A quantum phenomenon of colossal scale is unfolding within the cosmos.
For the first time in history, astronomers have detected and observed a quantum phenomenon occurring in nature. This phenomenon occurs when a neutron star is enveloped by such a strong magnetic field that it creates a peculiar region in the universe, a region where matter continuously exists and then naturally vanishes.
Illustration of a neutron star.
Known as vacuum birefringence (birefringence being the phenomenon where light, when passing through certain types of crystals, splits into two rays: ordinary and extraordinary rays), this peculiar occurrence was first predicted in the 1930s but had only been observed on an atomic scale until now. Scientists have now witnessed this phenomenon occurring in nature, and what’s even more astounding is that it contradicts everything envisioned by Newton and Einstein.
“This is a very clear event in the realm of quantum physics, a macroscopic-scale event,” said Jeremy Heyl from the University of British Columbia, who is not part of this research project. “Its clarity is on the scale of an entire neutron star.”
An international team of astronomers, led by Professor Roberto Mignani from Italy, made this discovery while observing the neutron star named RX J1856.5-3754, located 400 light-years away from our Earth.
Neutron stars are the crushed cores of massive stars that “collapse” under their own gravitational force when they run out of energy and explode as supernovae. While their formation and nature are similar to black holes, they lack the mass to become the “cosmic reapers.”
They are composed of one of the densest materials in the universe. Just a teaspoon of this substance would weigh around 1 billion tons if placed on Earth, and its outer layer is harder than steel by a factor of 10 billion.
Neutron Star RX J1856.5-3754.
Furthermore, neutron stars possess one of the strongest magnetic fields in the universe, estimated to be about 100 trillion times stronger than Earth’s.
These magnetic fields are so strong that they can have a significant impact on the surrounding space around a neutron star.
In the fundamental physics we have learned from Newton and Einstein, the space in the universe is considered completely empty, but quantum mechanics, particularly Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) – a quantum theory explaining how light and matter interact with each other – predicts otherwise. It suggests that the universe is filled with continuously appearing and disappearing virtual particles that affect the behavior of photon particles as they travel through space.
These virtual particles are unlike the ordinary physical particles we are familiar with, such as electrons and photons. They are unusual entities in the realm of quantum physics but still possess particle-like characteristics. The most significant difference is that these virtual particles don’t truly exist; they can appear and disappear at any time in space and time.
In the typical universe, photons would not be affected by these virtual particles and would move freely without obstacles. However, in the vacuum of space influenced by the extremely strong magnetic field of the neutron star, these virtual particles become excited and have a significant impact on the photons of light passing through.
“According to Quantum Electrodynamics, space affected by a strong magnetic field acts like a lens to light passing through, and that phenomenon is called vacuum birefringence,” explained Mignani in a press conference announcing this phenomenon.
“This is very peculiar because the theory of relativity suggests that light should be able to move freely through space without any interference,” one of the researchers noted.
“This polarization effect (the precise angle being 16 degrees) is the only explanation for the theories of quantum dynamics and the influence of virtual particles.”
Light emerging from the surface of the neutron star (on the left) becomes polarized as it passes through the vacuum of space, ultimately reaching our eyes (on the right).
The next step in this research is to further observe and analyze whether this is indeed a vacuum birefringence event occurring on the scale of an entire star. If confirmed, we will have a new and extraordinary phenomenon to study in the realm of quantum mechanics.