White Dwarf’s Unexplainable Rapid Spin Finally Decoded by Scientists 25i4u Technology News

RX J0648.0–4418, spinning rapidly and shrinking, edges closer to a supernova due to mass accretion from its companion star. 1l5v1q

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 14 January 2025 18:00 IST

White Dwarf’s Unexplainable Rapid Spin Finally Decoded by Scientists

Photo Credit: NASA and L. Hustak (STScI) 556e12

Shrinking white dwarf 1,700 light-years away steals material from companion star

Highlights

RX J0648.0–4418 is a shrinking white dwarf star spinning every 13 seconds
The star gains mass from its companion, nearing the Chandrasekhar limit
This binary system may witness a supernova explosion in 100,000 years

ment

A white dwarf Earth, was observed to be shrinking while continuing to steal stellar material from its companion star. Known as RX J0648.0–4418, this star is part of a unique binary system involving HD 49798, a helium-burning hot subdwarf star. The white dwarf is rapidly spinning, completing one rotation roughly every 13 seconds, and is believed to be approaching a critical mass limit, potentially leading to a supernova explosion within 100,000 years.

Unique Characteristics of RX J0648.0–4418 1z3231

According to a study published in the pre-print journal arXiv by Dr. Sandro Mereghetti of the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), RX J0648.0–4418 is distinguished by its exceptional rotational speed and the nature of its companion.

Unlike most X-ray binaries, this system involves a white dwarf accreting material from a hot subdwarf star, an evolutionary phase considered rare and short-lived. The white dwarf's rapid spin cannot be solely attributed to the material it accretes, as its accretion rate has been calculated to be insufficient to for the observed spin-up.

New discovery: Binary star system D9 orbits Sagittarius A in Milky Way

The Science Behind the Rapid Rotation 1e4yz

Space.com, in a report, indicated that the star's increasing speed could result from its contracting size, which reduces its moment of inertia. This phenomenon likened to an ice skater pulling in their arms to spin faster, is believed to occur as the white dwarf ages over millions of years. Unlike most white dwarfs, which are billions of years old, RX J0648.0–4418 is relatively young, allowing scientists to observe these changes in real time.

Implications for the Future 2o1t1a

As RX J0648.0–4418 accretes more mass, it approaches the Chandrasekhar limit of 1.4 solar masses, beyond which a supernova explosion becomes inevitable. The donor star's expansion in the future is expected to accelerate the white dwarf's mass gain, hastening its collapse. While the explosion may occur in 100,000 years—an instant in cosmic —research into this system continues to uncover valuable insights into the evolution of binary stars.

Comments

For the latest reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.