Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

Link between long-period transients and white dwarf pulsars

Long-period transients are repeating radio pulses of mysterious origin with minute-to-hour periods. The longest-lived of these — GPM J1839–10 — is now shown to be a binary system and seemingly mirrors the more rapid white dwarf pulsars, in which interaction of a stellar remnant with a companion star generates powerful radio beams.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: The modelled binary system of white dwarf and M-dwarf.

References

  1. Hurley-Walker, N. et al. A radio transient with unusually slow periodic emission. Nature 601, 526–530 (2022). This paper records the discovery of GLEAM-X J1627–52.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. de Ruiter, I. et al. Sporadic radio pulses from a white dwarf binary at the orbital period. Nat. Astron. 9, 672–684 (2025). This paper presents the discovery of ILT J1101+55 and its identification as a white-dwarf–M-dwarf binary.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Rodriguez, A. C. Spectroscopic detection of a 2.9-hour orbit in a long-period radio transient. Astron. Astrophys. 695, L8 (2025). This paper identifies GLEAM-X J0704–37 as a white-dwarf–M-dwarf binary.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Potter, S. B. & Buckley, D. A. H. Time series photopolarimetry and modelling of the white dwarf pulsar in AR Scorpii. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 481, 2384–2392 (2018). This paper presents a geometric model for AR Scorpii.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Qu, Y. & Zhang, B. Magnetic interactions in white dwarf binaries as mechanism for long-period radio transients. Astrophys. J. 981, 34 (2025). This paper introduces theoretical modelling of the radio emission of ILT J1101+55 as relativistic electron cyclotron maser emission.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Horváth, C. et al. A binary model of long-period radio transients and white dwarf pulsars. Nat. Astron. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02760-y (2026).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Link between long-period transients and white dwarf pulsars. Nat Astron (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02776-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02776-y

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing