Universe  ID: 11185

Ballistic Helix

Story by Alex Kasprak Released on February 14, 2013
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X-ray images of a pulsar's powerful jet offer hints about its shape and motion.
The Vela pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star located about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the Milky Way galaxy. A bright jet of charged particles and electromagnetic radiation, traveling
at nearly three-quarters of the speed of light, shoots from its axis. In 2010, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory snapped a series of images over a period of four months that showed the pulsar's jet blasting material into space. Using these images, scientists modeled the jet's motion. To their surprise, the movement followed a winding path resembling that of a rotating helix. If their model is accurate, it means the pulsar may be off-balance, wobbling as it spins—a feature never before seen. Watch the video to see a time-lapse view of the pulsar as seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
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This video loops eight images of the Vela pulsar taken between Jun. and Sep. 2010.
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The Vela pulsar spins faster than a helicopter rotor, and emits a 0.7 light-year-long jet of charged particles.
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Models of the jet's path (green line) superimposed on images taken by Chandra show its helix-like motion.
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As the pulsar rotates rapidly, interactions between its core and crust may lead to an uneven distribution of mass, producing the jet's wobble.
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The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the most sensitive X-ray telescope ever built.

For More Information

NASA.gov

Story Credits

Lead Writer:
Alex Kasprak (USRA)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Cover image courtesy of NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
Pulsar video and images courtesy of NASA/CXC/University of Toronto/M. Durant et al.
Chandra image courtesy of NASA/CXC/NGST

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11185

Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Universe