Pulsar discovered in an ultraluminous X-ray source
http://phys.org/news/2016-09-pulsar-ultraluminous-x-ray-source.html
A team of European astronomers has discovered a new pulsar in a variable ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) known as NGC 7793 P13.
The newly found object is the third ultraluminous X-ray pulsar detected so far, and also the fastest-spinning one. The findings
are detailed in a paper published Sept. 21 in the arXiv pre-print server.
ULXs are point sources in the sky that are so bright in X-rays that each emits more radiation than a million suns emit at all
wavelengths. Although they are less luminous than active galactic nuclei, they are more consistently luminous than any known
stellar process.
NGC 7793 P13 (also known as XMMU J235751.1–323725) is located in the spiral galaxy NGC 7793 in the Sculptor constellation, about
12.7 million light years from the Earth. According to a new study, which was conducted by a team of researchers led by Gianluca
Israel of the Astronomical Observatory of Roma, Italy, this ULX hosts a 0.42-second pulsar.
"Here, we report on the discovery of coherent pulsations at a period of 0.42 s in the EPIC pn lightcurves of XMMU J235751.1–323725,"
the team wrote in the paper.
