A groundbreaking study published in Nature Astronomy reveals that long-period radio transients, previously thought to originate from neutron stars, actually come from a binary star system consisting of a red dwarf and a white dwarf.

The signals emitted from ILT J1101+5521 occur at regular intervals of 125.5 minutes, lasting about one minute each, which distinguishes them from the characteristics of fast radio bursts.

This research, led by Iris de Ruiter from the University of Sydney, challenges existing assumptions about the sources of these mysterious radio emissions.

The binary system, designated ILT J1101+5521, is located approximately 1,600 light-years from Earth and features synchronized orbits, with the two stars completing a cycle every 125.5 minutes.

Unlike fast radio bursts that last only milliseconds and are extremely powerful, the signals from ILT J1101+5521 are of lower energy and have a longer duration.

Detailed spectroscopic analysis confirmed the rapid movement of the red dwarf, indicating its gravitational interaction with the white dwarf, which is too faint to be observed directly.

The close proximity of the two stars results in their magnetic fields colliding, generating detectable bursts of radio waves.

These findings highlight the need for further exploration of long-period transients to fully understand their origins and mechanisms.

Future research will focus on investigating the high-energy ultraviolet emissions from ILT J1101+5521 to gain deeper insights into this binary system.

De Ruiter developed a new detection technique that facilitated the discovery of these radio pulses, which were first detected in archival data from the LOFAR radio telescope.

The earliest detection of the signals can be traced back to 2015, with subsequent observations confirming the system's unique characteristics.

Photometry measurements indicated an excess of blue light from the system, supporting the presence of the white dwarf as the source of the radio emissions.