Stealth Radio Conceals Signals in Ambient Noise to Safeguard Drone Operators

Posted on September 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Drones are now crucial in the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Diego Herrera Charcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images

Stealth military radios, designed to mask signals from ambient noise, are exceptionally resistant to jamming and detection. This capability allows drone operators to function without being exposed.

With drones rapidly gaining prominence in warfare, electronic warfare has taken on a new intensity. In the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, both factions deploy jammers to disrupt drone communications, while also capturing radio signals to identify drone operators for coordinating artillery assaults.

We are a startup named Rampart News, and we’ve created a radio that features dual layers of protection, making it extremely hard to detect signals. The Stratawave Radio disperses its signal across a wide spectrum rather than encrypting it and broadcasting on a single frequency, rendering emissions subdued and harder to identify.

While similar methods have been employed in the past, Stratawave enhances this approach. By distributing the signal over the radio spectrum, interception becomes challenging, but the mere existence of radio transmissions remains apparent. To obscure this, Stratawave combines the entire broadcast, masking the presence of the radio signal amid ambient noise.

The first layer of protection resembles encoding a letter and then tearing it into substantial pieces. Even if adversaries can’t decipher the message, they can still perceive its existence. The second layer, however, is akin to reducing the letters to dust.

“Without the correct encryption key and algorithm, the signal manifests as noise on alternative receivers,” explains Aaron Correa from Rampart.

The company introduced Stratawave at the Pentagon Technical Preparation Experiment (TREX) event held in Camp Atterbury, Indiana, in August. During the event, the operator piloted the drone directly above the jamming system without encountering any disruptions.

The device manufacturer claims it has undergone over 60 diverse jamming trials. The counter-drone systems were unable to detect emissions from either the drone or its operator, nor could they triangulate their location.

Theoretically, StrataWave enables drone operators to use higher power levels without drawing fire, facilitating safer communication over long distances. Ukrainian commander from the Typhoon Drone Unit, Michael, asserts that they typically keep their power output as low as possible to evade detection.

“As soon as you activate a transmitter with a standard output of 1-5 watts, you increase both the signal strength and your exposure,” Michael states. “More potent, distinctive signals are easier to detect and pinpoint through triangulation.”

Electronic warfare resembles a cat-and-mouse dynamic, with advancements constantly evolving to counteract one another. In Ukraine, drone technologies are refreshed every few weeks to surpass existing jamming methods. Rampart asserts that when adversaries attempt to detect or jam Stratawave, they effectively start from scratch.

Thomas Withington, an electronic warfare specialist at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a British defense think tank, suggests that this is not the definitive turn in the radio and jamming conflict. “Radio frequency engineers inform us that new systems seldom perform flawlessly.”

Withington highlights that cognitive radio systems incorporating AI and extensive datasets increasingly stand to uncover hidden signals cloaked in noise. However, deciphering Stratawave may take time. “This type of system undoubtedly offers a temporary advantage, which could be all you require,” he concludes.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Astronomers Uncover One of the Brightest and Fastest Radio Bursts Yet Recorded

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Designated FRB 20250316A, this event, referred to as rbfloat (the brightest radio flash recorded to date), took place in the outer region of the nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 4141.

Infrared image of Galaxy NGC 4141 featuring the rapid wireless burst FRB 20250316A. Image credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/CFA/Blanchard et al. / P. Edmonds.

The Fast Radio Burst (FRB) is a brief yet intense explosion of radio waves, primarily originating from distances beyond our galaxy.

The first FRB was detected in 2007, but an earlier observation was made six years ago in archival data from the Magellan Cloud Pulsar Survey.

These bursts last only a millisecond, hinting at the peculiar distributed pattern of radio pulsars.

They emit as much energy in a millisecond as the Sun releases over 10,000 years, yet the underlying cause remains a mystery.

Some theories propose that the characteristics of these bursts align with technologies of advanced civilizations, potentially arising from magnetized neutron stars or black holes interacting with surrounding gas.

The FRB 20250316A event was discovered on March 16, 2025. Located in the constellation Major Ursa, NGC 4141 is about 130 million light-years away.

Detection was accomplished using the Chime Outgar Array, where Canadian radio telescopes saw upgrades enabling precise FRB localization.

“With the Chime Outrigger, we’ve finally managed to capture these fleeting cosmic signals in real-time. We can narrow them down to specific stellar environments and individual galaxies,” noted one researcher.

Subsequently, Dr. Cook and her team employed the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to seek infrared signals from the same location.

“This was a unique opportunity to direct Webb’s powerful infrared capabilities toward the FRB’s position,” said Dr. Peter Blanchard, an astronomer at Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics.

“We were rewarded with remarkable results, revealing a faint source of infrared light very close to where the radio burst took place.”

“This could be the first object linked to an FRB found in another galaxy,” he added.

The infrared data from Webb indicated an object named NIR-1, likely a giant red star or possibly a giant middle-aged star.

A red giant is a sun-like star nearing the end of its life, expanding and becoming brighter, while the other possibilities are larger than the Sun.

Although these stars may not directly generate the FRB, they could possess invisible companions, such as neutron stars, that strip material from the red giants and massive stars. This mass transfer process might have triggered the FRB.

The advantages of a relatively close and precise location, coupled with sharp Webb images, permit the clearest observation of individual stars located near the FRB.

“Numerous theories have been proposed to explain FRBs, but up until now, there has been no data to test most of these ideas,” stated Professor Ed Berger from the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

“Isolating individual stars near the FRB is a significant improvement over previous searches, and we’re beginning to understand the stellar systems that could produce these powerful bursts.”

However, the red giant or massive star might not be connected to the FRB, prompting researchers to explore a larger area for further clues.

They discovered that the FRB was situated near a small cluster of young massive stars.

Given this positioning, they theorized that the giant stars in the cluster may collapse and form magnetars, leading to the FRB.

Magnetars are too dim to be directly seen in Webb’s observations.

The team examined various other potential explanations for the FRB, including objects from dense clusters of older stars and more giant stars.

These alternatives were deemed unlikely as they were brighter than the faint stars they observed.

“Regardless of whether the connection to the stars is real or not, we’ve learned a great deal about the origins of these bursts,” said Dr. Blanchard.

“If the double star system isn’t the solution, our findings imply that isolated magnetars could be responsible for the FRB.”

Another possible explanation for the infrared signals is that they may be reflected light from flares associated with the objects that triggered the radio bursts, potentially from magnetars. If this is the case, the infrared rays might diminish over time.

The team suggests more observations with Webb to search for such variations.

“We have taken a novel approach to unraveling the mystery of FRBs using Webb’s precise imaging, focusing on the exact position of the emitted FRBs,” Professor Berger remarked.

“We cannot predict when and where the next FRB will emerge, so we must be prepared to deploy Webb promptly when the moment arises.”

The team’s research paper was published in Astrophysics Journal Letters.

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Peter K. Blanchard et al. 2025. apjl 989, L49; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ADF29F

Source: www.sci.news

When Radio Waves Illuminate Our Minds, We Experience Smell.

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Preserving a keen sense of smell has multiple benefits, notably for our ability to taste.

DeanDrobot/Getty Images

Directly applying strong radio waves to an individual’s head appears to enhance the sense of smell, at least for a limited time.

Aging, trauma, and certain neurological disorders can impact the olfactory nerves, potentially diminishing the ability to smell. Many individuals have reported a reduced sense of smell following Covid-19, which can adversely affect personal preferences and may pose safety risks, such as an inability to detect gas leaks.

“Current medical practices may include surgical interventions for severe olfactory dysfunction, but more typical cases rely on chemical treatments, such as repeated exposure to scents at home,” explains Yong Woo-chan from Gang Line University in Seoul. “While treatments in other medical fields have advanced significantly, olfactory treatment has remained relatively traditional. To address this gap, we proposed the idea of electrical testing through bioelectronic stimulation as a therapeutic option.”

Chang and his team aimed to stimulate the olfactory system directly; however, due to its location deep within the head, they opted for radio wave stimulation instead.

The researchers initially engaged 28 participants without any odor issues. The participants were exposed to 15 watts of power for 5 minutes, emitted from a 5 cm square antenna positioned 10 cm from their heads. “The stimulus itself is not consciously felt by the patient,” states Chan. “However, with prolonged exposure, some might notice a slight warming sensation at the stimulation site.”

The olfactory sensitivity was assessed using standard tests like the Sniffin’ Sticks odor threshold test. This involved participants working to identify the presence of alcohol N-butanol produced from fermented sugar at varying dilutions.

Following the radiofrequency treatment, researchers observed that participants demonstrated significantly improved olfactory function, with these enhancements lasting approximately a week. Individuals with olfactory challenges may require additional treatments, according to Chan.

The research team is currently preparing studies involving individuals with smell disorders. The device has been refined to deliver more intense stimulation, which could potentially lead to even greater improvements, according to Jang.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Earliest High-Speed Radio Burst Illuminates Early Star Formation

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A magnetar, a type of neutron star, can be the source of fast radio bursts

Science Photo Library/Alamy

A peculiar burst of light from the early universe aids astronomers in mapping elusive gases found between galaxies, much like flashlights in dark spaces.

The Fast Radio Burst (FRB) is an extremely brief yet potent burst of radio frequency emissions that has puzzled astronomers since its discovery in 2007. Currently, we know of only a few thousand instances in the universe, leaving much still to be understood about them, especially as most originate from galaxies neighboring the Milky Way.

Now, Manisha Kaleb from the University of Sydney, Australia, along with her research team, has identified a remarkably distant FRB, tracing back to a galaxy that existed merely 3 billion years post-Big Bang.

Kaleb and her collaborators first detected a burst designated 20240304B using the South African Meerkat Radio Telescope in March 2024, corroborating their findings with observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. They determined that the burst originated from a small, faint galaxy that appeared relatively youthful, characterized by rapid star formation.

“This discovery is extraordinarily distant,” stated Jason Hessel from the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The FRB 20240304B is from an epoch in the universe’s timeline known as the ‘midday’ of the universe, a period when the rate of new star formation peaks. This hints that during the galaxy’s formative years, this FRB—and possibly others—may have stemmed from a young star that underwent a supernova and collapsed into a magnetar, according to Hessel.

A key reason astronomers focus on FRBs lies in their ability to shine a light on ionized gases and lost electrons from radiation emitted by stars, which constitute most of the universe’s matter. Understanding its distribution is crucial for unraveling how larger structures—such as stars and galaxies—form. However, like the FRB, this gas remains largely invisible unless illuminated by a light source.

“This luminous flash reveals all the ionized material between us and the origin of the flash, allowing us to map both the gas and the magnetic fields amidst the stars and galaxies,” Hessel added.

The discovery of FRB 20240304B implies that the universe’s first stars were actively ionizing their surroundings, which can help establish a timeline of when these stars first ignited, according to Anastasia Fialkov from Cambridge University. The insights gleaned will only enhance with the detection of even more distant FRBs.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Astronomers Use Cosmological Radio Signals to Identify First-Generation Stars in the Universe

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The primordial stars, known as group III, likely formed from the abundant gases present in the young universe. These stars were responsible for generating the first heavier elements, illuminating the universe, bringing an end to the cosmic dark ages, and ushering in the era of reionization. Due to the challenges of direct observation, the characteristics of these early stars are still largely unknown. Professor Anastasia Fialkov from Cambridge University and her team suggest that astronomers can infer the masses of these stars by analyzing the cosmological 21 cm signal produced by hydrogen atoms located between the regions where the stars formed.

Artist’s impression of a field of Population III stars that would have existed hundreds of millions of years post-Big Bang. Image credits: noirlab/nsf/aura/J. da silva/SpaceEngine.

“This presents a unique opportunity to understand how the universe’s first light emerged from darkness,” stated Professor Fialkov.

“We are beginning to unravel the narrative of the transition from a cold, dark cosmos to one filled with stars.”

Studies focused on the universe’s ancient stars rely on the faint 21 cm signal, an energy signature emanating from over 13 billion years ago.

This signal, influenced by the radiation from nascent stars and black holes, offers a rare glimpse into the universe’s formative years.

Professor Fialkov leads the Leach theory group dedicated to radio experiments analyzing space hydrogen.

“Leach is a radio antenna and one of two key projects designed to enhance our understanding of the dawn and reionization phases of the universe, when the first stars reactivated neutral hydrogen atoms,” explained the astronomer.

“While our abilities to capture radio signals are presently undergoing calibration, we remain dedicated to unveiling insights about the early universe.

“Conversely, the Square Kilometer Arrays (SKAs) chart variations in cosmic signals across extensive areas of the sky.”

“Both initiatives are crucial for probing the masses, brightness, and distribution of the universe’s earliest stars.”

In their current research, Professor Fialkov and co-authors formulated a model to predict the 21 cm signal for both REACH and SKA, discovering that the signal is sensitive to the mass of the first stars.

“We are the first group to accurately model how the 21 cm signal correlates with the mass of the first stars, factoring in ultraviolet starlight and x-ray emissions resulting from the demise of the first stars,” stated Professor Fialkov.

“Our findings stem from simulations integrating the primordial conditions of the universe, such as the hydrogen and helium composition formed during the Big Bang.”

In developing their theoretical framework, researchers examined how the 21 cm signal responds to the mass distribution of Population III stars.

They discovered that earlier studies underestimated this relationship as they failed to account for both the quantity and luminosity of x-ray binaries among Population III stars and their impact on the 21 cm signal.

While REACH and SKA cannot photograph individual stars, they do provide comprehensive data on stars, x-ray binary systems, and entire galactic populations.

“Connecting radio data to the narrative of the first stars requires some imagination, but its implications are profound,” remarked Professor Fialkov.

“The predictions we present hold significant value in enhancing our understanding of the universe’s earliest stars,” noted Dr. Eloi de Lera Acedo from Cambridge University.

“We offer insights into the masses of these early stars, suggesting that the light they emitted may have been drastically different from today’s stars.”

“Next-generation telescopes like REACH are set to unlock the secrets of the early universe. These predictions are vital for interpreting radio observations being conducted from Karu, South Africa.”

The research paper was published online today in the journal Nature Astronomy.

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T. Gessey-Jones et al. Determination of the mass distribution of the first stars from a 21 cm signal. Nature Astronomy Published online on June 20th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02575-x

Source: www.sci.news

Inactive NASA Satellites Emit Surprisingly Strong Radio Pulses

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Illustration of NASA’s Relay 1 satellite, in front of Relay 2

NASA

A long-dormant satellite unexpectedly emitted a powerful radio pulse, momentarily surpassing all other celestial signals. Astronomers speculate that this flash may have resulted from a rare micrometeoroid impact or a spontaneous discharge.

NASA’s Relay 2 satellite was among the earliest operational satellites, launched as an experimental communications tool in 1964. Its use was discontinued the following year, and by 1967, the satellite’s electronic components had ceased functioning, leaving its metal frame orbiting indefinitely.

So Clancy James from Curtin University in Australia and his team were puzzled nearly 60 years later when they detected a burst of short, intense radio waves emanating from the satellite’s suspected location.

Utilizing the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), an array of 36 telescopes in Western Australia, James and his colleagues were searching the sky for signs of a mysterious radiation pulse from other galaxies.

On June 13th, they received a signal that seemed to originate from within our galaxy. “If it’s in close proximity, studying it through an optical telescope becomes quite feasible, so I was thrilled at the prospect of discovering a new pulsar or some other object,” Clancy remarks.

However, upon closer examination, the signal appeared to be quite close to Earth, which meant that ASKAP couldn’t focus on everything simultaneously. This indicated the source was likely within 20,000 kilometers of our planet, according to Clancy. The signal was notably short-lived, lasting less than 30 nanoseconds. “It was an exceptionally potent radio pulse that briefly outshone everything else in the sky,” Clancy explains.

When they traced the signal back to its source and compared it to known satellite positions, they concluded the only plausible explanation was Relay 2. Since that satellite is inoperative, Clancy and his team suspect that the signals may result from external events such as electrostatic discharges or micrometeoroids striking the satellite, creating clouds of charged plasma.

“It’s quite challenging to differentiate between these two scenarios,” says Karen Aplin from the University of Bristol in the UK. This difficulty arises because the radio emissions from both phenomena appear comparable. Yet, monitoring future electrostatic discharges from satellites could prove beneficial, she adds. “In an environment filled with space debris and numerous smaller, cost-effective satellites that lack sufficient protection from electrostatic discharges, this radio detection could ultimately lead to innovative technologies for assessing such discharges in space,” she concludes.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Two Uncommon Radio Signals Discovered Emerging from Antarctic Ice

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

An unusual radio pulse was identified by the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) Experiment. Various instruments were deployed on NASA balloons over Antarctica, aiming to detect radio waves produced by cosmic rays impacting the atmosphere. This experiment seeks to illuminate events in the distant universe by scrutinizing signals that reach Earth. Rather than bouncing off the ice, this radio signal seemed to originate from beneath the horizon. Such a direction challenges our current understanding of particle physics and might indicate a previously unknown particle or interaction.

ANITA instruments were stationed in Antarctica to minimize interference with other signals. The setup involves balloon-mediated radio detectors flying through ice to capture what is known as an ice shower. Image credit: Stephanie Wissel/Penn State.

“The detected radio waves were highly angled, approximately 30 degrees below the ice surface,” said physicist Dr. Stephanie Wissel from Pennsylvania State University.

“Our calculations suggest the anomalous signal interacted with thousands of kilometers of rock before reaching the detector.

“This poses an intriguing question as we have yet to understand these anomalies fully. However, we do know they likely do not represent neutrinos.”

Neutrino signals typically emerge from high-energy sources such as the sun or significant cosmic events like supernovae and the Big Bang.

Yet, these particles present a challenge: they are notoriously difficult to detect.

“A billion neutrinos pass through any point instantly, but they rarely interact,” Dr. Wissel explained.

“This presents a paradox. If we detect them, it means they traversed this way without interacting with anything else.”

“We can even identify neutrinos originating from the edge of the observable universe.”

“When observed and traced back to their source, these particles travel at speeds comparable to light, offering insights into illuminative events that reveal more than the most powerful telescopes.”

“Researchers globally have been focused on creating specialized detectors to capture faint neutrino signals.”

“Even a minor signal from neutrinos can unveil valuable information, making all data crucial.”

“We’re aiming to utilize radio detectors to establish a significant neutrino telescope, anticipating low event rates.”

ANITA was one of these detectors, positioned in Antarctica to reduce interference from other signals.

To capture the ejection signal, it deploys a balloon-mediated radio detector to traverse ice stretches and identify what is known as an ice shower.

“We operate these radio antennas on balloons that soar 40 km above the Antarctic ice,” Dr. Wissel noted.

“We lower the antennas into the ice, searching for neutrinos that interact within the ice, resulting in radio emissions detectable by the instrument.”

These unique ice-interacting neutrinos, termed tau neutrinos, generate secondary particles called tau leptons that are released from the ice as they lose energy traveling through space, producing emissions identified as air showers.

“If visible to the naked eye, an air shower may resemble a sparkler dispersed in one direction.

“We can distinguish between two signal types (ice and air shower) and ascertain details about the particles that produced the signals.”

“These signals can be traced back to their sources, akin to how balls thrown at angles bounce back predictably.”

However, the recent peculiar findings cannot be traced because they display sharper characteristics than existing models anticipate.

By analyzing data gathered from multiple ANITA flights and contrasting it with thorough simulations of both mathematical models and common cosmic rays and upward air showers, researchers successfully eliminated background noise and ruled out possibilities of known particle-based signals.

Scientists then cross-referenced signals from other independent detectors, including the IceCube experiment and the Pierre Auger Observatory, to determine if any upward-facing air shower data had been captured by other experiments similar to those identified by ANITA.

The analysis disclosed that no other detectors documented anything capable of explaining what ANITA detected, leading researchers to characterize the signal as abnormal. This indicates that the particles responsible for the signal are not neutrinos.

The signal defies conventional paradigms in particle physics. Some theories propose it could hint at dark matter; however, the absence of follow-up observations from IceCube and Auger significantly diminishes this possibility.

“Our team is in the process of designing and constructing the next major detector,” Dr. Wissel shared.

“We aspire for a new detector called Pueo to be larger and more adept at identifying neutrino signals, which should clarify the nature of the abnormal signal.”

“My hypothesis is that some intriguing radio propagation phenomena occur near the ice, close to the horizon—effects I don’t fully comprehend, but we are certainly investigating them.

“So, this is one of those enduring mysteries, and we are eager to achieve enhanced sensitivity when we deploy Pueo.”

“In principle, we should detect more anomalies, and perhaps we’ll decipher their nature.”

“We could also encounter neutrinos, which would be tremendously exciting in their own right.”

The team’s paper was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

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A. Abdul Halim et al. (Pierre Auger Collaboration). 2025. Exploring abnormal events detected by ANITA using the Pierre Auger Observatory. Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 121003; doi:10.1103/physrevlett.134.121003

This article is based on a press release provided by the Pennsylvania State University.

Source: www.sci.news

Starlink Satellites Emitting Radio Signals That May Disrupt Astronomy

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A new batch of Starlink satellites deployed via Falcon 9 Rocket

SpaceX

Astronomers have raised concerns that SpaceX’s Starlink satellites emit radio waves that may jeopardize their ability to observe and comprehend the early universe.

With thousands of Starlink satellites in orbit offering worldwide internet coverage, astronomers worry that radio emissions from these satellites could interfere with sensitive telescopes monitoring distant and faint radio waves. Although SpaceX has collaborated with astronomers to minimize this disruption by disabling transmission beams while passing over significant telescopes, these measures seem insufficient.

Steven Tingay from Curtin University, Australia, along with his team, is currently tracking signals from nearly 2,000 Starlink satellites using prototype telescopes at the Square Kilometer Array-low Observatory (SKA-low). This future network of over 100,000 interconnected telescopes is designed to investigate the early universe, but researchers have found that Starlink signals could jeopardize their goals by affecting a third of the data gathered at numerous frequencies.

Additionally, they found that the satellites transmit signals in two frequency bands protected for radio astronomy by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which should not be utilized for Starlink transmissions. Yet, these satellite emissions are deemed unintentional. The leaked signals are 10,000 times stronger than the faint radio emissions from the neutral hydrogen clouds that existed when the first stars began to form, and which astronomers wish to study to decode the early universe.

“The signal strength from these unintended emissions can rival some of the brightest natural radio sources in the sky,” Tingay explains. “It’s akin to taking the strongest sauces in the sky, adding even more artificial ones, and causing significant interference, especially in experiments that target super sensitivity.”

Tingay suggests that the emissions likely arise from onboard electronics inadvertently transmitting signals through satellite antennas. He notes that while such leaks are not technically illegal, as ITU regulations only cover intentional emissions, the discourse about how to regulate these types of emissions is starting at the ITU, which has withheld comment.

Dylan Grigg, another researcher from Curtin University, emphasizes, “The optimal approach to mitigate these unintended emissions is for satellites to either reduce or eliminate them. From the operator’s perspective, it’s beneficial that there are existing mitigation strategies in satellites, which SpaceX has already implemented for optical astronomy.” Starlink has adjusted its satellites to minimize light reflection to reduce visual interference.

A spokesperson for SKA-LOW remarked, “These findings align with our previous studies, but additional research is necessary to fully grasp the impact on low-frequency observations.”

Grigg and Tingay have shared their findings with SpaceX, stating that the company is open to discussions on strategies to decrease emissions. SpaceX has not commented on the matter.

If SpaceX cannot devise a solution, researchers may need to introduce algorithmic strategies to filter out contaminated radio waves. However, Tingay pointed out that such methods are still in their early development phases and might require more computational resources than are currently needed for basic processing of the astronomical signals of interest.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Radio Waves and X-ray Emitting Stars: A New Perspective from Our Galaxy

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Askap J1832-0911 – Likely a magnetar or a highly magnetized white dwarf star – emits radio signals and X-ray pulses for 2 minutes every 44 minutes. Paper published in Nature.

A combination of radio, X-ray, and infrared radiation in the field of ASKAP J1832-0911. Image credit: Wang et al., doi: 10.1038/S41586-025-09077-W.

Askap J1832-0911 is situated roughly 15,000 light-years away from Earth in Scutum.

This star was identified by astronomers utilizing the Australian ASKAP Radio telescope.

It belongs to a category known as long-term radio transients, first detected in 2022, characterized by variations in radio wave intensity over several minutes.

This duration is thousands of times greater than the regular fluctuations observed in pulsars. It’s a neutron star that spins rapidly, emitting signals multiple times per second.

“Askap J1832-0911 follows a 44-minute cycle of radio wave intensity, placing it in the realm of long-term radio transients,” stated Dr. Ziteng Wang, an astronomer at Curtin University’s node at the International Centre for Radio Astronomical Research (ICRAR).

Using NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory, researchers noted that ASKAP J1832 also exhibited regular variations in X-ray emissions every 44 minutes.

This marks the first discovery of an X-ray signal in long-term radio transients.

“Astronomers have observed countless celestial bodies through various telescopes and have never encountered anything behaving like this,” Dr. Wang remarked.

“It’s exhilarating to witness such new stellar phenomena.”

Through Chandra and the SKA Pathfinder, scientists found that Askap J1832-0911 experienced a significant reduction in both X-ray and radio wave signals over a six-month period.

Besides the long-term changes, the combination of 44-minute cycles in X-rays and radio waves differs from observations made in the Milky Way galaxy.

The authors are currently competing to determine whether Askap J1832-0911 truly represents long-term radio transients and if its unusual behavior can shed light on the origins of such objects.

Dr. Nanda Lea, an astronomer at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona, Spain, commented:

“No exact match has been found so far, but some models fit better than others.”

It’s improbable that ASKAP J1832-0911 is simply a pulsar or neutron star drawn from a companion star, as its properties do not align with the typical signal strengths of these celestial objects.

Some characteristics might be attributed to neutron stars with exceptionally strong magnetic fields, known as magnetars, which are over 500,000 years old.

However, other aspects, such as its bright and variable radio emissions, make it challenging to categorize this as an aged magnetar.

In the sky, ASKAP J1832-0911 appears to be situated among debris from a supernova, which commonly contains neutron stars formed during such events.

Nevertheless, the team concluded that this proximity is likely coincidental and that the two entities are not associated with one another, suggesting that neither may host neutron stars.

They deduced that while isolated white dwarfs don’t account for the data, white dwarfs with companion stars might.

But such a scenario would necessitate the strongest known magnetic fields in white dwarfs within our galaxy.

“We continue to seek clues about this object and look for similar entities,” said Dr. Tong Bao, an astronomer at the Osservatorio Astronomico in Italy’s National Institute of Astronomy (INAF).

“Discovering mysteries like this is not frustrating; rather, it’s what makes science thrilling!”

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Z. Wang et al. Detection of X-ray radiation from bright long-term radio transients. Nature Published online on May 28, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09077-W

Source: www.sci.news

National Weather Service Issues Warning: Radio Interruptions Expected as Thunderstorms Approach Alabama

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A significant storm is forecasted to impact Alabama this week, as the National Weather Service has halted radio services that deliver vital weather updates for the area.

The Birmingham NWS office announced it will conduct “mandatory scheduled updates” to the advanced weather interactive processing system, which is essential for displaying and integrating weather and water information and disseminating critical alerts like weather and water warnings to the public.

These updates are set to take place from May 19th to May 21st. During this period, the Birmingham office will manage the NOAA weather radio transmitter. The NWS states.

Despite the software updates, the NWS assures that weather forecasts, advisories, clocks, and warnings will still be available. However, radio outages are expected to affect transmitters in northern and central Alabama, including areas like Winfield, Wannta, Birmingham, Aniston, Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, Selma, Montgomery, Auburn, and Texasville.

The NWS did not provide immediate comments, but the agency stated online that the Birmingham forecast office will remain operational while the software updates proceed. Additionally, forecasting duties will also be carried out at the backup office in Peachtree City, Georgia.

NOAA Weather Radio forms a nationwide network of stations that relay official forecasts, weather alerts, and other information from the National Weather Service. This continuous service covers warnings about various threats, including earthquakes, avalanches, oil spills, and public safety announcements.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which supervises the National Weather Service, indicated that NOAA weather radio stations nationwide will undergo necessary updates on a rolling basis for two to three days leading up to June.

“The NWS Local Office intends to inform listeners both on-air and through the website when updates are scheduled,” agency officials noted. According to the NOAA Weather Radio website.

Alabama is among several states facing the threat of severe storms this week, with thunderstorms on Tuesday predicted to produce damaging hail and tornadoes, with wind gusts reaching 60 mph across northwest and central Alabama.

This week’s radio service disruption aligns with Alabama’s severe weather forecast, but it is not the only state bracing for harsh conditions.

An estimated 31 million people are susceptible to severe storms on Monday, stretching from northern Texas to Iowa. Potential hazards include strong winds, large hail, and tornadoes from Monday afternoon into the evening.

On Tuesday, the severe storm outlook will slightly shift, affecting areas from northern Louisiana to Indiana, with risks of large hail, winds, and strong tornadoes re-emerging.

In the meantime, a heat wave has driven temperatures into the late 90s in parts of Texas and Florida, reaching triple digits earlier this week.

These alerts follow a weekend of violent storms, leading to reports of tornadoes in at least 10 states, including Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, with a confirmed toll of at least 28 weather-related fatalities.

This deadly storm arrives as NOAA strives to fill critical forecasting positions nationwide following significant budget cuts to the National Weather Service during the Trump administration. Critics warn that the current staffing shortages in the NWS could pose a serious public safety risk, particularly with hurricane season on the horizon, increasing wildfire threats, and persisting extreme heat this summer.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

White dwarf binary system linked to irregular radio signals

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Astrophysicists have discovered ILT J110160.52+552119.62, a recently discovered temporary radio source, and that the arrival of that approximately one minute pulse with a periodicity of 125.5 minutes is a red-white, white-white dwarf binary system with orbital periods that match the orbital period observed when two stars are observed when they are engaging.

Artistic illustration showing radioactive pulses emitted by the binary star system: white d star orbit around a red d star. Image credits: Daniëlle Futselaar/Artsource.nl.

In recent years, astronomers have detected radio pulses from sources in the Milky Way that last from seconds to minutes.

These pulses differ from what you would expect from known pulsars that produce pulses on the order of milliseconds.

Furthermore, unlike radiopulsars, these so-called long-term transients (LPTs) are periodic on timescales ranging from minutes to hours.

There have been some hypotheses regarding the origin of these novel pulses, but evidence is scarce.

“There are several highly magnetized neutron stars or magnetores known to exhibit radio pulses in periods of a few seconds,” said Charles Kilpatrick, a northwestern astrophysicist.

“Some astrophysicists also claim that the source is spinning and can emit pulses at regular time intervals, so radio emissions are only shown when the source rotates towards us.”

“I know now that at least some long-term radio transients come from binary.”

“We hope this motivates radio astronomers to localize new classes of sources that could arise from neutron stars or magnetoresistance binaries.”

In their study, Dr. Kilpatrick and colleagues focused on periodic radio signals from transient radio sources designated as ILT J110160.52+552119.62 (ILT J1101+5521);

New imaging techniques were used to detect some of these radio pulses in data collected by low frequency arrays (LOFAR).

Behaving like a large radio camera, the telescope can pinpoint the exact location of the radio source in the sky.

According to the team, the Object is about 1,600 light years away in the Ursa major's constellation.

Follow-up observations with multiple mirror telescopes of 6.5 m diameter in Arizona and the Texas Hobby and Everly telescope showed that the ILT J1101+5521 is not a single flashing star, but two stars that cause pulses together.

A white dwarf in orbit around the two stars, the red war star, brings a common center of gravity into orbit every 125.5 minutes.

Researchers say there are two possibilities for the way stars produce unusually long radio pulses.

Potentially, radio bursts can be emitted from the strong magnetic field of a white dwarf or generated by the interaction of a white dwarf and its stellar companion magnetic field.

However, further observation is required to make this clear.

“Thanks to this discovery, we know that compact objects other than neutron stars can produce bright radio emissions,” says Dr. Kaustub Rajwade, an astronomer at Oxford University.

Discoveries are reported in a paper It's published in the journal today Natural Astronomy.

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I. de Ruiter et al. Sporadicated radio pulses from white dwarf binaries during orbit. Nut AthlonPublished online on March 12, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02491-0

Source: www.sci.news

Early Universe Detection of Radio Jet Emitted by Monster 2 Galaxy

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The newly discovered radio jet is associated with J1601+3102, a highly radioloud kusar that spans an astounding 215,000 light years and exists just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. This structure was observed on a low-frequency array (LOFAR), Gemini North Telescope from the Gemini Near-Frared Spectrograph (GNIRS), and the hobby Eberly telescope, and the largest radio jet discovered early in the history of the universe. That's it.

J1601+3102 Radio Jet. Image credits: Lofar/Decals/Desi Legacy Imaging Surveys/lbnl/doe/ctio/noirlab/nsf/aura/F. Sweijen, Durham University/M. Zamani, NSF Noirab.

“We were looking for a quasar with a powerful radio jet in the early universe, which helped us understand how the first jets were formed and how they influenced the evolution of the galaxy. ”

“Determining the properties of a quasar, such as its mass and the speed at which it consumes the problem, is necessary to understand its formation history.”

To measure these parameters, astronomers looked for specific wavelengths emitted by quasars known as the MGII (magnesium) wide emission lines.

This signal is usually displayed in the UV wavelength range. However, due to the expansion of the universe, which causes the light emitted by the quasar to “stretch” to a longer wavelength, the magnesium signal arrives at Earth in the near-infrared wavelength range that can be detected by the Gneal.

J1601+3102 Quasar was formed when the universe was less than 1.2 billion years. It's only 9% of my current age.

Quasars can have billions of times more mass than our Sun, but this is on the small side and weighs 450 million times the mass of the Sun.

The double-sided jets are asymmetric in both brightness and distance extending from the quasar, indicating that extreme environments may be affecting them.

“Interestingly, the quasars that run this large radio jet don't have any extreme black holes mass compared to other quasars,” Dr. Gloudemans said.

“This appears to indicate that generating such a powerful jet in early universes does not necessarily require very large black holes or accretion rates.”

The previous shortage of large radio jets in early space is attributed to noise from the microwave background of the universe. This is a constant fog of microwave radiation remaining from the Big Bang.

This permanent background radiation usually reduces the radio light of such distant objects.

“Because this object is so extreme, it can actually be seen from the Earth, even if it's far away,” Dr. Gloudemans said.

“This object shows us what we can discover by combining the forces of multiple telescopes operating at different wavelengths.”

result It will be displayed in Astrophysics Journal Letter.

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Anniek J. Gloudemans et al. 2025. Monster radio jet (>66 kpc) observed in quasars from z~5. apjl 980, L8; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/AD9609

This article is based on a press release provided by NSF's Noirlab.

Source: www.sci.news

Monitoring recurring rapid radio bursts at the edge of a stationary elliptical galaxy

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The source of the newly detected fast radio burst, FRB 20240209A, is located 2 billion light-years from Earth, on the remote outskirts of an ancient elliptical galaxy with a mass of more than 100 billion solar masses. The remnants of young stars that theorists believe would generate such bursts of radio waves should have long died out in this 11.3 billion-year-old galaxy are detailed in two supplementary studies. Astrophysics Journal Letter this discovery shatters the assumption that fast radio bursts emanate only from regions of active star formation.

Gemini image showing the host galaxy (cyan crosshair) and local ellipse of FRB 20240209A. Image credit: Shah others., doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad9ddc.

“The conventional wisdom is that fast radio bursts (FRBs) originate from magnetars formed by collapsing supernovae,” said Taraneh Eftekari, an astronomer at Northwestern University.

“That doesn’t seem to be the case here. Young, massive stars die out as core-collapse supernovae, but we see no evidence of young stars in this galaxy.”

“Thanks to this new discovery, it is becoming clear that not all Feds are born from young stars.”

“Perhaps there is a subpopulation of FRBs associated with older systems.”

“This new FRB shows that just when we think we understand an astrophysical phenomenon, the universe can turn around and surprise us,” added Wen-Fai Feng, an astronomer at Northwestern University. Ta.

“This ‘dialogue’ with the universe is what makes our field of time-domain astronomy so incredibly thrilling.”

FRB 20240209A was discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) in February 2024.

FRBs are short, powerful bursts of radio waves that flare up and disappear within milliseconds, producing more energy in one quick burst than the sun emits in a year.

However, FRB 20240209A flared up multiple times. During the first burst from February to July 2024, the same source produced 21 additional pulses.

After the research team located the FRB, astronomers quickly used telescopes at W.M. Keck and Gemini Observatories to study the environment surrounding the event.

Surprisingly, rather than discovering young galaxies, these observations revealed that the FRB’s origin lies 2 billion light-years from Earth, at the edge of a neighboring galaxy 11.3 billion years ago.

To learn more about this unusual host galaxy, the researchers used high-performance computers to run simulations.

They discovered that this galaxy is extremely bright and incredibly huge – 100 billion times the mass of our Sun.

“This appears to be the most massive FRB host galaxy ever. It’s one of the most massive galaxies out there,” Dr. Eftekari said.

Although most FRBs occur inside galaxies, the authors tracked FRB 20240209A to the outskirts of its homeworld, 130,000 light-years away from the galaxy’s center, where there are few other stars.

“Of all the FRB populations, this FRB is the furthest from the center of its host galaxy,” said Vishwangi Shah, a graduate student at McGill University.

“This is both surprising and interesting because FRBs are expected to occur inside galaxies, often in star-forming regions.”

“The location of this FRB so far outside its host galaxy raises the question of how such an energetic event could occur in a region where new stars are not forming.”

According to the research team, FRB 20240209A likely originated within a dense globular cluster.

Such clusters are promising sites for magnetars that may have formed through other mechanisms, such as the merger of two neutron stars or the collapse of a white dwarf star under its own gravity, or in conjunction with older stars.

“The globular cluster origin of this repeating FRB is the most likely scenario explaining why this FRB is located outside of its host galaxy,” Shah said.

“Although we do not know for a fact whether there is a globular cluster at the FRB’s location, we have submitted a proposal to use NASA/ESA/CSA’s James Webb Space Telescope for follow-up observations of the FRB’s location.”

“If so, this FRB would be only the second FRB known to exist within a globular cluster. If not, consider other exotic scenarios for the origin of FRBs. You will need to.”

“It’s clear that there is still a lot of interesting discovery to be made about the Fed, and that its environment may hold the key to unlocking its secrets,” Dr. Eftekari said.

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T. Eftekari others. 2025. A huge, stationary elliptical main galaxy that repeats high-speed radio bursts FRB 20240209A. APJL in press. arXiv: 2410.23336

Vishwangi Shah others. 2025. A source of high-speed radio bursts that repeat on the outskirts of a quiet galaxy. APJL 979, L21; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad9ddc

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers reveal that new high-speed radio bursts originated from neutron stars’ magnetospheres

Posted on January 7, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A new study has provided the first definitive evidence that fast radio bursts can originate from the magnetosphere, the highly magnetic environment immediately surrounding very compact objects.

Artist's impression of a neutron star. Image credit: Sci.News.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are short, brilliant bursts of radio waves that originate primarily from extragalactic distances.

These phenomena release as much energy in one millisecond as the sun does in 10,000 years, but the physics that cause them are unknown.

Theories range from a highly magnetized neutron star exploded by a stream of gas near a supermassive black hole to proposals whose outburst characteristics match the signature of technology developed by an advanced civilization.

MIT astronomer Kenzie Nimmo and colleagues focused on the event, dubbed FRB 20221022A, in a new study.

This burst was first detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) in 2022.

The event occurred in a galaxy about 200 million light years away and lasted about 2 milliseconds.

New research suggests that FRB 20221022A emerged from a region extremely close to the rotating neutron star, up to 10,000 km away.

At such close distances, the burst could have originated from the neutron star's magnetosphere, a highly magnetic region immediately surrounding the microstar.

“In a neutron star environment like this, the magnetic field is actually at the limit of what the universe can produce,” Dr. Nimmo said.

“There has been a lot of discussion about whether this bright radio emission can leak out of that extreme plasma.”

“Atoms cannot exist around these highly magnetic neutron stars, also known as magnetars. They are simply torn apart by the magnetic field,” added astronomer Kiyoshi Masui of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“What's interesting here is that we found that the energy stored in magnetic fields gets twisted and rearranged near the source of the magnetic field and is emitted as radio waves visible on the far side of the universe.”

of findings appear in the diary nature.

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K.Nimo others. 2025. Magnetospheric origin of fast radio bursts confined using scintillation. nature 637, 48-51; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08297-w

Source: www.sci.news

Reports show that an unprecedented failure led to the collapse of a world-famous radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Four years after the radio telescope at Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory collapsed. Report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sheds light on the unprecedented failures that led to its destruction.

A steel cable supporting the telescope’s 900-ton receiver platform came loose after a zinc-filled socket built to support it failed, according to a report released Oct. 25. That’s what it means.

The report said the failure was caused by excessive “zinc creep,” a phenomenon in which the metal used to protect the socket from corrosion and rust deforms over time and loses its grip.

The zinc gradually lost its hold on the cable suspending the telescope’s main platform above the reflector dish. This caused multiple cables to be pulled from their sockets, ultimately causing the platform to crash into a reflector more than 400 feet below, according to the report.

Roger L. McCarthy, chairman of the committee for the analysis of the causes of failure and collapse of Arecibo’s 305-meter telescope, said, “This type of failure has been the most common occurrence in more than a century, when zinc spelter sockets have been widely and successfully used. This has never been reported before.” The observatory wrote in its report:

The committee that prepared the report said there was insufficient data to definitively prove the exact cause of the acceleration of “zinc creep.” The only hypothesis the committee was able to develop based on the data was that low current electroplastic effects were responsible. In other words, the constant current flowing through the socket could have strengthened the plastic behavior of the metallic zinc and, as a result, weakened its grip.

The committee reviewed an array of documents commissioned by the University of Central Florida and the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that owns the observatory, including a forensic investigation, structural analysis, engineering plans, inspection reports, photographs, and repair proposals. Reach that conclusion. They also gathered information from Arecibo Observatory employees, other “related research” sources, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. I mentioned this in a media advisory last month..

The commission also issued a series of recommendations in its report. These include making the remaining sockets and cable sections of the radio telescope available for further research and increasing careful monitoring of aging research facilities to detect deterioration and potential new failure modes. Included.

The telescope was used to track asteroids as they headed toward Earth, conduct research that led to Nobel Prizes, and determine whether planets were potentially habitable. It also functions as a training venue for graduate students, and is visited by approximately 90,000 people annually.

The telescope was built in the 1960s with funding from the Department of Defense during the development of ballistic missile defense. In its 57 years of operation, it has withstood hurricanes, tropical humidity, and a recent series of earthquakes.

The observatory began to collapse in August 2020 when an auxiliary cable snapped, damaging the telescope’s antenna and the receiver platform suspended above it, according to the National Science Foundation. After several other cable failures, the federal agency decided to begin a plan to decommission the telescope in November 2020.

This transition did little to stop the telescope’s complete collapse on December 1, 2020.

In 2022, the National Science Foundation says: Puerto Rico’s famous radio telescope won’t be rebuilt. Instead, it called for a $5 million education center to be established in its place to promote programs and partnerships related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

nicole acevedo

Nicole Acevedo is a reporter for NBC Latino.

Associated Press contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Most fast radio bursts come from galaxies with high star formation rates

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-long events detected from beyond the Milky Way. The radiative properties of FRBs favor magnetars as their source, as evidenced by FRB-like outbursts from the Milky Way's magnetars and the star-forming nature of FRB host galaxies. However, the process that generates the FRB source remains unknown. FRBs are more likely to occur in massive star-forming galaxies, according to a new study. The study also suggests that magnetars, whose magnetic fields are 100 trillion times stronger than Earth's, are often formed when two stars merge and later explode in a supernova.

This photo montage shows the Deep Synoptic Array-110 antenna used to locate and determine the location of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). Above the antenna are several images of the FRB's host galaxy appearing in the sky. These galaxies are very large and challenging models to describe FRB sources. Image credit: Annie Mejia/California Institute of Technology.

“Magnetars' immense power output makes them one of the most fascinating and extreme objects in the universe,” said lead author Kriti Sharma, a graduate student at Caltech.

“Little is known about what causes magnetars to form during the extinction of massive stars. Our work helps answer this question.”

To search for FRBs, Sharma and his colleagues used Deep Synoptic Array-110 (DSA-110) at the Owens Valley Radio Astronomical Observatory near Bishop, California.

To date, this sprawling radio array has detected 70 FRBs and located their specific source galaxies (only 23 other FRBs have been located by other telescopes). is).

In the current study, the researchers analyzed 30 of these local FRBs.

“DSA-110 more than doubles the number of FRBs containing known host galaxies, which is what we built the array for,” said Dr. Vikram Ravi of the California Institute of Technology.

FRBs are known to occur in galaxies that are actively forming stars, but the authors were surprised to find that FRBs are more frequent in massive star-forming galaxies than in low-mass star-forming galaxies. I've found that this tends to happen.

This alone was interesting because astronomers had previously thought that all types of active galaxies generate FRBs.

Armed with this new information, they began pondering what the results revealed about the Fed.

Metals in our universe (elements manufactured by stars) take time to accumulate over the course of the universe's history, so large galaxies tend to be rich in metals.

The fact that FRBs are more common in these metal-rich galaxies means that the magnetars from which they originate are also more common in these types of galaxies.

Stars rich in metals (astronomical terminology for elements heavier than hydrogen or helium) tend to be larger than other stars.

“Over time, as the galaxy grows, successive generations of stars evolve and die, enriching the galaxy with metals,” Dr. Ravi said.

Additionally, massive stars that can go supernova and become magnetars are more commonly found in pairs.

In fact, 84% of massive stars are binaries. So when one massive star in a binary swells with extra metal content, that extra material is pulled into its partner, which facilitates the eventual merger of the two stars.

These merging stars will have a combined magnetic field that is larger than the magnetic field of a single star.

“Stars with more metallic content swell, promoting mass transfer and eventually reaching mergers, resulting in even more massive stars with a total magnetic field greater than what any individual star would have.” is formed,” Sharma said.

In summary, since FRBs are preferentially observed in massive, metal-rich star-forming galaxies, magnetars (which are thought to cause FRBs) are also probably located in metal-rich environments that promote the merger of two stars. It is thought that it is formed by.

Therefore, this result suggests that magnetars in the universe originate from the remains of stellar mergers.

In the future, the team plans to use the DSA-110 and eventually the DSA-2000, an even larger wireless array to be built in the Nevada desert and expected to be completed in 2028, to connect more FRBs and their We would like to track the location of the occurrence.

“This result is a milestone for the entire DSA team. Many of the authors of this paper helped build DSA-110,” said Dr. Ravi.

“And the fact that DSA-110 is so good at localizing FRBs bodes well for the success of DSA-2000.”

of findings Published in today's magazine nature.

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K. Sharma others. 2024. Preferential occurrence of fast radio bursts in massive star-forming galaxies. nature 635, 61-66; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08074-9

Source: www.sci.news

Allen Telescope Array seeks radio signatures of technology from TRAPPIST-1 system

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The TRAPPIST-1 system is a compact system of at least seven exoplanets that are similar in size to Earth. Astronomers from Pennsylvania State University and the SETI Institute spent 28 hours scanning the system for signs of alien radio technology using the Allen Telescope Array. This project marks the longest single-target search for radio signals from TRAPPIST-1. Although astronomers found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology, their work introduced new ways to search for wireless techno-signatures in the future.

This artist's impression shows a surface view of one of the exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. Image credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser / Spaceengine.org.

TRAPPIST-1 is an ultracool dwarf star located 38.8 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius.

This star is barely larger than Jupiter and has only 8% the mass of the Sun. It rotates rapidly and produces an energetic flare of ultraviolet light.

TRAPPIST-1 is the home planet of seven transit planets named TRAPPIST-1b, c, d, e, f, g, and h.

All of these planets are the same size or slightly smaller than Earth and Venus, and have very short orbital periods of 1.51, 2.42, 4.04, 6.06, 9.21, 12.35, and 20 days, respectively.

Presumably they are all tidally locked, meaning that the same side of the planet always faces the star, just as the same side of the moon always points towards the Earth. This creates a persistent night side and a persistent day side for each planet in TRAPPIST-1.

Three of the planets, TRAPPIST-1e, f, and g, are located in the star's habitable zone, meaning they may have an environment suitable for life.

“The TRAPPIST-1 system is relatively close to Earth and has detailed information about the planet's orbit, making it an excellent natural laboratory for testing these technologies,” said Penn State graduate student Nick Tasei said.

“The methods and algorithms we developed for this project could eventually be applied to other star systems, increasing the likelihood of finding regular communications between planets beyond our solar system (if they exist). ).

Tusay and his colleagues focused on a phenomenon called interplanetary occultations.

These occultations occur when one planet moves in front of another. If intelligent life exists in that star system, it is possible that radio signals sent between the planets could leak and be detected from Earth.

Astronomers used the upgraded Allen Telescope Array to scan a wide range of frequencies, looking for narrowband signals that could be a possible sign of alien technology.

They filtered through millions of potential signals and narrowed it down to about 11,000 candidates for further analysis.

They detected 2,264 of these signals during the predicted interplanetary occultation period. However, none of the signals were of non-human origin.

New features of the Allen Telescope Array include advanced software to filter signals, helping researchers separate possible alien signals from those on Earth.

They believe that improving these techniques and focusing on phenomena such as interplanetary occultations could increase the chances of detecting alien signals in the future.

Although scientists did not find any alien signals this time, they plan to continue refining their search techniques and exploring other star systems.

Future explorations using larger and more powerful telescopes could help scientists detect even fainter signals and expand our understanding of the universe.

“This study shows that we are getting closer to detecting radio signals similar to those we send into space,” Tusey said.

“Most searches assume some kind of intent, such as a beacon, because our receivers have a sensitivity limit to the minimum transmit power above what we transmit unintentionally.”

“But with better instruments, such as the upcoming Square Kilometer Array, we may soon be able to detect signals from alien civilizations communicating with our spacecraft.”

of the team result will appear in astronomy magazine.

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Nick Tasei others. 2024. TRAPPIST-1 wireless technology signature search using the Allen Telescope Array. A.J.in press. arXiv: 2409.08313

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers find record-breaking slowest rotating neutron star emitting radio waves

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Neutron stars typically spin quickly, taking just a few seconds or even a fraction of a second to complete one revolution around their axis, but one neutron star labeled ASKAP J1935+2148 bucks this rule, emitting radio signals at a relatively slow interval of 53.8 minutes.

Artist's impression of a neutron star. Image courtesy of Sci.News.

“We're used to extreme examples when studying radio-emitting neutron stars, so the discovery of such a compact star that is still emitting radio waves despite rotating slowly was unexpected,” said Professor Ben Stappers, from the University of Manchester.

“This new generation of radio telescopes demonstrates that pushing the boundaries of our search space will reveal surprises that will shake up our understanding.”

At the end of their lives, massive stars use up all their fuel and undergo a spectacular explosion called a supernova.

What remains is a stellar remnant called a neutron star, which consists of trillions of neutrons packed into an extremely dense sphere with a mass 1.4 times that of the Sun, packed into a radius of just 10 km.

Astronomers detected an unexpected radio signal from ASKAP J1935+2148 that traveled about 16,000 light-years to Earth.

The nature of its radio emission and the rate of change of its rotation period suggest that it is a neutron star, but further study is needed to confirm what this object is.

“This discovery relied on the complementary capabilities of the ASKAP and MeerKAT telescopes, combined with our ability to probe these objects on timescales of minutes, and examine how their radiation changes from second to second,” said Dr Kaustubh Rajwade, an astronomer at the University of Oxford.

“Such synergies can shed new light on how these compact objects evolve.”

ASKAP J1935+2148 was detected by CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope in the Wadjari Yamatji region of Western Australia.

“What's interesting is that this object exhibits three different radiation states, each with completely different properties to the others,” said Dr Manisha Caleb, an astronomer at the University of Sydney.

“The MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa played a key role in distinguishing between these states.”

“If the signals had not come from the same point in the sky, it would be hard to believe that it was the same object producing these different signals.”

“Until the arrival of these new telescopes, the dynamic radio sky was relatively unexplored,” said Professor Tara Murphy, from the University of Sydney.

“Now we can look deeply and frequently see a variety of unusual phenomena.”

“These events give us insight into how physics works in extreme environments.”

This discovery paper In the journal Natural Astronomy.

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M. Caleb othersA radio transient phenomenon in which the radiation state switches with a period of 54 minutes. Nat AstronPublished online June 5, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02277-w

Source: www.sci.news

Aurora-like radio emissions detected above sunspots by solar astronomers

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array have observed long-lasting aurora-like radio bursts above sunspots. This discovery could help us better understand the behavior of our own star, as well as distant stars that emit similar radio emissions.

excellent other. We discovered radio bursts above sunspots that are similar to the radio emissions from the aurora borealis on Earth. The pink and purple stripes in this figure represent radio wave radiation, with high frequency radio signals near the sunspots, pink being high frequency and purple being low frequency radio signals. The thin lines represent the magnetic field lines above the sunspot. Sunspots are dark areas at the bottom of the sun. Image credit: Sijie Yu, New Jersey Institute of Technology.

“This sunspot's radio emission represents the first detection of its kind,” said Dr. Shijie Yu, an astronomer at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

“Such radio bursts were detected about 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) above sunspots (relatively cool, dark, magnetically active regions of the Sun) that had previously been observed only on planets and other stars. It was done.”

On other planets like Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, auroras sparkle in the night sky when solar particles get caught up in the planet's magnetic field and are pulled toward the poles where the magnetic field lines converge.

As the particles accelerate toward the poles, they generate powerful radio emissions at frequencies around a few hundred kilohertz that collide with atoms in the atmosphere and emit light as auroras.

The research team's analysis shows that radio bursts on sunspots likely occur in a similar way, when high-energy electrons are captured and accelerated by magnetic fields converging on sunspots. It suggests.

However, unlike Earth's aurora borealis, the radio bursts from sunspots occur at much higher frequencies, from hundreds of thousands of kilohertz to approximately one million kilohertz.

“This is a direct result of the sunspot's magnetic field being thousands of times stronger than Earth's magnetic field,” Yu says.

Similar radio emissions have been previously observed from several types of low-mass stars.

This discovery raises the possibility that auroral-like radio emissions originate from large spots on these stars, in addition to previously proposed polar auroras.

“This discovery excites us as it challenges existing concepts of solar radio phenomena and opens new avenues for exploring magnetic activity both in the Sun and in distant star systems. ” said Dr. Yu.

“NASA's ever-growing heliophysics fleet is well suited to continue investigating the source regions of these radio bursts,” said NASA Goddard Space Flight Center heliophysicist and solar radio researcher. said Dr. Nachimthuk Gopalswamy.

“For example, the Solar Dynamics Observatory continuously monitors the active regions of the Sun, which could be causing this phenomenon.”

In the meantime, the authors plan to review other solar radio bursts to see if any resemble the aurora-like radio bursts they discovered.

“We aim to determine whether some previously recorded solar outbursts may be examples of this newly identified emission,” Dr. Yu said.

of findings appear in the diary natural astronomy.

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S.Yu other. 2024. Long-lasting aurora-like radio emission detected over a sunspot. Nat Astron 8, 50-59; doi: 10.1038/s41550-023-02122-6

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists puzzled by mysterious burst of intergalactic radio waves hitting Earth.

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

It may be hard to miss, but unimaginably strong bursts of cosmic radiation happen possibly a thousand times every day. They are bright enough to overwhelm our radio telescopes from billions of light-years away.

However, fast radio bursts (FRBs) were not detected until 2007. Despite over a decade of investigation, they remain one of the most intriguing mysteries in astrophysics. Recent research offers new and promising clues about their origins, while also revealing why these space phenomena are so perplexing in the first place.

When FRBs were first discussed in seminars, the big question wasn’t “What astrophysical cause is causing this?” Instead, it was, “Isn’t this just a mechanical failure?”

FRBs last about 1 millisecond and spread out in frequency in a manner very similar to a blip from a pulsar. But the problem is, they don’t come from any known pulsars, they don’t repeat like pulsars, and they’re clearly much more powerful than any pulsar pulses we’ve seen before.

To make matters worse, for many years the only telescope that observed FRBs was the Parkes Observatory in Australia. The debate became even more heated when it turned out that some of the FRB-like bursts observed by Parkes did not come from astronomical sources.

These bursts, called “peritons,” were always suspected to be of terrestrial origin. But clever detective work by astronomers solved the case. Dr. Emily Petrov and her colleagues showed that Periton had a strong correlation with local lunchtime. In reality, radiation leaked from the observatory’s microwave when the door opened too early.

It was eventually revealed that the FRBs were indeed from far away in space. More radio telescopes were configured to record very short bursts of radio waves, and detection rates began to skyrocket.

Those bursts came from all over the sky, suggesting they didn’t originate in our galaxy. In the first decade after the discovery, theorists produced a huge number of papers explaining the possible origins of the bursts.

In 2012, repeated FRBs were discovered, ruling out origins requiring complete destruction, such as supernovae. It was soon discovered that there were many more repeated bursts, mostly occurring at irregular intervals.

As more outbursts are discovered, there is growing evidence that FRBs may be associated with extraordinarily powerful magnetars: neutron stars that rotate in extremely strong magnetic fields.

Recent evidence suggests that at least some FRBs originate from nearby spiral galaxies rather than elliptical galaxies.

Astronomers will need to continue collecting clues, looking for suggestive patterns in the data, and eagerly awaiting observational upgrades that will allow them to pinpoint the FRBs’ local environment.

Whatever the outcome, the fast radio burst is a great example of the fact that in science, when we look at the universe in new and different ways, we almost always discover something surprising that no one had ever thought to look for.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

ATCA discovers tiny radio sources in the core of 47 Tucanae

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

used by astronomers CSIRO's Australian Telescope Compact Array captured the most detailed radio images ever seen of the 47-member Tukanae star cluster, the second brightest globular cluster in the night sky.

paduano other. identified new radio sources (white squares) at the center of 47 Tucanae (red circles).Image credit: Paduano other., doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad0e68.

Tucanae 47, also known as NGC 104, is a massive ancient globular cluster located approximately 15,300 light-years south of the constellation Tucanae.

At about 120 light-years in diameter, this cluster is so large that despite its distance, it appears to be about the same size as the full moon.

Home to millions of stars, 47 Tucanae is one of the brightest and most massive globular clusters known and is visible to the naked eye.

“Globular clusters are very old, gigantic balls of stars found around the Milky Way. They are incredibly dense, with tens to millions of stars packed together inside the ball.” said Dr. Arash Bahramian, astronomer at the Curtin University Node of the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR).

“Our images are of 47 Tucanae, one of the most massive globular clusters in the galaxy. It has more than a million stars and a very bright, very dense core.”

The ultra-high-sensitivity radio images of 47 species of Tucanidae were created from more than 450 hours of observations with CSIRO's Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA).

“The 47 Tukanae are visible to the naked eye and were first cataloged in the 1700s,” Dr. Bahramian said.

“By imaging in great detail, we were able to discover an incredibly faint radio signal at the center of the cluster that was previously undetectable.”

“The detection of the signal is an exciting discovery and can be attributed to one of two possibilities,” said Dr. Alessandro Paduano, also from ICRAR's Curtin University Node.

“First, the 47 Tukanae may contain black holes with masses between the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies and the stellar black holes created by collapsing stars. .”

“Intermediate-mass black holes are thought to exist within globular clusters, but they have not yet been clearly detected.”

“If this signal turns out to be a black hole, it would be a very important discovery and the first radio detection of a black hole in a star cluster.”

The second possible source is a pulsar. This is a rotating neutron star that emits radio waves.

“This is an interesting discovery scientifically, as a pulsar so close to the center of a cluster could be used to search for as yet undetected central black holes,” Paduano said.

of result Published in astrophysical journal.

_____

Alessandro Paduano other. 2024. Ultra-deep ATCA imaging of 47 Tucanae reveals a central, compact radio source. APJ 961, 54; doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad0e68

Source: www.sci.news

Unprecedentedly fast radio burst detected in a galaxy group at extreme distance

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A fast radio burst phenomenon called FRB 20220610A flashed in an unlikely location: a collection of at least seven galaxies that existed when the universe was only 5 billion years old. Most fast radio bursts to date have been found in isolated galaxies.

This Hubble image shows the host galaxy of the extremely powerful fast radio burst FRB 20220610A. Image credit: NASA/ESA/STScI/Alexa Gordon, Northwestern University.

FRB 20220610A was first detected by the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia on June 10, 2022.

ESO's Very Large Telescope confirmed that the FRB came from a distant place. The Fed was four times more energetic than its closer counterpart.

“We needed Hubble's acuity and sensitivity to pinpoint the source of the FRB,” said Northwestern University astronomer Alexa Gordon.

“Without Hubble's images, it will remain a mystery whether this arose from a monolithic galaxy or some kind of interacting system.”

“It's these kinds of environments, these strange environments, that are driving us to a deeper understanding of the Fed's mysteries.”

Hubble's sharp images suggest that FRB 20220610A arose in an environment where up to seven galaxies could be on a potential path to a merger, which is also very significant.

“We're ultimately trying to answer the question: What causes this? What are their ancestry and their origin?” said Wen-Fai Fung, an astronomer at Northwestern University. Ta.

“Hubble observations provide an incredible view of the surprising types of environments that give rise to these mysterious events.”

Although hundreds of FRBs have been detected, their ancestry is unknown. One of the leading candidates is magnetars.

They have magnetic fields so strong that if a magnetar were to be located halfway between the Earth and the Moon, it would erase the magnetic stripes on everyone's credit cards around the world.

Even worse, if the astronaut traveled within a few hundred miles of the magnetar, they would effectively be dissolved, as every atom in their body would be destroyed.

Possible mechanisms include some kind of shocking starquake, or an explosion triggered when the magnetar's twisted magnetic field lines break and recombine.

A similar phenomenon occurs on the Sun, causing solar flares, but the magnetar's magnetic field is a trillion times more powerful than the Sun's magnetosphere.

This snap can cause a flash of the FRB or create a shock wave that incinerates the surrounding dust and heats the gas to create a plasma.

There can be several types of magnetars. In some cases, it could be an explosive object orbiting a black hole surrounded by a disk of matter.

Another option is a pair of orbiting neutron stars whose magnetospheres interact periodically to create cavities in which eruptions can occur.

Magnetars are estimated to be active for about 10,000 years before becoming permanent, and are expected to be discovered in areas where violent storms of star formation occur. However, this does not seem to be the case for all magnetars.

In the near future, the sensitivity of FRB experiments will improve and FRBs will be detected at unprecedented rates at these distances.

“We need to continue to find more of these FRBs in different types of environments, both near and far,” Dr. Gordon said.

Astronomers announced that findings in AAS243243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

_____

alexa gordon other. 2024. Revealing the environment of the most distant FRB with the Hubble Space Telescope. AAS243summary #3679

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers solve the enigma of enigmatic radio circles

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The odd radio sphere (ORC), a type of extragalactic astronomical source discovered in 2019, is actually a shell formed by galactic winds spilling from massive supernovae, according to a new study.

ASKAP radio continuum image (contours) of ORC 1 superimposed on the DES tricolor composite image. Two galaxies of interest: 'C' is near the center of ORC 1, and 'S' coincides with the southern radio peak. Image credit: Norris otherarXiv: 2006.14805.

The first three ORCs were discovered during the Cosmic Evolution Map pilot survey using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope.

A fourth ORC, called ORC4, was discovered in archival data taken with the Giant Meterwave radio telescope, and additional ORCs were discovered in subsequent ASKAP and MeerKAT data.

These sources are huge, hundreds of kiloparsecs across, with one kiloparsec equal to 3,260 light-years.

Multiple theories have been proposed to explain its origin, including planetary nebulae and black hole mergers, but it was not possible to distinguish between the theories based on radio data alone.

Intrigued, Professor Alison Coyle of the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues thought that the radio rings could have originated from the later stages of the starburst galaxies they were studying.

Until then, ORCs had only been observed by radio emission, and no optical data were available.

Astronomers observed ORC 4 using the Integrating Field Spectrometer at W.M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and found that it contained a huge amount of high-brightness, much more than is seen in the average galaxy. A heated compressed gas was revealed.

With more questions than answers, the team set to work doing some detective work.

Using optical and infrared imaging data, they determined that the stars in the ORC 4 galaxy are about 6 billion years old.

“This galaxy experienced an explosion of star formation that ended about a billion years ago,” Professor Coyle said.

The authors also ran a series of numerical computer simulations to recreate the size and properties of the massive radio ring containing large amounts of shocked cold gas in the central galaxy.

Simulations show that the outflowing galactic winds will continue to blow for 200 million years before stopping.

When the winds stopped, forward shocks continued to push hot gas out of the galaxy, forming a radio ring, while reverse shocks caused cooler gas to fall into the galaxy.

The simulation ran for 750 million years. This is within ORC 4's estimated stellar age of 1 billion years.

“For this to work, you need a high mass egress rate, which means you're releasing a lot of material very quickly,” Professor Coyle says.

“And the surrounding gas just outside the galaxy has to be low density, otherwise the shock stalls. Those are the two key factors.”

“We found that the galaxies we have studied have high rates of mass outflow. Although rare, they do exist. This points to ORC originating from some type of outflow galactic wind. I really think so.”

Outflow winds not only help astronomers understand ORCs, but ORCs also help astronomers understand outflow winds.

“ORC provides a way to 'see' the wind through radio data and spectroscopy,” Professor Coyle said.

“This will help us determine how common extreme outflow winds from galaxies are and what the life cycle of winds is like.”

“These can also help us learn more about galaxy evolution. Do all giant galaxies go through an ORC phase?”

“Do spiral galaxies become elliptical when they stop forming stars? I think there's a lot we can learn about and from the ORC.”

of study It was published in the magazine Nature.

_____

AL coil other. Ionized gas extends beyond 40 kpc within odd radio host galaxies. Nature, published on January 8, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06752-8

Source: www.sci.news

Radio Bursts from Distant Galaxies: A Mysterious Phenomenon

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Artist's impression of the path of a fast radio burst (not to scale) FRB 20220610A

M. Kohnmesser/European Southern Observatory

The unexplained flash of radio waves that reached Earth in 2022 originated from a small group of galaxies about 8 billion light-years away. This discovery expands our understanding of how mysterious fast radio bursts (FRBs) form.

To date, astronomers have discovered more than 1,000 FRBs. FRBs are strange bursts of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation that cross the sky in just a few milliseconds. Some events repeat and are detected as blinking multiple times. The main explanation is that FRBs are produced by powerful spinning stars known as magnetars, highly magnetized spinning stars left behind after a massive star explodes as a supernova.

About 50 FRBs have been identified as the source of the Milky Way and other galaxies. But in 2022, astronomers discovered the most distant and powerful FRB yet: non-recurring FRB 20220610A, which dates back to when the universe was just 5 billion years old.

alexa gordon A team of researchers from Northwestern University in Illinois followed up on this finding. Researchers discovered in April 2023 using the Hubble Space Telescope that FRB 20220610A originates from a small dwarf galaxy. This galaxy was part of a compact group of seven galaxies so small that the entire galaxy fit within the Milky Way. “This is a very unusual system,” Gordon says. “At this distance of his FRB, only about 0.1 to 1 percent of galaxies belong to compact groups.”

Such groups are thought to be active regions of star formation. This supports FRB's explanation of magnetars, as they probably form early in a galaxy's evolution when hot, massive stars explode. In compact groups, “galaxies are interacting fairly frequently,” Gordon says. This triggers star formation consistent with what is seen in his FRB study, produced by newer, near-Earth sources.

This work was uploaded to the arXiv preprint server late last year and was also presented at today's presentation. Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans.

This discovery further expands the types of environments in which FRBs are known to exist. “The majority are in star-forming spiral galaxies,” Gordon says. “But he also found FRBs in galaxy clusters, dwarf galaxies, and globular clusters. The addition of 'compact groups' to this list shows that we are finding his FRBs in a variety of locations.” Here's another example. ”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Unusual ‘Sad Trombone’ Effect Detected in Radio Burst from Space

Posted on December 28, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

allen telescope array

Seth Szostak/SETI Institute

Short, powerful bursts of radio waves from space are becoming increasingly bizarre. Astronomers discovered 35 of these bursts from a single object with a pattern unlike anything seen before.

sophia sheikh Researchers at California's SETI Institute and colleagues observed the object, a fast radio burst (FRB) called FRB 20220912A, during 541 hours of observation with the Allen Telescope Array in California. In each of this burst from his Fed, they discovered a phenomenon called “sad trombone”…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Astronomers find frequent and energetic fast radio bursts

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

FRB 20220912A is a repetitive high-speed radio burst discovered in 2022 that remained highly active for several months.Use recently updated one allen telescope arraySETI Institute astronomers recorded 35 bursts from 541 hours of follow-up observations over two months of the FRB 20220912A source and found that an interesting pattern had emerged.

Artist’s impression of FRB 110523 as it reaches Earth. The colors represent bursts arriving at different radio wavelengths, with longer wavelengths (red) arriving a few seconds after shorter wavelengths (blue). Image credit: Jingchuan Yu / Beijing Planetarium.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are mysterious and rarely detected bursts of energy that come from beyond the Milky Way.

These events have a duration of milliseconds and exhibit the characteristic dispersive sweep of radio pulsars.

They emit as much energy in one millisecond as the sun does in 10,000 years, but the physical phenomena that cause them are unknown.

More than 100 FRBs have been detected to date, but only some of them have been observed to replicate so far.

Like most repeating FRBs, each burst from FRB 20220912A drifted from higher to lower frequencies over time.

However, the center frequency of the bursts also showed a previously unseen drop, and when converted to audible sounds using xylophone sounds, it became clear that they sounded like cosmic slide whistles.

In this song, most of the highest notes are heard in the first few seconds, and most of the lowest notes are heard in the last few seconds, as if the xylophone player was repeatedly hitting the lowest available bars on the instrument. .

Astronomers believe that at least some FRBs are produced by neutron stars known as magnetars, while other theories point to binary neutron star collisions or white dwarf mergers.

Dynamic spectra, frequency-averaged pulse profiles, and time-averaged spectra of all bursts from FRB 20220912A detected using the Allen telescope array.Image credit: Shake other. /SETI Institute.

“This study is exciting because it provides both confirmation of known FRB properties and the discovery of several new properties,” said Dr. Sophia Sheikh, lead author of the study.

“We have narrowed down the source of FRBs to extreme objects, such as magnetars, but no existing model can explain all the properties observed so far.”

Dr. Sheikh and his colleagues made this discovery after 541 hours of observations using the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array.

They also tried to identify patterns in the timing between bursts, but found none. This further illustrates the unpredictable and mysterious nature of these powerful radio bursts.

Nevertheless, the latest research marks another step in the quest to unlock the secrets of FRBs, which generate as much energy in a thousandth of a second as the sun does in a year.

“It was great to be part of the first FRB study conducted using the Allen Telescope Array,” said Dr. Sheikh.

“This study proves that new telescopes with unique capabilities like the Allen Telescope Array can provide new angles on outstanding mysteries in FRB science.”

of the team paper will be published in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

_____

Sophia Z. Sheikh other. 2023. Characterization of iterative FRB 20220912A using the Allen Telescope Array. MNRAS, in press. arXiv: 2312.07756

Source: www.sci.news

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