Astrophysics, abstract
astro-ph/0701214

From: Vito Graffagnino [view email]

Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2007 23:44:03 GMT (243kb)

CU Virginis - The First Stellar Pulsar

Authors: Barry J. Kellett (1), Vito Graffagnino (1), Robert Bingham (1 and 2), Tom W. B. Muxlow (3), Alastair G. Gunn (3) ((1)Rutherford Appleton Laboratory,(2)University of Strathclyde,(3)Jodrell Bank Observatory)

Comments: 10 pages including 2 figures

CU Virginis is one of the brightest radio emitting members of the magnetic chemically peculiar (MCP) stars and also one of the fastest rotating. We have now discovered that CU Vir is unique among stellar radio sources in generating a persistent, highly collimated, beam of coherent, 100% polarised, radiation from one of its magnetic poles that sweeps across the Earth every time the star rotates. This makes the star strikingly similar to a pulsar. This similarity is further strengthened by the observation that the rotating period of the star is lengthening at a phenomenal rate (significantly faster than any other astrophysical source - including pulsars) due to a braking mechanism related to its very strong magnetic field.

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0701214