This discovery is important because the calculated particle acceleration efficiency of this celestial structure approaches or even exceeds the theoretical limits allowed under ideal magnetohydrodynamic conditions.

This study, published in Nature Astronomy, was conducted by Prof. Liu Ruoyu, Dr. Wang Kai, and doctoral student Tong Chaonan from Nanjing University, Prof. Chen Songzhan and Assoc. Prof. Wang Lingyu from the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and their collaborators.

What pulsar wind nebulae are

A pulsar wind nebula is a spectacular, high-energy celestial structure formed when a pulsar—a rapidly rotating, magnetized neutron star—expels a wind of charged particles moving at nearly the speed of light into the surrounding space, where it violently collides with the ambient medium.

One of the most famous examples of a pulsar wind nebula is the Crab Nebula, which has long been regarded as a "standard candle" in the field of high-energy astrophysics. It is driven by the Milky Way's most luminous spin-down-powered pulsar—a pulsar whose energy comes from its rotation slowing down.