The Ministry of Science & Technology announced on 21 October 2026 that scientists from the Raman Research Institute discovered that the X-ray pulsar Centaurus X-3 consumes material via an accretion disk. This finding is rare for high-mass X-ray binaries, which typically capture stellar wind directly. The discovery means that future scientific models of this system must be modified to include emission from the disk. The release does not say when these new models will take effect.
Key points
- Centaurus X-3 is located 24,000 light years away in the Centaurus constellation
- The pulsar is part of a high-mass X-ray binary where the companion star is over 10 times the Sun's mass
- Researchers identified an accretion stream causing variability in secondary emission lines
- The discovery suggests a need to modify emission models for this specific pulsar system
When it applies
The document does not state when it takes effect.
Who it affects
- scientists