The brightest, furthest pulsar in the Universe
This X-ray source is the most luminous of its type detected to date: it is 10 times brighter than the previous record holder. XMM-Newton observed the object several times in the last 13 years, with the discovery a result of a systematic search for pulsars in the data archive – its 1.13 s periodic pulses giving it away. The archival data also revealed that the pulsar’s spin rate has changed over time, from 1.43 s per rotation in 2003 to 1.13 s in 2014. “The discovery of this very unusual object, by far the most extreme ever discovered in terms of distance, luminosity and rate of increase of its rotation frequency, sets a new record for XMM-Newton, and is changing our ideas of how such objects really ‘work’,” says Norbert Schartel, ESA’s XMM-Newton project scientist. For further information, please contact: Markus Bauer ESA Science and Robotic Exploration Communication Officer Tel: +31 71 565 6799 Mob: +31 61 594 3 954 Email: [email protected] Gian Luca Israel INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy Email: [email protected] Norbert Schartel XMM-Newton project scientist Email: [email protected]