Research
A long-period transient with a Sun-like companion
Nature · By Samuel J. McSweeney ·
The Brief
- A new type of long-period radio transient has been discovered.
- The system consists of a white dwarf and a Sun-like star.
- The finding raises questions about the role of binary interactions and magnetism in such objects.
Why it matters
It identifies a new class of long-period radio transient in a binary system, which may help constrain how white dwarfs and companion stars interact and generate magnetic radio emission.
Who’s affected
- astronomers studying compact binaries and radio transients
- #radio transients
- #white dwarfs
- #binary stars
- #long-period radio transient
- #astronomy
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 12 November 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-03016-z A new type of long-period radio transient has been discovered, consisting of a white dwarf and a Sun-like star. This system raises questions about the role of binary interactions and magnetic…
Timeline
Study published online in Nature Astronomy
nature.com
A long-period transient with a Sun-like companion