Research news on Magnetic stars

Magnetic stars as a research area focuses on the origin, structure, and evolution of stellar magnetic fields and their impact on stellar physics. It encompasses observational and theoretical studies of magnetic field generation via dynamo action or fossil fields, field topology and strength across different spectral types, and magnetically induced phenomena such as starspots, flares, and coronal activity. The field also investigates magnetic braking, angular momentum loss, and interactions between stellar magnetism and circumstellar environments, including magnetospheres and stellar winds, with implications for stellar evolution, variability, and exoplanetary space weather.

The 'born-again dynamo' of the sun's elder twin

An international team, led by Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) researcher Ângela Santos, has made the first measurement of the magnetic field of β Hydri, a nearby aged solar analog subgiant star. This ...

Hubble spots a magnetar zipping through the Milky Way

Magnetars are among the rarest—and weirdest—denizens of the galactic zoo. They have powerful magnetic fields and may be the source of fast radio bursts (FRBs). A team of astronomers led by European Space Agency researcher ...

Flares from magnetized stars can forge planets' worth of gold

Astronomers have discovered a previously unknown birthplace of some of the universe's rarest elements: a giant flare unleashed by a supermagnetized star. The astronomers calculated that such flares could be responsible for ...

Hubble tracks a roaming magnetar of unknown origin

Researchers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered the magnetar called SGR 0501+4516 is traversing our galaxy from an unknown place of origin. Researchers say that this runaway magnetar is the likeliest candidate ...