Could life thrive in the shadow of a dead star?
In short: Pulsars are the collapsed cores of exploded stars, spinning rapidly and blasting radiation like cosmic lighthouses. While they seem like impossible environments for life, new research suggests that under extreme conditions, these dead stars could host planets with massive atmospheres capable of converting deadly radiation into heat.
In 1992, astronomer Aleksander Wolszczan used the Arecibo radio telescope to identify three planets orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12. This was a landmark discovery, marking the first time any planets were found outside our solar system. Unlike most exoplanets that orbit stars burning nuclear fuel, these are the only known planets orbiting a dead star. Scientists are still debating their origins: they may be a 'second generation' of planets formed from debris after a supernova, or they could be survivors of the original star's life.
The environment around a pulsar is incredibly hostile. These neutron stars are only 10 to 30 kilometers across but possess enormous magnetic fields and emit intense X-rays and high-energy particles. To survive this constant barrage, a planet would need an atmosphere a million times thicker than Earth's. Such a massive atmosphere would act as a shield, converting deadly radiation into heat. This process could create surface conditions resembling the deep ocean floor on Earth, potentially allowing for liquid water.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Leiden University have begun calculating 'habitable zones' around these neutron stars. They found that these zones can be as large as the distance between our Earth and the Sun. However, only 'super-Earths'—planets with one to ten times our mass—could hold onto their atmospheres. Smaller planets would lose their protective layers within a few thousand years. While these worlds would receive little visible light, they might host a unique, radiation-lit existence.
The study focused on PSR B1257+12, located about 2,300 light-years away. Observations from the Chandra X-ray space telescope revealed that two of its planets are super-Earths with masses four to five times that of Earth. Because they orbit close enough to the pulsar to be warmed by its radiation, researchers suggest their temperatures might be suitable for liquid water, creating a bizarre but theoretically possible sanctuary for life.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Pulsar Planets | National Geographic
- Also: Extreme Planets - NASA Science
- Also: Habitable planets could exist around pulsars
- Also: www.nationalgeographic.com — National Geographic
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