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Chinese researchers discover binary star system with shortest orbital period
Updated: June 23, 2023 09:50 CGTN

Chinese scientists have discovered a binary pulsar with an orbital period of only 53 minutes, the shortest known period for a pulsar binary system. The team detected the system with the ultra-high sensitivity and strong detection capabilities of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), or the "China Sky Eye." Researchers located the binary millisecond pulsar M71E and confirmed that the rotation period of the pulsar is 4.44 milliseconds. The companion star completes an orbit in only 53 minutes, which is the fastest that has been found. Additionally, the binary system was determined to be in an intermediate stage of the redback-to-black widow system evolution, which has filled a gap in the evolution theory of spider pulsars. Furthermore, the orbital plane of the binary system is almost facing Earth, which is extremely rare.

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