Einstein Probe detects prolonged X-ray activity following neutron star collision

The Einstein Probe space telescope detected nearly 10 minutes of soft X-ray activity following a short gamma-ray burst, ScienceDaily Physics, ScienceDaily, UA.NEWS, and SSBCrack reported. Short gamma-ray bursts occur when two compact objects, such as neutron stars, spiral together and collide. This observation reveals a phase of neutron star mergers that earlier space missions may have missed. [1][2][3][4]

According to ScienceDaily Physics, the prolonged emission of soft X-rays could have been powered by a newly formed magnetar, which is a rapidly rotating neutron star with an exceptionally strong magnetic field. The extended emission offers a potential new electromagnetic counterpart to gravitational-wave signals produced during these energetic cosmic events. [1]

The Chinese Academy of Sciences developed the Einstein Probe in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. A Long March 2C rocket launched the 1,450-kilogram spacecraft into a low Earth orbit on 9 January 2024 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China. The satellite operates in time-domain high-energy astrophysics to discover high-energy transient events. [5][6]

The detection demonstrates how long-duration soft X-ray monitoring can capture residual energy outputs following short gamma-ray bursts. ScienceDaily Physics reported that these findings provide researchers with a clearer understanding of the physical processes occurring immediately after neutron star mergers. [1]