pulsars—rapidly spinning neutron stars—fall silent for tens of periods, then emit modulated pulses one after another? New three-dimensional modeling unveils the dance of non-axisymmetric plasma vortices: the diocotron instability makes charges break into a dance across magnetic field lines, r