Out-of-control pulsar fractures of cosmic snake filaments

According to new research from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, superspeed-driven neutron stars are likely to have broken a large number of cosmic filaments near the center of our galaxy. This cosmic collision provides unprecedented insight into the mysterious magnetic structures passing through the Milky Way.

Due to its serpentine appearance, the silky shape is nicknamed “Snake”, extending an astonishing 230 light-years near the center of the Milky Way. Now, astronomers have determined that it appears to be a high-speed pulsar – a dense residue of an explosion star – it smashes at a snake at one to two million miles per hour.

“Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Radio Telescope, astronomers have discovered an explanation for the fracture of the huge universe’s bone in the Milky Way,” the research team explained in the announcement.

The snake is one of many filamentous structures near the center of our galaxy, visible in radio waves, but its anomaly appearance with two different “kneads” has confused scientists for decades. These elongated formations are threaded by magnetic fields, which causes energized particles to spiral out radio waves along these magnetic fields.

Combined X-ray and radio data reveal a source of the fracture site that shows the characteristics of the pulsar – fast-rotating neutron stars. These incredibly dense objects often get powerful kicks in supernova explosions, allowing them to travel through space at extraordinary speeds.

When a pulsar collides with a snake, it may distort the magnetic field structure of the filament, causing the radio signal to deform and form a unique fracture in the observations. This collision also produced X-rays detected by Chandra.

This discovery provides astronomers with a rare opportunity to study the interaction between high-energy objects and the magnetic structures that traverse our galaxies, which may reveal similar phenomena observed in other galaxies.