Magnetar Polarization Sheds Light on Quantum Vacuum
Astronomers report what may be the first evidence of vacuum birefringence, a quantum effect predicted by Heisenberg, by observing highly polarized X-rays and radio waves from magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408 with IXPE, NICER, and Parkes. The extreme magnetic field around the magnetar aligns virtual particles, causing polarization to correlate with the star’s magnetic axis and offering a natural laboratory to test quantum physics—though further data and simulations are needed to confirm the finding.
