Add pieces to the puzzle of mysterious space signs

A group of SETI Institute scientists have revealed new information on a mysterious cosmic phenomenon known as Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). The discovery and detailed analysis of the repeat FRB 20220912A, made with the SETI Institute’s updated Allen Telescope Array (ATA), shed light on the nature of these space signals.

FRBs are short, intense flashes of radio waves from deep space. While most occur only once, some “repeats” send signals more than once, in addition to using the knowledge of their origin. Over 541 hours of observation, the researchers found 35 FRBs from repeating FRB 20220912A. The data, made using ATA, covered a wide spectrum and showed beautiful patterns. All 35 FRBs were detected at the lower end of the spectrum, each with a unique energy signature.

“This work is interesting because it provides both confirmation of known FRB properties and the discovery of some new ones,” said SETI Institute Dr. Sofia Sheikh, NSF MPS-Ascend Postdoctoral Fellow and lead author. “We are narrowing down the source of FRBs, for example, to supermassive objects like magnetars, but no current model can explain all the properties observed so far. It’s a wonderful thing. to be part of the first FRB study. done at ATA-this work proves that new telescopes and special conditions, like ATA, can provide a new level on amazing mysteries in the FRB science.

Detailed information, recently published in the journal Monthly Bulletin of the Royal Astronomical Society, showing the remarkable properties of FRBs. These discrete signals show the downshift, a correlation between bandwidth and center, and changes in the length of the bar in the time The team also noticed something that had never been reported before: There was a noticeable drop in the center of the burst times over the two months of observation, revealing a sudden band slip. .

In addition, the researchers used this information to determine a cutoff point for FRB 20220912A, the brightest burst, to show its contribution to the total number of cosmic signals. In fact, this particular event was responsible for only a few percent of all the intense FRBs in the sky during these observations.

The study also examined the time series of burst patterns, looking for repeats within and between FRBs. No clear pattern was found, indicating the uncertainty of these celestial events.

This work shows the importance of ATA in classifying the mysteries of FRBs. ATA has the unique ability to record several channels at the same time, even if they are widely separated – for example, some channels are very high and others are low.

This makes it possible to quickly check when an FRB is coming, to control what the FRB is doing in the high and low tracks at the same time. Continuous improvements promise more capabilities, to see faint FRBs in multiple lines at once, ensuring that ATA remains ahead of the curve. expanding our understanding of FRBs.

“It is exciting to see that ATA is participating in FRB research three years after it began to recover,” said Dr. Wael Farah, SETI Institute ATA Project Scientist and co-author. “ATA demonstrates the technical capabilities that are used in many research efforts that involve rapid acceleration.”

This landmark discovery marks an important step forward in the ongoing quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe. As scientists continue to explore the universe, each unique feature we discover brings us closer to understanding the origin and nature of these space entertainment icon.