Astronomers at Australia's Parkes Observatory have captured three more mysterious fast radio pulses, the nature of which is still unclear. In this case, one of the received signals turned out to have a record power in terms of signal-to-noise ratio. Signals were received on March 1, March 9 (most powerful) and March 11. Radio pulses were labeled FRB 180301, FRB 180309 and FRB 180311, in accordance with the dates of their detection.
Fast radio pulses (FRBs) represent one of the most interesting mysteries in space. Scientists have begun to detect them only in the last few decades and have been able to pick up only 33 signals from various sources. One of these sources, labeled FRB 121102, is the most unique on the list. Unlike other FRBs, this signal has a repetitive nature.
Each burst observed by scientists is a very powerful radio pulse with an energy of 100 million Suns, but lasting only a few milliseconds. The latter, by the way, along with the non-repeating nature, does not allow predicting when such a signal may appear again, as well as accurately calculate the location of its source.
An exception, as noted above, is the FRB 121102 signal. It is he who can help scientists narrow down the range of possible phenomena that could create these fast radio bursts. At the moment, there are several assumptions that offer an explanation for the nature of these signals. And it is quite possible that the true nature of these signals may indeed have several reasons.
For example, according to one of the latest studies of the FRB 121102 signal, a neutron star could be its source. But among other hypotheses, there are also black holes, binary pulsars, blitzars, a connection with gamma-ray emissions (which can be caused, among other things, by colliding neutron stars), as well as magnetars.
Well, nowhere without aliens. The rather famous physicist Avi Loeb does not exclude the possibility that these signals may be echoes of the launched engines of giant spaceships. Confirmation of this is hindered by the fact that the signals are observed in different frequency ranges, which may indicate that they arrive at us over very long distances, perhaps even several billion light years. The only thing scientists agree on is that the source of these signals is incredibly powerful.
As for the three signals received this month, their signal-to-noise ratio was four times higher than that of any other FRB previously received. The researchers believe these signals are not repetitive. Nevertheless, the very fact that in such a short period of time it was possible to catch three signals at once is striking, especially if we take into account their total number over the entire observation period.
In fact, some scientists believe that most FRB signals are of a repetitive nature, but we cannot confirm this due to the enormous distances that they have to cover. In other words, repeated signals from the same sources have simply not yet reached us.
Promotional video:
The upcoming project for the world's largest radio interferometer may solve the FRB puzzle. At least scientists hope so. Last year, three fast radio bursts were detected by the first-launched Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), which will be part of the world's largest Square Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope, with parts of the arrays to be located in Australia. New Zealand and South Africa. Its construction is scheduled to be completed by 2019.
SKA will also use a low-frequency aperture matrix that will be able to pick up even the weakest signals. In addition, the telescope will be able to cover a much larger area of interest, which in turn gives hope for more frequent discovery of FRB signals.
Even if it turns out that the true source of the signals cannot be traced, even then statistics can greatly contribute to understanding the FRB. Eventually we will be able to find out with what frequency these signals appear.
Nikolay Khizhnyak