PSR J0738−4042

PSR J0738−4042 is the first pulsar observed to have been affected by asteroids.[2]

PSR J0738−4042
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Puppis
Right ascension 07h 38m 32.329s
Declination −40° 42' 40.94"
Characteristics
Spectral type Pulsar
Astrometry
Distance37,000 ly
Details
Rotation374.919985032 ms[1]
Database references
SIMBADdata

It was originally discovered in 1968.[1] In 2013 scientists at the University of Oxford, Hartebeesthoek Observatory and CSIRO announced that they had observed changes in the pulsar's spin rate and the shape of its radio pulse indicating that asteroids were encountering it, including one with a mass of about a billion tons.[3]

We think the pulsar's radio beam zaps the asteroid, vaporising it. But the vaporised particles are electrically charged and they slightly alter the process that creates the pulsar's beam.

— Dr. Ryan Shannon, [2]

The scientists suggested that the material blown out from the explosion which formed the pulsar could have fallen back towards it, developing a disk of debris including asteroids.[4]

References
  1. ATNF Pulsar Catalogue database entry. See Manchester, R. N.; et al. (2005). "The Australia Telescope National Facility Pulsar Catalogue". Astronomical Journal. 129 (4): 1993–2006. arXiv:astro-ph/0412641. Bibcode:2005AJ....129.1993M. doi:10.1086/428488. S2CID 121038776.
  2. "Rocks Around The Clock: Star PSR J0738-4042 Is Constantly Pummelled By Asteroids". Science 2.0. 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  3. Brook, P. R.; Karastergiou, A.; Buchner, S.; Roberts, S. J.; Keith, M. J.; Johnston, S.; Shannon, R. M. (2014). "Evidence of an Asteroid Encountering a Pulsar". The Astrophysical Journal. 780 (2): L31. arXiv:1311.3541. Bibcode:2014ApJ...780L..31B. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/780/2/L31. S2CID 304268.
  4. "Star found being pounded by billion-ton asteroid". The Space Reporter. 2014-02-22. Archived from the original on 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2014-02-23.


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