Instruments on the exterior of the International Space Station provide data on astrophysical phenomena that are helping scientists better understand our
universe and its origins. Crew members install and maintain these instruments robotically and scientific teams operate them remotely.), measures X-rays emitted by neutron stars and other cosmic objects to help answer questions about matter and gravity. Neutron stars, the densest measurable objects in the universe, are the remains of massive stars that exploded into supernovae. Some are called pulsars because they spin, sweeping bright X-ray beams across the sky like lighthouse beacons.
Analysis of NICER observations of the gamma-ray binary LS 5039 found its X-ray emissions vary, perhaps because of winds from its companion.Gamma-ray binaries include a normal and a collapsed star. This observation helps astronomers study the nature of these stars and some of the most extreme conditions in the universe.Similar behaviors in outbursts from the pulsar PSR J1846-0258 monitored by NICER in 2020 and 2006 suggest there is a continuum of neutron star types.
Riley TE, Watts AL, Bogdanov S, Ray PS, Ludlam RM, et al. A NICER View of PSR J0030+0451: Millisecond Pulsar Parameter Estimation. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2019 December. 887. DOI: Moutard DL, Ludlam RM, Garcia JA, Altamirano D, Buisson DJ, et al. Simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR observations of the ultracompact X-ray binary 4U 0614+091. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 November; 957: 27.
Hu C, Kuiper LM, Harding AK, Younes GA, Blumer H, et al. A NICER view on the 2020 magnetar-like outburst of PSR J1846−0258. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 August; 952: 120. DOI
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