PSR J2144-3933
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PSR J2144-3933 is a pulsar about 180 parsecs (5.5 Em) from earth. It was previously thought to have a period of 2.84 seconds but is now known to have a period of 8.51 s, which is the longest of any known radio pulsar (the previous longest was that of PSR J1951+1123 at 5.09 s).
J2144-3933 is notable for other reasons: its mean pulse profile is very narrow in comparison to the pulse period with a half-intensity width of less than one degree of longitude. It also has the lowest spindown luminosity of any pulsar at about 3×1031 watts.
Writing in Nature, astrophysicists M. D. Young and coworkers consider this object and suggest that its existence throws current theories into doubt. They state:
- Moreover, under the usual model assumptions, based on the neutron-star equations of state, this slowly rotating pulsar should not be emitting a radio beam. Therefore either the model assumptions are wrong, or current theories of radio emission must be revised —from Nature 400, 848–849 (26 August 1999); doi:10.1038/23650)
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