As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Called ‘hypersoft X-ray sources,’ these things produce really low-energy X-rays that are tough to find.
This composite image reveals the areas of hypersoft X-ray sources in the face-on spiral nebula Messier 101. Image credit: NASA/ CXC/ Univ. of Alabama/ Muhibullah et al/ ESA/ STScI/ SAO/ N. Wolk.
“We’ve never ever experienced a group of things that imitate this,” stated Dr. Mustafa Muhibullah, an astronomer at the University of Alabama.
“Of course, the next action was to attempt to determine what these things are.”
In their research study, the astronomers examined archival information from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
They discovered an overall of 84 of hypersoft X-ray sources in the 6 various galaxies.
2 of the galaxies are spirals, the Andromeda galaxy and Messier 101, while the other 4 are ellipticals.
The hypersoft X-ray sources lie both in areas of active star development and locations where there are older stars.
Regardless of their faintness in traditional X-ray bands, a few of these sources are extremely energetic.
The researchers think hypersoft sources are not a single kind of things however most likely represent a mix of various systems, consisting of white overshadows pulling product from a buddy star, the smoldering residues of post-nova eruptions, and perhaps even great voids accreting matter.
“Because low-energy X-rays border energetic ultraviolet radiation on the electro-magnetic spectrum, we identified that these sources are producing big quantities of energetic ultraviolet radiation also,” they stated.
“It is uncertain what kinds of items are accountable for these low-energy X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation.”
“We believe they probably include a great void, neutron star, or white dwarf pulling product from a buddy star.”
The discovery recommends that there might be big populations of double stars with energetic ultraviolet radiation that have actually been unnoticed previously.
“These private X-ray sources are in fact amongst the most energetic things in galaxies, and they might be resolving 2 cosmic secrets at the same time,” Dr. Muhibullah stated.
The discovery is reported in a paper released this month in the journal Nature Astronomy
_____
M. Muhibullah et alHypersoft X-ray sources as a low-energy class of luminescent cosmic emitter. Nat Astronreleased online September 9, 2026; doi: 10.1038/ s41550-026-02959-7
Find out more
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
