High-energy vibrations from deep space, only a few milliseconds long, are referred to as ‘fast radio bursts’. These vibrations, called FRB (Fast Radio Burst) for short, travel millions of kilometers between galaxies and reach us.
A thousand times longer than a standard FRB
There are many such signals detected so far. These vibrations, which usually come from great distances, are difficult to interpret due to the short time they have. However, astronomers recently encountered a very different vibration than standard FRBs.
The duration of this fast radio burst, with surprisingly regular fluctuations, is also unusual. The rapid radio burst in question is a thousand times longer than the average, with a duration of 3 seconds. At the same time, the regular fluctuation every 0.2 seconds makes the FRB even more interesting.
The explosion, designated FRB 20191221A, was discovered in collaboration with astronomers from McGill University, MIT, and other institutions using the CHIME telescope. Daniele Michilli, who was at the beginning of the research, uses the following statements about the heartbeat-like FRB:
Lasting three seconds, this FRB was not only long, but had remarkably precise periodic peaks that spread out like a “boom, boom, boom” heartbeat in short intervals. For the first time, we see a signal fluctuate periodically.
The repetitive nature of the signal could help astronomers theorize about what could be causing the explosions. The exact cause of these vibrations is still unknown. But many astronomers think it’s caused by a type of neutron star with a strong magnetic field called a magnetar.
There are magnetars in our own galaxy that produce radio bursts. However, this detected signal is much stronger than other samples. The magnetars in our galaxy did not cause such strong fluctuations. But for some reason, one of the magnetars may have become stronger for a short time. The researchers hope to observe FRBs from this source again in the future to gather more data.
We are also curious about the origin of the FRB. So what do you think about the heartbeat-like vibration from outer space? You can share your views with us in the comments section.
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