Phase-resolved Spectra Research Articles

A detailed study of the very high-energy Crab pulsar emission with the LST-1

Context. To date, three pulsars have been firmly detected by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). Two of them reached the TeV energy range, challenging models of very high-energy (VHE) emission in pulsars. More precise observations are needed to better characterize pulsar emission at these energies. The LST-1 is the prototype of the large-sized telescopes, which will be part of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). Its improved performance over previous IACTs makes it well suited for studying pulsars. Aims. In this work we study the Crab pulsar emission with the LST-1, improving upon and complementing the results from other telescopes. Crab pulsar observations can also be used to characterize the potential of the LST-1 to study other pulsars and detect new ones. Methods. We analyzed a total of ∼103 hours of gamma-ray observations of the Crab pulsar conducted with the LST-1 in the period from September 2020 to January 2023. The observations were carried out at zenith angles of less than 50 degrees. To characterize the Crab pulsar emission over a broader energy range, a new analysis of the Fermi/LAT data, including ∼14 years of observations, was also performed. Results. The Crab pulsar phaseogram, long-term light curve, and phase-resolved spectra are reconstructed with the LST-1 from 20 GeV to 450 GeV for the first peak and up to 700 GeV for the second peak The pulsed emission is detected with a significance level of 15.2σ. The two characteristic emission peaks of the Crab pulsar are clearly detected (> 10σ), as is the so-called bridge emission between them (5.7σ). We find that both peaks are described well by power laws, with spectral indices of ∼3.44 and ∼3.03, respectively. The joint analysis of Fermi/LAT and LST-1 data shows a good agreement between the two instruments in their overlapping energy range. The detailed results obtained from the first observations of the Crab pulsar with the LST-1 show the potential that CTAO will have to study this type of source.

Studies of dynamic spatio-temporal processes of electrons in a 50 kHz/5 MHz dual-frequency dielectric barrier discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure

Dual-frequency excitation of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactors, where the plasma is generated by a low-frequency (LF) source and modulated by a radio-frequency (RF) source, have been widely adopted in the low-pressure regime. However, the impacts of the RF voltage and LF voltage amplitudes on the plasma parameters, including the spatiotemporal distributions of ion and electron densities, electron dynamics, and gas temperatures, remain poorly understood in the atmospheric pressure regime. The present work addresses this issue by conducting joint experimental and simulation studies for an atmospheric-pressure 50 kHz/5 MHz dual-frequency driven DBD plasma reactor based on phase-resolved optical emission spectra and a drift–diffusion model. The results demonstrate that the dynamic spatiotemporal behaviors of electrons change dramatically as the voltage of the RF component increases from 50 V to 300 V with the voltage of the LF component fixed at 1 kV. Moreover, the RF component is further demonstrated to modulate other plasma characteristics, such as particle densities, gas temperature, and argon emissions. These results contribute toward the tailoring of the non-equilibrium and nonlinear plasma parameters obtained under atmospheric pressure conditions.

3D code for MAgneto-Thermal evolution in Isolated Neutron Stars, MATINS: thermal evolution and light curves

ABSTRACT The thermal evolution of isolated neutron stars is a key element in unravelling their internal structure and composition and establishing evolutionary connections among different observational subclasses. Previous studies have predominantly focused on one-dimensional or axisymmetric two-dimensional models. In this study, we present the thermal evolution component of the novel three-dimensional magnetothermal code MATINS (MAgneto-Thermal evolution of Isolated Neutron Star). MATINS employs a finite volume scheme and integrates a realistic background structure, along with state-of-the-art microphysical calculations for the conductivities, neutrino emissivities, heat capacity, and superfluid gap models. This paper outlines the methodology employed to solve the thermal evolution equations in MATINS, along with the microphysical implementation that is essential for the thermal component. We test the accuracy of the code and present simulations with non-evolving magnetic fields of different configurations (all with electrical currents confined to the crust and a magnetic field that does not thread the core), to produce temperature maps of the neutron star surface. Additionally, for a specific magnetic field configuration, we show one fully coupled evolution of magnetic field and temperature. Subsequently, we use a ray-tracing code to link the neutron star surface temperature maps obtained by MATINS with the phase-resolved spectra and pulsed profiles that would be detected by distant observers. This study, together with our previous article focused on the magnetic formalism, presents in detail the most advanced evolutionary code for isolated neutron stars, with the aim of comparison with their timing properties, thermal luminosities and the associated X-ray light curves.

Simultaneous retrieval of orbital phase resolved JWST/MIRI emission spectra of the hot Jupiter WASP-43b: evidence of water, ammonia, and carbon monoxide

ABSTRACT Spectroscopic phase curves of hot Jupiters measure their emission spectra at multiple orbital phases, thus enabling detailed characterization of their atmospheres. Precise constraints on the atmospheric composition of these exoplanets offer insights into their formation and evolution. We analyse four phase-resolved emission spectra of the hot Jupiter WASP-43b, generated from a phase curve observed with the Mid-Infrared Instrument/Low Resolution Spectrometer onboard the JWST, to retrieve its atmospheric properties. Using a parametric 2D temperature model and assuming a chemically homogeneous atmosphere within the observed pressure region, we simultaneously fit the four spectra to constrain the abundances of atmospheric constituents, thereby yielding more precise constraints than previous work that analysed each spectrum independently. Our analysis reveals statistically significant evidence of NH$_3$ (4$\sigma$) in a hot Jupiter’s emission spectra for the first time, along with evidence of H$_2$O (6.5$\sigma$), CO (3.1$\sigma$), and a non-detection of CH$_4$. With our abundance constraints, we tentatively estimate the metallicity of WASP-43b at 0.6$-6.5\times$ solar and its C/O ratio at 0.6$-$0.9. Our findings offer vital insights into the atmospheric conditions and formation history of WASP-43b by simultaneously constraining the abundances of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen-bearing species.

Phase-dependent Spectral Shape Changes in the Ultraluminous X-Ray Pulsar NGC 5907 ULX1

The discovery of coherent pulsations from several ultraluminous X-ray pulsars (ULXPs) has provided direct evidence of a supercritical accretion flow. However, the geometrical structure of such an accretion flow onto the central neutron star remains poorly understood. NGC 5907 ULX1 is one of the most luminous ULXPs, with a luminosity exceeding 1041 erg s−1. Here we present a broadband X-ray study of this ULXP using the data from simultaneous observations with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR conducted in 2014 July. The phase-resolved spectra are well reproduced by a model consisting of a multicolor disk blackbody emission with a temperature gradient of p = 0.5 (T ∝ r −p ) and a power law with an exponential cutoff. The disk component is phase-invariant and has an innermost temperature of ∼ 0.3 keV. Its normalization suggests a relatively low inclination angle of the disk, in contrast to the previous claims in other literature. The power-law component, attributed to the emission from the accretion flow inside the magnetosphere of the neutron star, indicates phase-dependent spectral shape changes; the spectrum is slightly harder in the pre-peak phase than in the post-peak phase. This implies that the magnetosphere has an asymmetric geometry around the magnetic axis and that hotter regions close to the magnetic pole become visible before the pulse peak.

An in-depth analysis of the variable cyclotron lines in GX 301−2

Context. The high-mass X-ray binary system GX 301−2 is a persistent source with a well-known variable cyclotron line centered at 35 keV. Recently, a second cyclotron line at 50 keV has been reported with a presumably different behavior than the 35 keV line. Aims. We investigate the presence of the newly discovered cyclotron line in the phase-averaged and phase-resolved spectra at higher luminosities than before. We further aim to determine the pulse-phase variability of both lines. Methods. We analyze a NuSTAR observation of GX 301−2 covering the pre-periastron flare, where the source luminosity reached its peak of ∼4 × 1037 erg s−1 in the 5–50 keV range. We analyze the phase-averaged spectra in the NuSTAR energy range from 3.5–79 keV for both the complete observation and three time segments of it. We further analyze the phase-resolved spectra and the pulse-phase variability of continuum and cyclotron line parameters. Results. We confirm that the description of the phase-averaged spectrum requires a second absorption feature at 51.5−1.0+1.1 keV besides the established line at 35 keV. The statistical significance of this feature in the phase-averaged spectrum is > 99.999%. We further find that the 50 keV cyclotron line is present in three out of the eight phase bins. Conclusions. Based on the results of our analysis, we confirm that the detected absorption feature is very likely to be a cyclotron line. We discuss a variety of physical scenarios that could explain the proposed anharmonicity, but also outline circumstances under which the lines are harmonically related. We further present the cyclotron line history of GX 301−2 and evaluate concordance among each other. We also discuss an alternative spectral model including cyclotron line emission wings.

A phase-resolved Fermi-LAT analysis of the mode-changing pulsar PSR J2021+4026 shows hints of a multipolar magnetosphere

Context. The radio-quiet γ-ray pulsar PSR J2021+4026 is a peculiar Fermi-LAT pulsar showing repeated and quasi-periodic mode changes. Its γ-ray flux shows repeated variations between two states at intervals of ∼3.5 years. These events occur over timescales < 100 days and are correlated with sudden changes in the spin-down rate. Multiwavelength observations also revealed an X-ray phase shift relative to the γ-ray profile for one of the events. PSR J2021+4026 is currently the only known isolated γ-ray pulsar showing significant variability, and thus it has been the object of thorough investigations. Aims. The goal of our work is to study the mode changes of PSR J2021+4026 with improved detail. By accurately characterizing variations in the γ-ray spectrum and pulse profile, we aim to relate the Fermi-LAT observations to theoretical models. We also aim to interpret the mode changes in terms of variations in the structure of a multipolar dissipative magnetosphere. Methods. We continually monitored the rotational evolution and the γ-ray flux of PSR J2021+4026 using more than 13 years of Fermi-LAT data with a binned likelihood approach. We investigated the features of the phase-resolved spectrum and pulse profile, and from these we inferred the macroscopic conductivity, the electric field parallel to the magnetic field, and the curvature radiation cutoff energy. These physical quantities are related to the spin-down rate and the γ-ray flux and therefore are relevant to the theoretical interpretation of the mode changes. We introduced a simple magnetosphere model that combines a dipole field with a strong quadrupole component. We simulated magnetic field configurations to determine the positions of the polar caps for different sets of parameters. Results. We clearly detect the previous mode changes and confirm a more recent mode change that occurred around June 2020. We provide a full set of best-fit parameters for the phase-resolved γ-ray spectrum and the pulse profile obtained in five distinct time intervals. We computed the relative variations in the best-fit parameters, finding typical flux changes between 13% and 20%. Correlations appear between the γ-ray flux and the spectral parameters, as the peak of the spectrum shifts by ∼10% toward lower energies when the flux decreases. The analysis of the pulse profile reveals that the pulsed fraction of the light curve is larger when the flux is low. Finally, the magnetosphere simulations show that some configurations could explain the observed multiwavelength variability. However, self-consistent models are required to reproduce the observed magnitudes of the mode changes.

Nightside clouds and disequilibrium chemistry on the hot Jupiter WASP-43b

Hot Jupiters are among the best-studied exoplanets, but it is still poorly understood how their chemical composition and cloud properties vary with longitude. Theoretical models predict that clouds may condense on the nightside and that molecular abundances can be driven out of equilibrium by zonal winds. Here we report a phase-resolved emission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-43b measured from 5 μm to 12 μm with the JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument. The spectra reveal a large day–night temperature contrast (with average brightness temperatures of 1,524 ± 35 K and 863 ± 23 K, respectively) and evidence for water absorption at all orbital phases. Comparisons with three-dimensional atmospheric models show that both the phase-curve shape and emission spectra strongly suggest the presence of nightside clouds that become optically thick to thermal emission at pressures greater than ~100 mbar. The dayside is consistent with a cloudless atmosphere above the mid-infrared photosphere. Contrary to expectations from equilibrium chemistry but consistent with disequilibrium kinetics models, methane is not detected on the nightside (2σ upper limit of 1–6 ppm, depending on model assumptions). Our results provide strong evidence that the atmosphere of WASP-43b is shaped by disequilibrium processes and provide new insights into the properties of the planet’s nightside clouds. However, the remaining discrepancies between our observations and our predictive atmospheric models emphasize the importance of further exploring the effects of clouds and disequilibrium chemistry in numerical models.

Evidence for a nearly orthogonal rotator in GX 301–2 with phase-resolved cyclotron resonant scattering features

Abstract Cyclotron resonant scattering features (CRSFs) are the absorption features in the X-ray spectra of strongly magnetized accretion neutron stars (NSs), which are probably the most reliable probe to the surface magnetic fields of NSs. The high mass X-ray binary GX 301–2 exhibits a very wide, variable and complicated CRSF in the average spectra, which should be two absorption lines based on NuStar and Insight-HXMT observations. With the Insight-HXMT frequent observations, we performed the phase-resolved spectroscopy and confirmed two cyclotron absorption lines in the phase-resolved spectra, with their centroid energy ratio ∼1.6 − 1.7 in the super-critical luminosity case. A major hindrance in understanding those CRSFs is the very poorly constrained magnetic inclination angle, which is also a fundamental property of a NS and key to understanding the emission characteristics of a pulsar. Comparing the phase-resolved CRSF with simulated X-ray spectra, the magnetic inclination angle is found to be ≳ 70○, i.e., nearly orthogonal between the NS’s spin and magnetic axies. The implications of an orthogonal rotator and magnetic structure evolution in the accreting X-ray binary are also discussed.

Neural Network-Based Sum-Frequency Generation Spectra of Pure and Acidified Water Interfaces with Air.

The affinity of hydronium ions (H3O+) for the air-water interface is a crucial question in environmental chemistry. While sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy has been instrumental in indicating the preference of H3O+ for the interface, key questions persist regarding the molecular origin of the SFG spectral changes in acidified water. Here we combine nanosecond long neural network (NN) reactive simulations of pure and acidified water slabs with NN predictions of molecular dipoles and polarizabilities to calculate SFG spectra of long reactive trajectories including proton transfer events. Our simulations show that H3O+ ions cause two distinct changes in phase-resolved SFG spectra: first, a low-frequency tail due to the vibrations of H3O+ and its first hydration shell, analogous to the bulk proton continuum, and second, an enhanced hydrogen-bonded band due to the ion-induced static field polarizing molecules in deeper layers. Our calculations confirm that changes in the SFG spectra of acidic solutions are caused by hydronium ions preferentially residing at the interface.

The Energy-dependent Gamma-Ray Light Curves and Spectra of the Vela Pulsar in the Dissipative Magnetospheres

We study the pulsar energy-dependent γ-ray light curves and spectra from curvature radiation in the dissipative magnetospheres. The dissipative magnetospheres with the combined force-free (FFE) and Aristotelian are computed by a pseudo-spectral method with a high-resolution simulation in the rotating coordinate system, which produces a near-FFE field structure with the dissipative region only near the equatorial current sheet outside the light cylinder. We use the test-particle trajectory method to compute the energy-dependent γ-ray light curves and phase-average and phase-resolved spectra by including both the accelerating electric field and radiation reaction. The predicted energy-dependent γ-ray light curves and spectra are then compared with those of the Vela pulsar observed by Fermi. Our results can generally reproduce the observed trends of the energy-dependent γ-ray light curves and spectra for the Vela pulsar.

A Phase-resolved View of the Low-frequency Quasiperiodic Oscillations from the Black Hole Binary MAXI J1820+070

Although low-frequency quasiperiodic oscillations (LFQPOs) are commonly detected in the X-ray light curves of accreting black hole X-ray binaries, their origin still remains elusive. In this study, we conduct phase-resolved spectroscopy in a broad energy band for LFQPOs in MAXI J1820+070 during its 2018 outburst, utilizing Insight-HXMT observations. By employing the Hilbert–Huang transform method, we extract the intrinsic quasiperiodic oscillation (QPO) variability, and obtain the corresponding instantaneous amplitude, phase, and frequency functions for each data point. With well-defined phases, we construct QPO waveforms and phase-resolved spectra. By comparing the phase-folded waveform with that obtained from the Fourier method, we find that phase folding on the phase of the QPO fundamental frequency leads to a slight reduction in the contribution of the harmonic component. This suggests that the phase difference between QPO harmonics exhibits time variability. Phase-resolved spectral analysis reveals strong concurrent modulations of the spectral index and flux across the bright hard state. The modulation of the spectral index could potentially be explained by both the corona and jet precession models, with the latter requiring efficient acceleration within the jet. Furthermore, significant modulations in the reflection fraction are detected exclusively during the later stages of the bright hard state. These findings provide support for the geometric origin of LFQPOs and offer valuable insights into the evolution of the accretion geometry during the outburst in MAXI J1820+070.

Competitive adsorption of alcohols over heteroatom zeolites hinders the catalytic conversion of sugar

In the catalysis of glucose from bulk methanol to Lewis acid centers via zeolite pores, MES-ATR-IR and PSD detected competitive adsorption driven by hydrogen bonding ascribed to the hydroxyl of the solvent, substrate, and interface. The phase-resolved spectra show a change from methanol- to glucose-silicon hydroxyl bonds, which slows the rate of Lewis acid center carbonyl activation. Moreover, increased silicon hydroxyl binding to glucose results in lower acidity of metal centers in the process. It almost eliminates the variations in reactivity caused by metal identity. In contrast, the absence of hydroxyl at the solvent, substrate, or interface prevents competitive adsorption and brings out the acidity of different metal centers, with Sn > In > Hf > Ti > Zr being the order of binding ability to the carbonyl. This study contributes to the development of zeotype metal center local environments for substrate and solvent matching in various reaction networks.

Hotter than Expected: Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/WFC3 Phase-resolved Spectroscopy of a Rare Irradiated Brown Dwarf with Strong Internal Heat Flux

With infrared flux contrasts larger than typically seen in hot Jupiter, tidally locked white dwarf–brown dwarf binaries offer a superior opportunity to investigate atmospheric processes in irradiated atmospheres. NLTT5306 is such a system, with a M BD = 52 ± 3 M Jup brown dwarf, orbiting a T eff = 7756 ± 35 K white dwarf with an ultra-short period of ∼102 minutes. We present Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 spectroscopic phase curves of NLTT5306, consisting of 47 spectra from 1.1 to 1.7 μm with an average signal-to-noise ratio ∼ 65 per wavelength. We extracted the phase-resolved spectra of the brown dwarf NLTT5306B, finding a small <100 K day–night temperature difference (∼5% of the average day-side temperature). Our best-fit model phase curves revealed a complex wavelength-dependence on amplitudes and relative phase offsets, suggesting longitudinal–vertical atmospheric structure. The night-side spectrum was well fit by a cloudy, nonirradiated atmospheric model while the day side was best matched by a cloudy, weakly irradiated model. Additionally, we created a simple radiative energy redistribution model of the atmosphere and found evidence for efficient day-to-night heat redistribution and a moderately high Bond albedo. We also discovered an internal heat flux much higher than expected given the published system age, leading to an age reassessment that resulted in NLTT5306B most likely being much younger. We find that NLTT5306B is the only known significantly irradiated brown dwarf where the global temperature structure is not dominated by external irradiation, but rather its own internal heat. Our study provides an essential insight into the drivers of global circulation and day-to-night heat transport as a function of irradiation, rotation rate, and internal heat.

Clumpy Wind Studies and the Nondetection of a Cyclotron Line in OAO 1657–415

Winds of massive stars are suspected to be inhomogeneous (or clumpy), which biases the measures of their mass-loss rates. In high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), the compact object can be used as an orbiting X-ray point source to probe the wind and constrain its clumpiness. We perform a spectrotiming analysis of the HMXB OAO 1657–415 with nonsimultaneous NuSTAR and NICER observations. We compute the hardness ratio from the energy-resolved light curves, and, using an adaptive rebinning technique, we thus select appropriate time segments to search for rapid spectral variations on timescales of a few hundred to thousands of seconds. The column density and intensity of the iron Kα line were strongly correlated, and the recorded spectral variations were consistent with accretion from a clumpy wind. We also illustrate a novel framework to measure clump sizes and masses in HMXBs more accurately based on the absorption measurements and orbital parameters of the source. We then discuss the limitations posed by current X-ray spacecraft in such measurements and present prospects with future X-ray missions. We find that the source pulse profiles show a moderate dependence on energy. We identify a previously undetected dip in the pulse profile visible throughout the NuSTAR observation near spin phase 0.15 possibly caused by intrinsic changes in accretion geometry close to the neutron star. We do not find any evidence for the debated cyclotron line at ∼36 keV in the time-averaged or phase-resolved spectra with NuSTAR.

Discovery of two cyclotron resonance scattering features in X-ray pulsar cen X-3 by Insight-HXMT

ABSTRACT We present the results of the neutron star X-ray binary system Cen X-3 performed by Insight-HXMT with two observations during 2017 and 2018. During these two observations, the source reached a X-ray luminosity of ∼1038 erg s−1 from 2–105 keV. The analysis of the broadband X-ray spectrum reports the presence of two cyclotron resonance scattering features (CRSFs) with the fundamental line at ∼ 28 keV and the harmonic line at ∼47 keV. The multiple lines exist by fittings with different continuum models, like the absorbed negative and positive power-law with an exponential cutoff (NPEX) model and a power-law with high energy exponential cutoff model. This is the first time that both fundamental and harmonic lines are detected in Cen X-3. We also show evidence of two cyclotron lines in the phase-resolved spectrum of Cen X-3. The CRSF and continuum spectral parameters show evolution with the pulse profile, and the two line centroid energy ratio does not change significantly and locates in a narrow value range of 1.6−1.7 over the pulse phase. The implications of the discovering two cyclotron absorption features and phase-resolved spectral properties are discussed.

Wave shadowing effects on phase resolved wave spectra estimated from RADAR backscatter: Part 2: The conflation technique and the deconvolution techniques for the mitigation of wave shadowing effects

This is the second part of a short two series concerned with wave shadowing which is acknowledged as the primary source of error involved in the estimation of phase resolved sea wave spectra from RADAR backscatter measurement. A new technique termed conflation is introduced that uses multiple RADAR scan data sets to build a multi-segment data set together with a corresponding theoretic model. Using simulation the conflation methodology is compared against the so called spectral averaging technique that is the standard approach for estimating phase resolved wave spectra. Conflation is found to provide superior estimates, in particular making it possible to avoid the need to impose the wave dispersion relationship though an additional computational step as is necessary in spectral averaging. A second technique based upon deconvolution is also introduced for mitigating wave shadowing errors. However because deconvolution is a very mature process well covered in the signal process and linear system theory literature the discussion of this second method is very brief.

Wave shadowing effects on phase resolved wave spectra estimated from RADAR backscatter: Part 1: An investigation of the errors due to wave shadowing in the spectral averaging approach

This is the first part of a short two part series concerned which is acknowledged as the primary source of error involved in the estimation of phase resolved sea wave spectra from RADAR backscatter measurement. A mathematical model is produced of what is termed here as spectral averaging which is the most commonly used technique for such estimation purposes. It is found that the spectral averaging technique can be described by a wave-number domain convolution integral. The kernel of the convolution must be a good approximation to a delta function for good estimates to be obtained. Using simulations of the wave shadowing process it is shown that good approximations can be obtained to the delta function requirement using approximately one tenth of the data employed in typical implementations of spectral averaging. This large data requirement is due to the need to impose the wave dispersion relationship as a constraint during the estimation process. Two new estimation methods are briefly introduced to resolve this situation and can operate on small data sets, one of which, termed conflation, is developed in detail in Part 2.

Pulsars in AstroSat-CZTI: detection in sub-MeV bands and estimation of spectral index from hardness ratios

The Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager (CZTI) onboard AstroSat, an open detector above \(\sim \)100 keV, is a promising tool for the investigation of hard X-ray characteristics of \(\gamma \)-ray pulsars. A custom algorithm has been developed to detect pulsars from long integration (\(\sim \)years) of archival data, as reported by us earlier. Here, we extend this method in the analysis to include additional \(\sim \)20% of the CZTI pixels that were earlier ignored due to their lower gain values. Recent efforts have provided better and more secure calibration of these pixels, demonstrating their higher thresholds and extended energy range up to \(\sim \)1 MeV. Here, we use the additional information provided by these pixels, enabling the construction of pulse profiles over a larger energy range. We compare the profiles of the Crab pulsar at different sub-bands and show that the behavior is consistent with the extended energy coverage. As detailed spectroscopy over this full band remains difficult due to the limited count rate, we construct hardness ratios which, together with AstroSat mass model simulations, are able to constrain the power-law index of the radiation spectrum. We present our results for the phase-resolved spectrum of PSR J0534\(+\)2200 and for the total pulsed emission of PSR J1513−5908. The recovered photon indices are found to be accurate within \({\sim }20\)%.

A dense 0.1-solar-mass star in a 51-minute-orbital-period eclipsing binary.

Of more than a thousand known cataclysmic variables (CVs), where a white dwarf is accreting from a hydrogen-rich star, only a dozen have orbital periods below 75 minutes1-9. One way to achieve these short periods requires the donor star to have undergone substantial nuclear evolution before interacting with the white dwarf10-14, and it is expected that these objects will transition to helium accretion. These transitional CVs have been proposed as progenitors of helium CVs13-18. However, no known transitional CV is expected to reach an orbital period short enough to account for most of the helium CV population, leaving the role of this evolutionary pathway unclear. Here we report observations of ZTF J1813+4251, a 51-minute-orbital-period, fully eclipsing binary system consisting of a star with a temperature comparable to that of the Sun but a density 100 times greater owing to its helium-rich composition, accreting onto a white dwarf. Phase-resolved spectra, multi-band light curves and the broadband spectral energy distribution allow us to obtain precise and robust constraints on the masses, radii and temperatures of both components. Evolutionary modelling shows that ZTF J1813+4251 is destined to become a helium CV binary, reaching an orbital period under 20 minutes, rendering ZTF J1813+4251 a previously missing link between helium CV binaries and hydrogen-rich CVs.