| Description |
Astronomers can measure the time it takes for a pulse to arrive from a pulsar (a rotating neutron star) very accurately. Usually, they can also make accurate predictions about when the pulses should arrive, and if the pulses don't arrive on time, it means they're missing something from their model. Sometimes, this missing thing is very exciting -- for example, the very first exoplanets were discovered through pulsar timing! We've discovered six pulsars with similar planet-like signals, but we think for these pulsars it's more likely that the deviations are coming from either wobbling neutron stars or mysterious changes in the way the pulsars emit their light. We're now doing a careful study of the pulse shapes from these pulsars to see if they change over time. The extent of that change, if any, will help us understand what's causing unusual timing signatures.
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