A study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics by a researcher from the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has provided new insights into the phenomenon of “pulse nulling”—a sudden cessation of the entire radio pulsed emission observed in over 200 pulsar manifests.

This event, which can last from a few rotations to several minutes, is suggested to be random, but its statistical distribution may hint at deeper patterns in pulsar emission behavior.

Pulse nulling is quantified by the nulling fraction (NF), defined as the proportion of pulses during which no detectable emission occurs. While NF varies from one pulsar to another, recent studies demonstrate a decreasing number of pulsars with increasing NF, suggesting certain underlying patterns for nulling.