Swinburne astronomers detect evidence of vacuum birefringence around magnetar 1E 1547

AI digestMimile.ai EditorialAugust 6, 2026 at 07:20 PM

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An international team led by Swinburne University of Technology detects signs of vacuum birefringence around the magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408, researchers report August 5 in Nature. If confirmed, it would be the first direct observation of this quantum effect.

Magnetar 1E 1547

1E 1547.0-5408 is a magnetar, a rare neutron star with magnetic fields over 100 million times stronger than any created on Earth. Such fields are required to produce vacuum birefringence, where virtual particles in empty space affect light polarization. The team, including Swinburne astronomer Dr Marcus Lower, observed the magnetar using NASA’s IXPE, NICER telescope on the ISS, and CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope Murriyang.

Signs of Vacuum Birefringence

Observations revealed that both radio and X-ray emissions from 1E 1547 were highly polarized, with polarization directions locked to the magnetic field. This alignment and extreme X-ray polarization are telltale signs of vacuum birefringence. The magnetar’s nearly aligned magnetic and rotational axes, viewed pole-on, made it ideal for detecting the effect. The findings, published August 5 in Nature, could represent the first direct detection of vacuum birefringence.

90-Year-Old Prediction

Werner Heisenberg predicted vacuum birefringence in the 1930s, stemming from quantum electrodynamics, suggesting that perfect vacuums teem with virtual particles. Despite decades of searching, the effect had remained unobserved. Dr Lower stated that detecting it requires magnetic fields unachievable on Earth, making magnetars unique cosmic laboratories. Analysis using Swinburne’s Ngarrgu Tindebeek supercomputer may confirm the long-sought quantum phenomenon.

What's Next

The team intends to observe other magnetars to verify the findings and refine models of quantum electrodynamics in strong fields. It remains unclear whether this detection will be corroborated by independent studies or lead to deeper understanding of virtual particles.

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Swinburne astronomers detect evidence of vacuum birefringence around magnetar 1E 1547

phys.org

Phys.org

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Magnetar observations may reveal first evidence of vacuum birefringence

Scientists studying magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408 have detected polarization changes in its radio emissions that may be the first evidence of vacuum birefringence, a quantum effect predicted by Werner Heisenberg in 1936. The team combined data from CSIRO's Murriyang telescope, NASA's IXPE and NICER instruments, and analyzed them with Swinburne University's Ngarrgu Tindebeek supercomputer. The findings, published in Nature, could open new ways to test quantum physics under extreme magnetic fields.

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Magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408 Shows Strongest Evidence of Vacuum Birefringence

NASA's IXPE telescope measured polarized X-rays from magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408 that stayed aligned with the star's magnetic field as it rotated. The polarization reached 82% at some phases, the strongest observational case yet for vacuum birefringence. The findings appear in a peer-reviewed Nature paper published on 5 August 2026.

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Swinburne astronomers detect evidence of vacuum birefringence around magnetar 1E 1547

Magnetar 1E 1547

Signs of Vacuum Birefringence

90-Year-Old Prediction

What's Next

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