Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery, pinning down the origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs) for the first time. By studying the twinkling light of an FRB detected in 2022, researchers found that it originated from the powerful magnetic field around a magnetar, a type of neutron star, located 200 million light-years away.
Fast radio bursts have puzzled scientists since their discovery in 2007. These brief, powerful bursts release more energy than 500 million Suns in a millisecond. The challenge lies in tracing them back to their source due to their unpredictable nature. However, by examining the properties of the radio light, such as its polarization, astronomers can infer what environment it traveled through.
Magnetars are extremely dense core remnants left over after a massive star goes supernova. They possess powerful external magnetic fields, which are 1,000 times stronger than ordinary neutron stars. In these environments, atoms cannot exist due to the intense magnetic forces.
The researchers studied an event known as FRB 20221022A and found that it was consistent with a rotating object, providing evidence for the magnetar origin. By analyzing the scintillation of the light from the FRB, they calculated the size of the region it originated from, narrowing down the source to within 10,000 kilometers.
This discovery marks the first conclusive evidence that fast radio bursts can emerge from the magnetospheres of magnetars. The techniques used by the team show promise for understanding the diversity of these events and uncovering new insights into their physics.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-trace-fast-radio-burst-to-surprise-source-for-first-time