The recently discovered PSR J0311+1402 offers new insights into the evolving population of long-period radio transients (LPTs) and their connection to normal pulsars. Unlike typical pulsars, which spin in milliseconds to seconds, LPTs have much longer spin periods—ranging from minutes to hours—and emit radio waves too bright to be powered solely by rotational energy. Their origins remain uncertain, with theories suggesting they could be white dwarfs or neutron stars. In their study, Wang et al. identified PSR J0311+1402, which has an intermediate spin period of 41 seconds, bridging the gap between known LPTs and normal pulsars. This object displays low linear (∼25%) and circular (∼5%) polarisation, along with a steep spectral index (∼−2.3), characteristics commonly seen in pulsars. However, its spin-down properties place it below the pulsar death line, a region where radio emission is expected to cease. The discovery suggests that a hidden population of neutron stars with similar spin periods may exist but have been missed due to observational biases. Detecting more objects like PSR J0311+1402 will help refine our understanding of neutron star evolution and the mechanisms behind their radio emission.

The image above provides a visual representation of PSR J0311+1402’s radio pulses, illustrating its intensity, linear and circular polarisation, and pulse dynamics as observed by MeerKAT and GBT telescopes. These findings shed light on the complexities of pulsar detection and highlight the need for advanced search methods to uncover more objects in this intermediate spin period range. The discovery of PSR J0311+1402 marks a crucial step in bridging the gap between rotation-powered pulsars and LPTs, opening new avenues for further research.