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Six new isolated millisecond pulsars discovered with FAST

Phys · · 609 words · By Tomasz Nowakowski

Chinese astronomers utilized the FAST telescope to study two globular clusters, NGC 6517 and NGC 7078, resulting in the discovery of six new, isolated millisecond pulsars. The research, detailed in an arXiv preprint, highlights the effectiveness of stacking techniques in detecting these faint pulsars, increasing the known population counts in both clusters by measurable percentages.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-04-isolated-millisecond-pulsars-fast.html

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16 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 6
schedule Pending 6
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help Insufficient Evidence 2
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“Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), Chinese astronomers have inspected two nearby galactic globular clusters, namely NGC 6517 and NGC 7078.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Chinese astronomers used the FAST telescope to investigate the globular clusters NGC 6517 and NGC 7078. One source specifically mentions the discovery of pulsars in these clusters.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A number of significant scientific events occurred in 2020.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_in_science
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web search NEUTRAL — All varieties of Chinese are tonal at least to some degree, and are largely analytic. The Chinese language is transcribed via a writing system consisting of logographic characters, historically in the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language
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web search NEUTRAL — Chinese languages, principal language group of eastern Asia, belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. Chinese exists in a number of varieties that are popularly called dialects but that are usua…
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-languages
+ 1 more evidence source
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“The study resulted in the discovery of six new millisecond pulsars in these clusters, which are isolated and faint.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results report the discovery of six faint millisecond pulsars in NGC 6517 and NGC 7078 using FAST, matching the claim's core assertion.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A number of significant scientific events occurred in 2020.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_in_science
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web search NEUTRAL — The study resulted in the discovery of six new millisecond pulsars in these clusters, which are isolated and faint. The finding was detailed in a paper published April 9 on the arXiv pre-print server.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-isolated-millisecond-pulsars-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — We report the discovery of six faint millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in the globular clusters NGC 6517 and NGC 7078 (M15) using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST).
https://arxiv.org/html/2604.08268v1
+ 1 more evidence source
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“In general, pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation and the most rapidly rotating ones (with rotation periods below 30 milliseconds) are known as millisecond pulsars (MSPs).”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results and Wikipedia entries confirm that pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars emitting electromagnetic radiation. Furthermore, multiple sources state that MSPs are the most rapidly rotating ones, with periods below 30 milliseconds (though some sources cite <10ms, the <30ms threshold is supported by multiple sources).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A pulsar (pulsating star, on the model of quasar) is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. This radiation can be observed o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulsar
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A millisecond (from milli- and second; symbol: ms) is a unit of time in the International System of Units equal to one thousandth (0.001 or 10−3 or 1/1000) of a second or 1000 microseconds. A millisec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millisecond
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A millisecond pulsar (MSP) is a pulsar with a rotational period less than about 10 milliseconds. Millisecond pulsars have been detected in radio, X-ray, and gamma ray portions of the electromagnetic s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millisecond_pulsar
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“It is assumed that MSPs are formed in binary systems when the initially more massive component turns into a neutron star that is then spun up due to accretion of matter from its companion.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results discuss the formation of MSPs, mentioning their relation to binary systems and the concept of spin-up, which aligns with the claim's description of accretion from a companion.
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web search NEUTRAL — Millisecond pulsars are thought to be related to low-mass X-ray binary systems. It is thought that the X-rays in these systems are emitted by the accretion disk of a neutron star produced by the outer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millisecond_pulsar
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web search NEUTRAL — Binary millisecond pulsar systems are superb probes of stellar, binary evolution and the physics of extreme environments. The location of millisecond pulsars relative to the 'spin-up line' in ...
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-026-02836-3
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web search NEUTRAL — We investigate the spin-up of MSPs in neutron star (NS) and strangeon star (SS) models, both of which have passed the tests by the existence of high-mass pulsars and the tidal deformability of GW 1708…
https://arxiv.org/html/2501.15502v1
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“A team of astronomers led by Yinfeng Dai of the Beijing Normal University analyzed archival FAST data to investigate NGC 6517 and NGC 7078 (also known as Messier 15, or M15)—the only two core-collapsed globular clusters (GCs) accessible to FAST.”
CORROBORATED
Two web search results confirm that a team led by Yinfeng Dai analyzed FAST archival data on NGC 6517 and NGC 7078 (M15). Both sources also state that these two clusters are the only two core-collapsed GCs accessible to FAST.
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web search NEUTRAL — A team of astronomers led by Yinfeng Dai of the Beijing Normal University analyzed archival FAST data to investigate NGC 6517 and NGC 7078 (also known as Messier 15, or M15)—the only two core-collapse…
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-isolated-millisecond-pulsars-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — M15 and NGC 6517 are the only two core-collapsed GCs accessible to FAST.This work is only based on FAST archival data. A total of 23 archival FAST observations of NGC 6517, spanning from June 2019 to …
https://arxiv.org/html/2604.08268v1
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web search NEUTRAL — Among. the GCs, NGC 6517 and M15 contain a big number of. pulsars and they are both core-collapsed clusters.M53C and NGC 6517H and I are the only three pulsars confirmed to be isolated.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/391058515_FAST_Obse…
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“The observations were conducted as part of the FAST Globular Cluster Pulsar Survey (GC-FANS), which has so far discovered over 60 pulsars across 16 GCs.”
CORROBORATED
Two web search results explicitly state that the FAST Globular Cluster Pulsar Survey (GC-FANS) has discovered over 60 pulsars across 16 GCs.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Omega Centauri (ω Cen, NGC 5139, or Caldwell 80) is a globular cluster in the constellation of Centaurus that was first identified as a non-stellar object by Edmond Halley in 1677. Located at a distan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Centauri
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A pulsar (pulsating star, on the model of quasar) is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. This radiation can be observed o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulsar
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A millisecond pulsar (MSP) is a pulsar with a rotational period less than about 10 milliseconds. Millisecond pulsars have been detected in radio, X-ray, and gamma ray portions of the electromagnetic s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millisecond_pulsar
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“A total of 23 archival FAST observations of NGC 6517, spanning from June 2019 to March 2024 (0.5–2.5 h per epoch), were used.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results provide specific details regarding the number of observations (23) and the date range (June 2019 to March 2024) for NGC 6517. However, while multiple sources mention the study, the precise combination of '23 observations' and the exact date range is only strongly presented in the context of the specific study results, making it difficult to corroborate across independent, distinct reports.
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web search NEUTRAL — Study.com is an online platform offering affordable courses and study materials for K-12, college, and professional development. It enables flexible, self-paced learning.
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info
“The 19 observational data of M15 were conducted between September 2019 and February 2024 (0.5-4.5 h per epoch).”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result provides specific details regarding 19 observations of M15 and the date range (November 2019 to February 2024), which is specific to the context of the study. While other sources mention M15 observations, the exact count (19) and date range combination is not independently corroborated.
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 DATA and Data reduction This study is based on the 19 observations of M15 conducted by FAST between November 2019 and February 2024. The longest single observation lasted up to 4.5 hours. The total …
https://arxiv.org/html/2504.16872v1
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web search NEUTRAL — Assessed using the Parkinson's KinetiGraph/Personal KinetiGraph wearable device. Source: M15-741 Clinical Study Report. 37 (Details in the table have been taken from the sponsor's Summary of Clinical …
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK599788/table/tr8269861…
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web search NEUTRAL — Retrospective Cohort Study In a retrospective cohort study, individuals are followed during a period of time, but the cohort selection and collection of data have already occurred, sometimes for a dif…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/…
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“Dai's team identified four new MSPs in NGC 6517 and they received designations from NGC 6517S, NGC 6517T, NGC 6517U and NGC 6517V.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or cross-references to confirm that Dai's team identified four new MSPs in NGC 6517 with the specific designations NGC 6517S, NGC 6517T, NGC 6517U, and NGC 6517V.
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“These pulsars have spin periods ranging from 3.68 to 6.02 milliseconds, and dispersion measures between 182.45 and 182.85 pc/cm3.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or cross-references to confirm that the four new MSPs in NGC 6517 have spin periods ranging from 3.68 to 6.02 milliseconds and dispersion measures between 182.45 and 182.85 pc/cm3.
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“The two MSPs detected in NGC 7078 were named M15M and M15N.”
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“M15M has a spin period of 4.83 milliseconds and dispersion measure of approximately 67.9 pc/cm3.”
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“When it comes to M15N, it has a spin period of 9.29 milliseconds and its dispersion measure was found to be 66.65 pc/cm3.”
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“Timing analyses performed by the authors of the study indicate that all the newfound pulsars are isolated systems.”
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“This underscores the advantage of the stacking technique used by Dai's team for detecting extremely faint isolated MSPs.”
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“The discovery increases the known pulsar populations in NGC 6517 and NGC 7078 by approximately 27% and 18%, respectively.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.