Neutron Star Collision
Record X-ray flash from merging neutron stars may reveal a magnetar birth.
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Astronomers report strong evidence that a minutes-long X-ray flash came from two neutron stars merging and may have marked the birth of a magnetar, a neutron star with an exceptionally powerful magnetic field. The event, detected by space-based observatories on July 4, 2025, produced a gamma-ray burst lasting about half a second but remained bright in X-rays for nearly 10 minutes. Rapid follow-up observations with ground-based telescopes helped researchers identify the likely source. The findings suggest neutron star mergers can produce longer-lived X-ray emissions in addition to the brief gamma-ray bursts traditionally used to identify them, and that such mergers may explain some previously mysterious cosmic X-ray flashes.
Key Points
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Since its 2024 launch, the Einstein Probe has detected hundreds of bright X-ray flashes, or fast X-ray transients. Some have been linked to massive-star deaths, while others remain unexplained in part because their distances and energy outputs are unknown.
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Researchers said the event was the longest-lasting prompt X-ray flash ever recorded from a neutron-star merger. VLT follow-up lead Niccolò Passaleva made that assessment, while co-author Eleonora Troja said the signal’s duration immediately told her it was unusual.
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Neutron-star mergers generate gravitational waves as well as light; studying the light can help astronomers determine what survives the collision.
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