Astronomers detect unexpected fast radio bursts from "dead" galaxy
Date
1/28/2025 4:32:51 AM
(MENAFN) Astronomers have detected fast-repeating radio bursts (FRBs) from a distant galaxy that is considered "dead," which contradicts previous expectations about the source of these energetic signals. FRBs are sudden flashes of radio waves that last only milliseconds, and previous studies have suggested that they typically originate from young, magnetized neutron stars, which release significant energy during their formation. However, the galaxy from which these particular radio bursts are emanating should not harbor such young stars, according to new research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
FRBs are generally believed to arise from galaxies where new stars are actively being formed. Given the high energy associated with these bursts, scientists expect them to originate in regions of galaxies where stellar birth is ongoing. The FRBs in question, designated FRB 20240209A, are located outside the core of a massive ancient elliptical galaxy, which is filled with old and inactive stars. This finding challenges the established understanding of where and how FRBs are produced.
Vishwangi Shah, a PhD student at McGill University’s Department of Physics and Trottier Space Institute, explained that these radio bursts should not be coming from a galaxy devoid of active star formation. "This discovery was really surprising and exciting," Shah said, highlighting the unexpected nature of this finding and the implications it may have for future studies of FRBs.
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