Scientists are one step closer to solving one of the most intriguing cosmic mysteries of recent times -
Fast radio bursts are single radio pulses with a duration of several milliseconds of unknown nature recorded by radio telescopes.
What exactly causes them remains a mystery.Hypotheses range from the mundane (perhaps produced by supernovae or collisions of massive objects) to the extraordinary (perhaps produced by the decay of dark matter or alien technology.
The research team examined in more detailthe FRB group using visible light images from the Hubble Wide Field Camera 3. They combined them with images in the ultraviolet and near infrared range. As a result, scientists have traced the five not only to their native galaxies, but also to specific locations within these galaxies - the spiral arms.
The locations of the sources of fast radio bursts, marked on their home galaxies.
Photo: NASA, ESA, Alexandra Mannings (UC Santa Cruz), Alyssa Pagan (Science and Technology Institute)
As you know, these regions are associated with star formation. But, interestingly, radio bursts do not come from the brightest and most active parts of the arms. This gives even more clues about their origins.
New information gives weight to the current leaderthe hypothesis that FRBs are associated with magnetars, dense neutron stars with extremely strong magnetic fields. In fact, last year a signal suspiciously similar to FRB was received from a magnetar in our galaxy.
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