White Dwarf Binary Powers 1.4-Hour Radio Bursts, Solving a Long‑Standing Mystery

Australian researchers using the ASKAP radio telescope have identified a white dwarf in a close binary with a red dwarf as the source of long-period radio transients. The 1.4-hour orbital cycle causes the stars’ magnetic fields to clash, producing radio bursts via synchrotron radiation, while matter accreting onto the white dwarf emits X-rays. This finding helps distinguish origins of long-period transients and could serve as a Rosetta Stone for interpreting these signals.