• University of Warwick researchers identify a white dwarf pulsar – a star type which has eluded astronomers for half a century
• Star lashes its neighbour with intense radiation beam every two minutes
• Research published in Nature Astronomy

Twenty-six members of staff from the Physics Department joined colleagues from across the Faculty of Science in signing a submission to a House of Commons Education Committee Inquiry into the impact of exiting the European Union on Higher Education. As well as discussing the effect on undergraduate and postgraduate students, a particular focus was on the effect on staff who are non-UK EU nationals (this corresponds to over 20% of Warwick academic staff), notably the continued lack of assurance from government of their status and that of their families. The submission also emphasised the great benefit of freedom of movement of European researchers for ensuring the UK is at the forefront of scientific research, as well as damage that would be done if UK scientists lose access to prestiguous European funding, notably European Research Council grants where the department has been very successful recently.

In June 2015, a black hole called V404 Cygni underwent dramatic brightening for about two weeks. An international team of astronomers, including the University of Warwick, report that the black hole emitted dazzling red flashes lasting just fractions of a second, as it blasted out material that it could not swallow...