[Article déjà publié le 23 janvier 2025]
Rapid radio starts, Fast Radio Bursts (Frbs) in English, are “Extraordinary events generating as much energy in a thousandth of a second as the sun in a year“Indicates NASA. The latter propagate in space in the form of radio waves and can be captured on earth.
We find their origin, usually, within young galaxies, but lately, as revealed by two studies published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal Lettersthis model of explanation as to the origins of the frbs was questioned.
“” ” As we think we understand a phenomenon, the universe surprises us »
It was in 2024 that scientists of the Northwestern University (Illinois, USA) spotted one of these famous Frbs. The pulsed radio wave, like a flash in the dark night of the universe, has not stopped emitting for several months between February and July 2024. A kind of “Dialogue with the universe”Explains Wen-Fai Fong, professor associated with Northwestern University.
Appointed FRB20240209A, he intrigued scientists who expressed their finds in the two studies. Indeed, as soon as a signal reaches the land, the researchers quickly focus on finding its origin. The more the radio signal is repeated, the easier it becomes to spot from where it is expressed.
When they robbed their equipment towards the place where the signal came, they were very surprised by what they found. This radio signal which we thought would come from a young galaxy, since this model is the most common, was actually coming from a galaxy considered as dead today or more precisely, which indicates, in medicine, that An organ is at rest and that its development process has stopped.
“” “This new FRB shows us that when we think we understand an astrophysical phenomenon, the universe turns around and surprises us. This is what makes our field of temporal astronomy so incredibly exciting.“Said the researcher and co -author of studies in remarks reported by The Independent.
A galactic monster behind the radio signal
Located at 2 billion light years from the earth, the galaxy which seems to be the origin of the rapid radio burst appeared shortly after the very formation of the universe. Indeed, according to scientists, it is 11, 3 billion years old.
But that's not all. Thanks to several simulations, the researchers were able to paint a portrait of the galaxy behind this radio signal. In the irregular form, it would weigh the equivalent of 100 billion times our sun and is particularly brilliant. That makes her, “The oldest and most massive FRB host discovered to date”Can we read in the study.
Source : The Independent
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