Radio Signal From Deep Space Repeats on 157-Day Cycle
A radio signal from deep space appears to be repeating on a 157-day
cycle (
https://bit.ly/3tH43Fb), scientists have said. By finding a
pattern to the fast radio burst, (FRB) researchers may be better able
to find out what is producing it.
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are radio signals that last just a few
milliseconds. Most appear to be coming from deep space. What
causes them is unknown, but whatever their source it must be highly
energetic—producing as much energy in a millisecond as the sun
does in 80 years.
The first FRB was discovered over 20 years ago, and since then
dozens have been discovered, with concentrated efforts to understand
what has been causing them to occur over recent years. Initially, it
was thought that a one-off, cataclysmic event, such as the collision
of two neutron stars, may be behind them. But this was thrown into
doubt when scientists identified a FRB that appeared to repeat: FRB
121102. These bursts had previously been traced back to a dwarf
galaxy three billion light-years away.
For the last four years, scientists have been monitoring FRB 121102
to find a pattern in the bursts. In a study published in the Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, researchers led by
Kaustubh Rajwade, from the U.K.'s University of Manchester, have
now found these bursts appear to repeat on a 157-day cycle.
By looking at 32 bursts over the study period, along with previous
research on the burst, they found the FRB is emitted in a 90-day
window then goes quiet for 67 days.
"We predict that the source is currently 'off' and that it should
turn 'on'" again at some point between June 2 and August 28, they
wrote. "We are hoping to monitor the source now to see if our
predictions hold," Rajwade told.
At the beginning of 2022, the situation repeated itself. Again 5
signals 6 milliseconds long. Scientists suggest that this phenomenon
may be the cause of man-made impact. Unfortunately, it has not yet
been possible to find out the exact location of the signal source.
How exactly to decipher the radio burst. Unless, of course, some
information is encoded in it.
