Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are one of space’s greatest mysteries: intense pulses of radio waves that flash across the cosmos in milliseconds. 🌠
Now, a team led by astronomers from the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has used the Chinese mainland’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) to crack part of the code. 🔭
The researchers uncovered compelling new evidence that at least some FRBs originate in binary systems. Even more exciting, they recorded a dramatic, rapid, and reversible change in the magnetic environment around an FRB source. 🤯
This is the first time such a magnetic flip has been documented in FRB research, setting a new record and offering a fresh clue to how these mysterious bursts are generated. 📡
With FAST’s unparalleled sensitivity, astronomers are now better equipped to hunt for more FRBs and unravel the secrets of these cosmic lightning bolts. Stay tuned! 🚀
Reference(s):
China's giant radio telescope cracks code on origin of cosmic radio bursts
cgtn.com
