Indian scientists discover accretion disk around Centaurus X-3 pulsar

Researchers at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in India have discovered that Centaurus X-3, one of the brightest X-ray pulsars, is consuming material through an accretion disk. This behavior is considered rare for pulsars of this type.

Led by Kinjal Roy, the study provides new insights into the Centaurus X-3 system, a high-mass X-ray binary located approximately 24,000 light-years away. The system consists of a highly magnetized neutron star and a companion star with more than 10 times the mass of the Sun.

The discovery of this hidden structure helps scientists better understand the physical parameters of binary pulsars, including their magnetic field strength and orientation, by analyzing how environmental structures absorb and re-emit radiation.