Astronomers have doubled the known number of rapid bursts of powerful radiation from distant galaxies outside the Milky Way.
These explosions, are known as Fast radio bursts (FRBs), are so powerful that they can outshine the whole galaxy from which they emerge. But despite this incredible power, the origin of FRBs remains mysterious.
In a new study, a team led by astronomers from the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (Chime). said.
Related: A strange cosmic coincidence may help explain the mystery of the fast radio burst
Astronomers have discovered many FRBs over the past decade, but most of them did not repeat and were observed to “burst” only once. Only a small fractional repeat has been observed. This has led astronomers to question if Repeated FRBs And non-repeating FRBs come from the same sources.
The fact that these two populations of FRBs appear to have different characteristics—including how long they last and the range of frequencies at which they are observed—also points to their diverse origins. The key to confirming this is the discovery of more repeating FRBs, which the team involved in this research did by developing a new set of statistical tools and combing through the data to analyze every repeating FRB ever seen, including those that weren’t immediately obvious.
“We can now accurately calculate the probability that two or more explosions coming from the same location are not just a coincidence,” said study team member Ziggy Pleunis, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto’s Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics. said in a statement (opens in new tab). “These new tools were essential for this study, and will be very useful for similar research going forward.”
Radio Binoculars Like CHIME, located at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory near Penticton, Canada, is integral to the discovery of FRBs. Over the past few years, observations have ranged from tens to thousands, and much of this is thanks to CHIME’s ability to scan the entire northern sky every day.
“CHIME is way ahead of other telescopes when it comes to detecting FRBs,” Pleunis said.
One surprising aspect of this new research is the discovery that many recurring FRBs are surprisingly inactive, producing just under one burst per week during CHIME’s observation time. Pleunis believes this may be because these FRBS have not yet been observed long enough to see another burst.
Repeated FRBs are extremely useful for astronomers because they allow the telescope to observe the same FRB source as the telescope that initially saw them, allowing for a more detailed look at these mysterious phenomena.
“It is exciting that CHIME/FRB observed multiple flashes from the same locations, as this allows for a detailed investigation of their nature,” said study team member Adez Ibić, a University of Toronto Ph.D. student, said in the same statement. “We were able to account for some of these recurrent sources and have identified possible associated galaxies for two of them.”
The team’s findings may have implications beyond helping to narrow down hunting Origin of FRBs.
“FRBs are likely formed by debris from Death of Explosive Stars. By studying repeated FRB sources in detail, we can study the environment in which these explosions occur and better understand the final stages of a star’s life,” Pleunis said. “We also learn more about the material ejected before and during a star’s explosion. can death, which then returns to the galaxy in which the FRB resides.”
The new study was published online today (April 26). The Astrophysical Journal (opens in new tab).
Follow us @ on TwitterSpacedotcom (opens in new tab) And Facebook (opens in new tab).
#Astronomers #discover #record #repeating #fast #radio #bursts
