| Description |
PSR B0540–69 is a very young pulsar in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. It was formed as a very dense, fast-spinning neutron-star remnant of a violent supernova explosion that occurred nearly 1700 years ago. We see a "pulse" with each rotation of these objects, as its emission beam sweeps past out line of sight, like a cosmic lighthouse. Unlike their older counterparts, young pulsars are known to behave more erratically, showing pronounced changes in their rotation over time. This behaviour can be due to several factors, including processes that occur within their exotic interiors, of which much is still not understood, as well as with their magnetic fields, which are among the strongest in the Universe. These processes can often cause pulsars to change their rotational velocity significantly, and in turn their observed emission properties. We believe this may have happened to PSR B0540–69. We have so far not been able to observe radio-wavelength emission from PSR B0540–69, but it has recently undergone a major change in its rotational behaviour, and we intend to search for radio pulsed emission, which we believe may have accompanied this change. This would give us new insight into the magnetic field evolution and behaviour of young pulsars.
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