Astronomers have discovered an eight-billion-year-old radio signal.
The mysterious “radio fast burst” – identified as FRB 20220610A – lasted just one millisecond, but released the amount of energy our sun emits in three decades, according to the journal Science.
FRBs are pulses of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation. The first was discovered in 2007 and hundreds of these cosmic flashes have been detected since then.
Most of these bursts only last for microseconds before disappearing, making it difficult to determine where they came from.
However, scientists were able to “precisely” determine where FRB 20220610A came from, said study co-author Dr. Stuart Ryder, an astronomer at Macquarie University in Australia, in a statement.
Scientists believe the explosion came from two or three galaxies merging and forming a new star, CNN reported.
One theory among scientists is that this explosion is the result of a star exploding.
FRBs were initially detected using Australia’s SKA Pathfinder, a radio telescope in the state of Western Australia.
Astronomers have discovered an eight-billion-year-old radio signal.
Astronomers then used a large telescope in Chile to “search for the source galaxy” and found it to be older and more distant than any other FRB previously located.
Scientists believe FRBs can be used to “weigh” the universe by measuring unknown intergalactic matter, according to CNN.
“If we count the amount of normal matter in the universe – the atoms we’re all made of – we find that more than half of what should be there today is gone,” said co-author Ryan Shannon.
The mysterious fast radio burst – identified as FRB 20220610A – lasted just one millisecond, but emitted more than 30 years of solar-powered radiation. Scientists believe the explosion came from two or three galaxies merging and forming a new star. ESO/M. Kornmesser
“We think that the missing material is hiding in intergalactic space, but it may be so hot and diffuse that it is impossible to see using normal techniques.”
Shannon said the FRB “senses” ionized matter and can “see” electrons, which allows scientists to “measure how much matter there is between galaxies.”
Nearly 50 FRBs have been traced back to their place of origin, according to CNN.
“The fact that FRBs are so common is also amazing,” Shannon said.
“It shows how promising the field is.”
By Postal Wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
