‘81-minute orbit of doom’: This white dwarf is consuming its companion at record speeds

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Magnetic Monster

[{"selector":"#anim-ad80761a-5ebf-493c-a28f-64b2e0bde68b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-2.4868995751603507e-14%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] A newly discovered binary star features a white dwarf with an extreme 38.7 MG magnetic field, siphoning gas from its tiny companion. Representative pic

Star Cannibal

[{"selector":"#anim-d3b4baf4-0457-4bf2-bf38-4e13012dd73a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(3.1249997155643165%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] This white dwarf is relentlessly stripping its companion star, creating intense radiation and violent stellar outbursts. Representative pic

81-Minute Orbit

[{"selector":"#anim-5c149dad-de68-40b6-ae71-dbbf68e07fc4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The two stars are locked in a death spiral, orbiting each other in just over an hour—one of the fastest known cataclysmic variables.

Cosmic Cyclone

[{"selector":"#anim-f79e3d9b-8485-41d3-a049-6128a37b6769 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(4.641592722186055%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] With no accretion disk, the white dwarf’s magnetic field channels matter directly onto its poles, unleashing dazzling cyclotron radiation. Representative pic

Space-Time Ripples

[{"selector":"#anim-0f65f1e3-b476-4b9b-b70a-f5280c3d1cde [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-21.874999829338588%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Scientists predict this system may generate gravitational waves detectable by future space-based observatories like LISA. Representative pic

Extreme Magnetism

[{"selector":"#anim-555a0181-db0c-4071-abb8-457c17d45ce7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(21.874999829338595%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] This white dwarf’s magnetic field is strong enough to reshape gas flows, creating a cosmic spectacle of swirling plasma. Representative pic

Death Spiral

[{"selector":"#anim-48f0139d-996e-40bb-8d4e-44d14a57c89b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] As these stars orbit ever closer, their violent interactions could help scientists unravel the fate of extreme binary systems. Representative pic

LISA’s Target

[{"selector":"#anim-949d2bab-520b-4b33-a790-2e371a793c0a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-43.847656267916115%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] When the LISA mission launches in 2035, this star system may become one of the first new sources of gravitational waves ever detected in space. Representative pic

Cosmic Laboratory

[{"selector":"#anim-053ebfdd-d715-4f61-865b-bed48a909bcb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(56.43752090800264%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] This rare system provides a perfect testbed for studying white dwarf evolution, magnetic field physics, and the future of binary stars. Representative pic

Related Stories 'Light becomes matter': Scientists forge supersolid that bends reality for first time ever 'A 2-hour mystery pulse': Radio signals from space reveal hidden White Dwarf system ‘140 trillion times Earth’s oceans’: Astronomers find largest water source in the universe ‘The Moon King rises’: Saturn’s swarm of 274 Moons leaves Jupiter in the dust