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Electron Cyclotron Maser Emission

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Magnetically driven radio bursts reveal an accreting white dwarf binary
science1 month ago

Magnetically driven radio bursts reveal an accreting white dwarf binary

Discovery of ASKAP J1745-5051 shows an accreting magnetic white dwarf binary with a 1.368‑hour orbit that produces periodic, coherent GHz radio bursts and orbitally modulated X‑ray emission; radio bursts cluster near conjunction and drift in frequency, while X‑ray light peaks near a similar orbital phase and is anti‑phased with most radio bursts. The extremely high brightness temperature and polarization point to electron cyclotron maser emission from magnetically interacting plasma in a polar/ asynchronous polar CV, likely with an M‑dwarf companion seen at low inclination. A dipole interaction model reproduces many observed features, strengthening the link between long‑period radio transients and white dwarf binaries.