Dwarf Star Duo Confirmed as Source of Radio Pulses

For the first time, researchers have confirmed that these signals originate from binary star systems containing a white dwarf and a red dwarf.

Led by Dr Iris de Ruiter, an international team identified ILTJ1101+5521, a system located 1 600 light-years away in Ursa Major. The stars orbit each other every 125 minutes, generating periodic bursts of radio waves.

The discovery was based on historical data from the Low-Frequency Array in the Netherlands, with follow-up observations confirming both stars’ presence.

Scientists believe the radio emissions result from interactions between the red dwarf and the white dwarf’s powerful magnetic field. This challenges the long-standing assumption that only neutron stars, such as pulsars, can produce strong radio pulses.

While similar signals have been detected before, their origin remained uncertain. This breakthrough proves that white dwarfs can emit radio pulses, opening new avenues for studying stellar evolution.

Researchers now plan to search for more of these systems and to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving their emissions. The finding reshapes our understanding of radio astronomy and binary star behaviour.

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