China's FAST telescope identifies pulsar as part of evolving primordial triple star system
Chinese researchers using the FAST telescope have identified a pulsar that is part of a rare primordial triple star system. The system consists of the pulsar, a white dwarf, and a Sun-like star, all originating from the same gas cloud.
Why it matters
This discovery provides significant insights into stellar evolution and the formation of complex celestial systems in the universe.
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This photo taken on Sept. 22, 2026 shows a view of China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) under maintenance at sunset in southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo/Xinhua]
A Chinese research team has found that a pulsar discovered by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is part of a primordial triple star system still in the process of evolving, according to a study published Friday in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
With its extraordinary detection capabilities, FAST has discovered more than 1,000 pulsars. The pulsar in this triple system was detected on June 8, 2020, by the team from the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) using FAST.
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