Mysterious radio signal travels 200 million years to reach Earth
- A fast radio burst, known as FRB 20221022A, was detected in 2022 and traveled 200 million light years to reach Earth.
- Researchers from MIT found that this FRB originated from a small region just 10,000 kilometers from the surface of a neutron star.
- These findings provide unprecedented insight into the nature and origins of fast radio bursts, expanding our understanding of neutron stars.
In 2022, astronomers detected a mysterious radio burst, known as FRB 20221022A, which traveled 200 million light years to reach Earth. This unique event was traced back to the magnetic field of an ultra-dense neutron star. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted extensive studies on this particular fast radio burst (FRB), shedding light on the mechanisms behind these brief yet powerful cosmic phenomena. Previous FRBs have been observed since 2007, but the precise sources and mechanisms of their generation have remained elusive. The findings provided the first conclusive evidence that FRBs can originate from the magnetospheres of neutron stars, which are compact celestial bodies characterized by extraordinarily strong magnetic fields. The researchers assessed the burst's brightness and noted that the emission was highly polarized, with a distinctive smooth S-shaped curve tracing its angle of polarization. This characteristic indicated that the emission site was likely rotating, a trait commonly associated with pulsars, which are highly magnetized and rapidly rotating neutron stars. Moreover, the study revealed that the radio burst's source was located remarkably close to the surface of the neutron star, only about 10,000 kilometers away. To put this into perspective, this is akin to measuring the width of a DNA helix from the surface of the moon. The high precision of this measurement offers valuable insights into the extreme conditions present in the environment of neutron stars and raises questions about the physical processes that produce such energetic emissions. The researchers also addressed ongoing debates in the scientific community regarding the generation of fast radio bursts. Some theories posited that these bursts resulted from interactions within the neutron star's magnetic fields, while others considered them shockwaves originating from the star itself. The results of this study not only help to clarify the origins of FRBs but may also guide future research aimed at uncovering the underlying physics of these cosmic explosions. As the power of radio waves emitted during these brief events can outshine entire galaxies, understanding their sources and mechanisms remains an exciting frontier in astrophysics and cosmology.