Unveiling cosmic mysteries: Rare star system X‑ray burst detected
The Europe-China Einstein Probe has detected an unusual X-ray burst originating from a rare pair of stars. This discovery could shed new light on the evolution of similar systems.
The Einstein Probe, a collaborative effort between Europe and China, recorded an X-ray burst from an unusual star system. One of the stars is ten times larger than the Sun, while the other is a white dwarf with dimensions comparable to those of our star. This marks the first such discovery in history.
An unusual star system
The discovery occurred in May of the previous year when the Einstein Probe, utilizing the X-ray Telescope (WXT), observed a flash of X-ray radiation from the Small Magellanic Cloud. Initially, it was thought to be a known type of binary system, but further analysis revealed it to be a rare pair: a massive Be-type star and a white dwarf.
A new look at star evolution
Scientists explain that the strong gravity of the white dwarf pulls matter from the larger star, leading to a nuclear explosion. This discovery provides new information on a rarely observed phase of star evolution. As Ashley Chrimes from ESA emphasizes, such research is possible thanks to the Einstein Probe, which is uniquely capable of detecting low-energy X-ray radiation with exceptional sensitivity.
