A fast radio burst is one of the universe's most common and mysterious events.
What are Fast Radio Bursts?
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are tiny bursts of light that flash for a split second and then disappear. The first one was detected in 2007, and since then, 140 more have been discovered since then, with the latest being detected in June 2021, MIT reported on their website.
Astronomers have reported a new type of radio burst in Nature, one that stands out from all the other ones they've seen so far. FRBs are tiny bursts of light that show up for a few seconds and then disappear. The first one was discovered back in 2007, and since then, 140 more have been found until June 2021. According to the MIT website, scientists don't know what causes them, and they can't predict what they'll look like.
In a new study published in Nature, researchers report the detection and localization of repeating FRB (Radio Frequency Burial) 20190520B. This radio source was first identified in 2019 and differs from many other Radio Frequency Bursts (FRBs) in that it produces frequent, repeating bursts and continuously emits weaker radio waves in between bursts. The study co-located this repeating FRB with a compact and persistent radio source and associated it with a Dwarf Host Galaxy of High Specific-Star-Forming Size.
There is only one FRB that has been observed to behave in this way. This FRB was discovered in 2012 and is FRB121102.
The behaviour was described as “unusual” by the U.S. National Radio Astronomy Organization (NRAO), which said on its website: “This observation raises new questions about what these mysterious objects are and whether they can be used as tools to explore the mysteries of interplanetary space.” The scientists studied the object using the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s (NSA) Karl G Jansky's very large Array (VLAs) and other telescopes.
This one has some similarities to the first FRB whose status was set by the VLA in 2016. Now there are two of them, which raises some interesting questions, according to researcher Casey Law from Caltech, one of the authors of the paper.
Astronomers have come to the conclusion that FRBs could be caused by two different things, or that the things causing them could be acting in different ways at different times. Superdense neutron stars that are left over from a supernova could be the source of FRBs, or magnetars, which are neutron stars with super-strong magnetic fields.
