Scientists have figured out where mysterious radio bursts come from

For the first time, astronomers have linked mysterious pulses of energy known as Fast Radio Bursts.

FRB), with ripples in space-time emitted by collapsing colliding stars. The scientists' findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Fast radio bursts are massive explosionsradio energies that can outshine all the stars in the galaxy, but last a fraction of a second. Although FRBs were discovered in 2007, their origin remains a mystery. This is partly because while some FRBs may recur periodically, many appear and disappear in just milliseconds.

Magnetars are super-dense collapsing nuclei.Exploded stars (known as neutron stars) with powerful magnetic fields are considered prime candidates for FRB emission. But recent observations have shown that other sources may also be sources of fast radio bursts. For example, FRBs can appear when neutron stars collide.

Artist's rendering of two neutron stars shortly before the merger. Image courtesy of NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

In April 2019The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has detected ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves, resulting from the merger of neutron stars (event GW190425). A few hours later, the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) discovered a bright, non-repeating FRB from the same region of space.

Considering the timing of events (FRB appeared just after2.5 hours after the “burst” of gravitational waves), the corresponding location and distance, scientists concluded that the ripples and fast radio bursts are related. And the source of the gravitational waves turned out to be precisely the merger of two neutron stars.

Read more:

A red halo flared up over Italy. Now its nature has been explained

Named a way to reduce appetite without surgery

Chia seed experiment confirms Alan Turing's famous mathematical model

Cover illustration: ESO/M. Kornmesser