This study proves that new telescopes with unique capabilities like ATA can provide new angles on outstanding mysteries in FRB science.
A team of scientists at the SETI Institute has announced new insights into a cosmic mystery known as fast radio bursts (FRBs). The repeated discovery and detailed observations of FRB 20220912A made with the Upgraded Allen Telescope Array (ATA) at the SETI Institute revealed the nature of these cosmic signals.
FRBs are brief, powerful flashes of radio waves from deep space. Most he occurs only once, but some “repeaters” transmit the signal multiple times, further increasing the interest in understanding its origin. Over 541 hours of observation, the researchers detected 35 FRBs from repeater FRB 20220912A. Observations made using ATA covered a wide radio frequency range and revealed interesting patterns. All 35 of his FRBs were found at the bottom of the frequency spectrum, and each had its own energy signature.
Insights from SETI Institute observations
“This study is exciting because it provides both confirmation of known FRB properties and the discovery of several new properties,” said Dr. Sophia Sheikh, NSF MPS Ascend Postdoctoral Fellow and lead author at the SETI Institute. Masu. “While we have narrowed down the source of FRBs to extreme objects, such as magnetars, there are no existing models that can explain all the properties observed so far. FRBs performed using ATA It was great to be part of the first study, which proves that new telescopes with unique capabilities like ATA can provide new angles on outstanding mysteries in FRB science. ”
Detailed research recently published in the journal Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices (MNRAS), introduces some interesting actions by the Fed. These mysterious signals exhibit a downward frequency drift, a relationship between their bandwidth and center frequency, and a change in burst duration over time. The research team also observed something that had never been reported before. During the two-month observation period, the central frequency of the burst dropped significantly, revealing an unexpected cosmic skid whistle.
Additionally, the researchers used these observations to predict the cutoff point of FRB 20220912A’s brightest bursts and their contribution to the overall cosmic signal velocity. In fact, this particular object was responsible for a few percent of all the powerful FRBs that were present in the sky during these observations.
This study also investigated the temporal pattern of burst sequences, looking for repeats within and between FRBs. No clear pattern was found, highlighting the unpredictability of these celestial phenomena.
Role of the Allen Telescope Array
This study demonstrates the important role of ATA in deciphering the FRB puzzle. ATA has the unique ability to record a huge number of frequency channels simultaneously, even if they are widely separated, such as some frequencies being very high and others being very low. This allows for an immediate check when the FRB comes in and limits the FRB from running at high and low frequencies at the same time. Ongoing upgrades will allow us to observe fainter FRBs at even more frequencies simultaneously, ensuring that ATA remains at the forefront of advancing our understanding of FRBs.
“It’s very interesting to see ATA working on FRB research three years after the start of the upgrade program,” said Dr. Wael Farah, ATA project scientist and co-author at the SETI Institute. “ATA boasts unique capabilities and is utilized in many research activities involving fast transient phenomena.”
This groundbreaking discovery marks a significant step forward in the ongoing quest to unravel the secrets of the universe’s extreme objects. As scientists continue to explore the universe, each unique feature discovered brings us closer to understanding the origin and nature of these fascinating cosmic signals.
Reference: “Characterization of the repeating FRB 20220912A using the Allen telescope array” by Sofia Z. Sheikh, Wael Farah, Alexander W. Pollak, Andrew, PV, Siemion, Mohammed A. Chamma, Luigi F. Cruz, Roy H. Davis, David R. DeBoer, Vishal Gajjar, Phil Karn, Jamar Kittling, Wenbin Lu, Mark Masters, Pranav Premnath, Sarah Schultz, Carol Shumaker, Gurmehar Singh, Michael Snodgrass, acknowledged; Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.
arXiv:2312.07756