The J1603-7202 is a specific pulsar that went through extreme scattering in 2006, which made it an exciting target to examine dense plasma regions. Unfortunately, its trajectory is not determined yet because it orbits another compact star, the white dwarf, in a face-on orbit. Currently, astronomers don't have an alternative way to measure it.
The good news? The scintillation arcs became useful because their curvatures are related to the velocity of the pulsar. In this specific pulsar, they were able to calculate changes in the curvature of the arcs to figure out its orientation, according to SciTechDaily.
The measurements show the viability of scintillation in supporting alternative methods. Astronomers were able to measure the distance to the plasma, which showed that it's about three-quarters of the pulsar distance from the Earth. Therefore, it doesn't seem to coincide with any known stars or interstellar gas clouds.
However, the question still remains, what is the plasma source that scatters the pulsar's radiation?
Through an orbit measurement, astronomers were able to estimate the mass of the specific pulsar's orbital companion. The results show that the orbital companion is around half the mass of the Sun. Therefore, this implies that it may likely be a stellar remnant that is made out of carbon and oxygen, which is a rare find around a pulsar. Usually, pulsars are surrounded by helium-based remnants.
Now, astronomers are close to getting the full model of the orbit, which makes it possible to transform scintillation observations of J1603-7202 into on-sky scattered images and map the interstellar plasma at a Solar System scale.
Through this, it can help us gain a better understanding of how dense regions form and how interstellar plasma plays in the evolution of galaxies.
Also read: NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory Detects Fastest Pulsar Ever | Here's Why It's a Big Deal
Getting to Know Pulsars
To give you a brief overview, pulsars are remnants of stars that spin rapidly. Out there, they're similar to a lighthouse, and they show extreme variations when it comes to their brightness. The short bursts of brightness take place because dense regions of interstellar plasma scatter the radio waves that are emitted by the pulsar.
Astrophysicists are not clear yet where the energy sources necessary to form and sustain these dense plasma regions come from. That's why they are exploring the pulsars.
When pulsar's radiowaves are scattered by the interstellar plasma, the waves may interfere and create n interference pattern on Earth.
Related article: Professional Astrophysicist, Amateur Astronomer Reveal Secrets Of Unique Millisecond Pulsar Binary System
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Written by: April Fowell
