Astronomers Discover Oldest and Most Powerful Fast Radio Burst Yet
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery with the detection of a fast radio burst (FRB) that originated in deep space eight billion years ago. This FRB, named the oldest ever observed, was also three times stronger than scientists previously thought was possible. The findings of this research were published in the journal Science.
FRBs are short bursts of radio waves that last only for milliseconds. Despite their brief duration, these bursts contain an immense amount of energy. In fact, the newly detected FRB had as much energy as the sun emits in 30 years. Researchers from Macquarie University believe that studying these powerful events could provide insights into the amount of matter that exists between galaxies.
Stuart Ryder, co-lead author of the study and an astronomer at Macquarie University, expressed his astonishment at the discovery, stating that they were not even sure if fast radio bursts existed that far back in time.
Since the first FRB was detected in 2007, astronomers have spotted around 800 more. However, the cause of these phenomena still remains a mystery. Ryan Shannon, a co-author of the study, suggests that the most likely source of these bursts is a type of neutron star called a magnetar, which possesses a powerful magnetic field.
To locate the source of this FRB, the researchers used the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), a radio telescope consisting of three dozen dishes in Western Australia. ASKAP determined the origin of the burst, and the team then employed the Very Large Telescope in Chile to pinpoint the source galaxy.
Although the image of the galaxy appeared fuzzy, the researchers identified two or three bright blobs within it. This suggests that the FRB may have originated from a collision between a group of galaxies in the early universe. The burst, which is more than half the age of the universe, provides a crucial glimpse into its evolution.
The researchers hope to use FRBs to study the amount of plasma, a hot and diffuse gas, that lies between galaxies. These intergalactic particles cause FRBs to disperse as they pass through, allowing astronomers to calculate the amount of plasma between Earth and the source of the FRB.
As the sample of distant bursts continues to grow, scientists anticipate learning more about the universe’s evolution. Kiyoshi Masui, an astrophysicist at MIT, expresses his excitement, stating that these bursts can reveal valuable insights about the cosmos.
Overall, this discovery serves as a significant milestone in the field of astronomy and opens up new possibilities for unraveling the mysteries of our universe.