Space and astronomy news
This magnetar is a highly magnetized neutron star. This artist's illustration shows an outburst from a magnetar. Neutron stars that spin rapidly and give out radiation are called pulsars, and specific pulsars are rare in the core of the Milky Way. Credit: NASA/JPL-CalTech
Every now and then, astronomers will detect an odd kind of radio signal. So powerful it can outshine a galaxy, but lasting only milliseconds. They are known as fast radio bursts . When they were first discovered a couple of decades ago, we had no idea what might cause them. We weren’t even sure. FRB’s were so localized and so short-lived, it was difficult to gather data on them.
Magnetars are neutron stars with immensely powerful magnetic fields. Now that we can localize FRBs, we have been able to match a few of them to the region of a neutron star. While most FRBs occur in distant galaxies, in 2020 we observed one within the Milky Way. The magnetar source also happened to be a pulsar, and astronomers were able to show that the FRB thus confirming the source.
One popular idea is that fast radio bursts are caused by magnetic realignments. This is what drives flares on the Sun. Over time, the Sun’s magnetic field lines can get twisted up. If a similar effect occurs on magnetars, the resulting snap would be much faster and more powerful. One difficulty with this idea is that FRBs are so short-lived that they are almost too fast for magnetic field lines to realign.
While the data does seem to support the idea of impact-based FRBs, the study doesn’t solve all the mysteries surrounding these powerful bursts. We know, for example, that some FRBs are repeaters, meaning they occur multiple times from the same source. Some studies have shown that repeating FRBs are quasi-periodic, which would be difficult to explain through random collisions.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Mysterious Origins of Fast Radio Bursts May Finally Be IdentifiedThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Read more »
New Study Reveals Fast Radio Bursts Originate in Massive Galaxies'Very little is known about what causes the formation of magnetars,' researcher Kritti Sharma said. 'Our work helps to answer this question.'
Read more »
Mighty radio bursts linked to massive galaxiesResearchers have uncovered where FRBs are more likely to occur in the universe -- massive star-forming galaxies rather than low - mass ones.
Read more »
Where do fast radio bursts come from? Astronomers tie mysterious eruptions to massive galaxiesSharmila Kuthunur is a Seattle-based science journalist covering astronomy, astrophysics and space exploration. Follow her on X skuthunur.
Read more »
New York Public Radio Centennial Gala with Host Seth Meyers- Events - WNYC Events | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, NewsWNYC is America's most listened-to public radio station and the producer of award-winning programs and podcasts like Radiolab, On the Media, and The Brian Lehrer Show.
Read more »
Fast & Furious 11 Is All But Sure To Break A Fast Saga Record After Fast X's Cliffhanger EndingVin Diesel as Dom Toretto in Fast X
Read more »