"Red Christmas Birds" - Postcard

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"Scandi Christmas" - Postcard

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This week's Sunday Postcard Art theme was "Scandi Christmas".

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"Christmas Reindeer" - Postcard

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The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Tiger In A Basket" - Postcard

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He's not really a tiger, he's my cat, but he is a Tabby, so he has stripes like a tiger.

Anne’s Pulsar Theory

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December 17, 2024

Anne’s Pulsar Theory

Scientists, astronomers, etc. state that a Pulsar forms after a Star / Sun goes supernova. After the supernova collapse occurs, the star / sun is a very compact object, and at that point, it becomes a Pulsar.

Scientists, astronomers, etc. describe a Pulsar as a "cosmic lighthouse". They explain the observable behavior of "blinking off and on" like a lighthouse by asserting that a Pulsar is rotating and always emitting radiation, but only within narrow beams of emanation. That radiation can be measurable Radio waves, Visible light, X-rays and Gamma Rays, and/or Infrared and Ultraviolet. They explain that the Pulsar’s radiation can only be seen when that narrow beam of radiation sweeps across the viewpoint of the observer (either a telescope in space or a receiver on planet Earth), making it look like a "cosmic lighthouse".

I have my own theory for the observable behavior of Pulsars, which counters the existing scientific explanations for them, but which complies with the laws of physics (Newtonian), and matches everything that astronomers have detected from pulsars.

Instead of thinking of a Pulsar as looking like the behavior of a lighthouse, and then creating a complex explanation that matches that theory, by saying the radiation only occurs in narrow beams that sweep like a lighthouse light, a simpler and equally valid statement is that a Pulsar looks like the behavior of a periodic eclipse caused by a (close in distance) larger object orbiting the much smaller collapsed star.

After the supernova collapse, when the star / sun becomes a very compact object, a larger object (relative to the size of the collapsed compact sun) orbits the collapsed compact sun, creating a Pulsar. Detectable radiation from the compact sun reduces as the larger object passes in front of it, then increases as the larger object passes behind it. The rate of the Pulsar is the orbital rate of the larger object, which is unique to each supernova collapsed sun. It "blinks off and on" like a lighthouse, to an observer.

According to space.com: "Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that blast out pulses of radiation at regular intervals ranging from seconds to milliseconds. While the axis of rotation has the same orientation, the direction of the beam turns with the neutron star's spin. In short, all pulsars are neutron stars but, not all neutron stars are pulsars." (Footnote 1)

My theory matches that definition: the radiation from a Pulsar is seen "at regular intervals ranging from seconds to milliseconds" because of a larger object orbiting it at a periodic rate. Neutron stars that are not pulsars don’t have a larger object orbiting them to cause the detectable "blinking off and on".

A few years ago I observed something, and sometimes the way my brain works, it jumps from one thought to another, following a sequence of logical thoughts, and what I observed made me think maybe that is what is going on with a Pulsar, too. And it was a very simple explanation, not overly complicated.

One Winter morning, before sunrise, I noticed a vehicle driving toward my point of view. Because the tall trees were bare, no foliage obscured me being able to see the headlights of that vehicle "appear" to "blink off and on" at a periodic rate, as it passed behind the gaps of the almost evenly spaced apart trees. But I knew what was physically happening. And then my mind made the jumps it sometimes does.

I thought that what I saw looked like a "blinking off and on" Pulsar, which everyone described as a "cosmic lighthouse". But I also knew that what I saw was caused by an "eclipse" effect each time the headlights of the vehicle were blocked by a tree trunk. And then I thought about how planets orbit a sun, and wondered, "What if a (close in distance) larger object orbited a pulsar? Wouldn’t that (rapid) periodic eclipse, as the larger object passed in front of, then behind the pulsar, as it orbited the pulsar, look like something "blinking off and on"?"

And then I also wondered, "Because the initial descriptions compared the behavior of a Pulsar to that of a lighthouse, did that bias of how it looked cause analysts to create an explanation of narrow beams that sweep like a lighthouse light in order to match their theory?"

Expressed another way: When pulsars were discovered, analysts said it looked like a lighthouse "blinking off and on", so did they come up with an explanation that matched what they believed was happening?

There are a few concepts that have remained with me throughout my life, and one was KIS - Keep It Simple. And there was another saying about if your solution is overly complicated, there is probably a simpler solution to the problem. KIS and that saying are related.

I'm not very smart, so I'm probably wrong with my "Anne’s Pulsar Theory" simple explanation of the observable behavior of a Pulsar. I will probably end up being mocked as the village idiot, but I think what I am asserting in my theory is valid, complies with the laws of physics (Newtonian), and matches everything that astronomers have detected from pulsars.

I created a gif file, AnnePulsarTheory.gif, to illustrate my theory.


Reference / Notes:

Pulsar is the shortened word for Pulsating Star


Footnote 1

space.com What are pulsars?
https://www.space.com/32661-pulsars.html


December 18, 2024 Update:

I have a friend who has access to Grok, so I asked him to ask Grok a question about my Pulsar Theory. He sent the answer to me as image files, so I asked him to re-ask the same question, and send it to me as text, so I could make this blog post update. Interestingly, Grok's answer is slightly different from the original answer. But Grok's conclusion in both answers is that current pulsar observations don't support my theory, but it is something that astronomers could look into.

I had to type Grok’s first answer, from the image files, and I think it is accurate, but I might have made some mistakes.

Below, I have separated the question and two Grok answers with dashed lines:

-----

Question to Grok about my pulsar theory:

Instead of the current, accepted scientific explanation for the cause of a pulsar's behavior, what if they are wrong, and the actual cause of the "blinking off and on" is caused by a (close in distance) larger object orbiting the pulsar? Wouldn't that (rapid) periodic eclipse, as the larger object passed in front of, then behind the pulsar, as it orbited the pulsar, give the same detectable radiation of "blinking off and on" that is currently seen?

-----

Grok's answer (on December 17, 2024, in image files, and retyped by me):

Your hypothesis that a pulsar's blinking might be caused by the periodic eclipse from a larger orbiting object is indeed an interesting alternative to the current scientific understanding. Here’s how this scenario might play out:

Current Understanding:
Pulsars are generally understood to be rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation from their magnetic poles. As the star rotates, these beams sweep through space like lighthouse beams, and if Earth lies in the path of this beam, we observe the pulsar as it “pulses” on and off, due to the alignment and rotation of the neutron star.

Your Hypothesis:
If a larger object were orbiting very closely to the pulsar, it could indeed block the radiation periodically as it passes in front of the pulsar from our viewpoint. This would create a similar pattern of on-off signals that we detect as pulses:

Eclipse Mechanism: The orbiting object would cause an eclipse of the pulsar's emissions each time it moves in front of the pulsar. The frequency of these eclipses would match the orbital period of the object around the pulsar, potentially mimicking the periodicity of the pulsar's observed pulse.

Implications:

Orbital Dynamics: For this to happen regularly enough to mimic pulsar behavior, the object would need to be in an extremely tight orbit, suggesting a very massive companion or an object with a very specific orbit to match the typical millisecond to second-scale periods of pulsars.

Consistency of Signal: The eclipse would need to be very precise to account for the stability and regularity of pulsar signals over long periods, which might be challenging if the orbiting body’s orbit is not perfectly stable or if there are additional bodies in the system causing perturbations.

Radiation Type: Pulsars emit across a broad spectrum, including radio waves, X-rays, and gamma rays. If an eclipse were responsible, we would expect to see consistent dimming across all these wavelengths, which might be harder to achieve uniformly with an eclipse compared to a spinning beam.

Observational Challenges:

Secondary Effects: If there were a large object causing these eclipses, it might introduce other observable effects like gravitational lensing, changes in pulse timing due to orbital motion, or even matter transfer between the pulsar and the companion, which are not typically observed in isolation.

Searching for Companions: Current astronomical observations, including those from radio telescopes and space observatories, often look for evidence of companions or binary systems. If there were such significant companions, signs of their presence like Doppler shifts in the pulsar signal or direct detection might have been noted.

While your hypothesis is plausible in a simplified model, the complexity of actual pulsar systems, including their magnetic fields, emission mechanisms, and stability over time, tends to support the current model of rotating neutron stars with emission beams. However, science is always open to new evidence, and if observations could be found that consistently support an eclipse model, it would certainly warrant further investigation into these systems.

This alternative explanation invites astronomers to continue testing and refining our understanding, potentially leading to new discoveries about these fascinating cosmic objects.

-----

Grok's answer (on December 18, 2024):

Your hypothesis offers an interesting alternative explanation for the observed behavior of pulsars. Currently, the accepted scientific explanation attributes the "blinking off and on" of pulsars to the rotation of a neutron star, where beams of radiation are emitted from the magnetic poles. As these beams sweep through space like lighthouse beams, they periodically cross our line of sight, causing the observed pulses.

However, your suggested mechanism of a close orbiting object causing periodic eclipses could theoretically produce a similar effect:

1.
Periodic Eclipses: If a larger object were orbiting very close to the pulsar, it could indeed eclipse the pulsar's emission periodically. This would lead to a regular pattern of radiation being blocked and then unblocked, mimicking the "on-off" pattern we observe from pulsars.

2.
Orbital Period: For this model to match observed pulsar periods (which can be from milliseconds to seconds), the orbiting object would need to have an extremely close orbit, implying a very high orbital velocity. This would mean:

Tight Orbital Constraints: The object would have to be within a very small radius of the pulsar to produce millisecond pulses, suggesting a very compact orbit. This would challenge our understanding of binary systems due to the intense gravitational forces at such proximities.

Stability Issues: The stability of such a close orbit around a neutron star would be questionable due to the intense gravitational radiation that would lead to rapid orbital decay, unless there's another mechanism at play maintaining the orbit.

3.
Radiation Consistency: Pulsar emissions are not just simple on-off signals; they often show complex variations in intensity, polarization, and frequency. An orbiting object would need to account for these characteristics, which might be challenging if the eclipse model were the sole explanation.

4.
Observational Evidence: To date, while binary pulsar systems are known (where one star can indeed eclipse the other), these systems typically show additional signatures in their light curves or spectra, like Doppler shifting due to orbital motion, which might not align perfectly with the observed characteristics of solitary pulsars.

5.
Energy Considerations: The energy output of pulsars, especially in terms of their magnetic field strength and radiation, would need to be reconsidered if the emissions were primarily due to eclipses rather than rotation.


While your idea is intriguing and worth considering in theoretical discussions, current astronomical observations and models lean heavily towards the rotational beam model due to:

Magnetic Field Observations: The strong magnetic fields and their alignment with the spin axis provide a coherent explanation for the beam-like emissions.

Consistency with Neutron Star Theory: The model fits well with what we understand about neutron stars' physics, including their formation from supernovae.


However, science is always open to new interpretations backed by evidence. If additional observations or anomalies emerge that cannot be explained by the current model, your hypothesis might merit further investigation, perhaps looking for signs of binary interaction in systems previously thought to be solitary pulsars.

"Reindeer (SPA Guest Host)" - Postcard

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This week I have the honor of guest hosting Sunday Postcard Art, and I chose the challenge theme "Reindeer."

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The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"Red Christmas Bird" - Postcard

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I created this using GIMP 2.10.38

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)