Scientists detect more than 20 mysterious radio signals from space

An Australian team of astronomers has created a specialized way to sift through radio signals in space, looking to identify their sources. The experts studied bright flashes of energy that appear suddenly and then vanish almost as quickly.

The research was led by Dr. Andy Wang from the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy (ICRAR). He and his collaborators tested a system that can pick out rare signals in the middle of enormous data streams.

Tracking fast radio flashes

Scientists often refer to these bursts as fast radio bursts, which are intense radio waves that can release as much energy in a moment as the Sun does in a day. No one really knows what causes them, but they show up unexpectedly all over the sky.

“We were focused on finding fast radio bursts, a mysterious phenomenon that has opened up a new field of research in astronomy,” said Dr. Wang.

Experts have been studying these flashes since they were first reported in 2007, yet they keep surprising us with odd variations.

The new CRACO system of analysis helped the team detect two of these quick radio signals in their pilot run. The system also identified two sporadically-emitting neutron stars, which are smaller cores left behind when massive stars burn out.

This fresh approach helped the researchers refine the positions of four pulsars, which are rotating stellar remnants that broadcast beams of energy at timed intervals.

The experts also detected more than 20 additional fast radio bursts afterward, which was an unexpected bonus.

A new approach with CRACO

CRACO involves a collection of powerful computers and accelerators. The system analyzes trillions of pixels of information received by telescopes linked to the ASKAP radio telescope at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

ASKAP is an array of antennas in Western Australia that scans wide areas of the sky to catch radio signals.

“CRACO is enabling us to find these bursts better than ever before. We have been searching for bursts 100 times per second and in the future we expect this will increase to 1,000 times per second,” noted Dr. Wang. He expressed excitement about covering such vast swaths of data in real time.

CRACO looks at the sky in short, frequent snapshots. It filters out unnecessary noise and flags anything that might be a sudden spike in radio waves.

“That’s the equivalent of sifting through a whole beach of sand to look for a single five-cent coin every minute,” said Dr. Keith Bannister, the CSIRO astronomer and engineer who helped build the instrument. The speed of scanning reaches 100 billion pixels per second.

Long-period radio transients

These bursts are not the only things drawing attention. The researchers also noticed long-period transients, which stay lit up for longer stretches compared to the super-fast flashes.

They appear to be unusual objects within our own galaxy, though they remain puzzling. Dr. Wang and his colleagues hope to gather more clues about their nature as CRACO expands its range.

Some transients turn off and on at unpredictable intervals. This irregular behavior makes them tricky to spot without a system that can constantly watch for changes.

Mapping the unknown

Knowing where radio signals come from in the sky helps experts figure out if they originate in distant galaxies or close by. Each burst or transient could reveal details about the environment that produced it.

Scientists believe that fast radio bursts could travel across billions of light-years, carrying signs of how matter is distributed in that path. This might help map cosmic structures that are otherwise invisible.

When a burst’s location is pinned down, astronomers can compare that spot to optical data. If they locate a galaxy there, it hints at possible processes feeding the bursts.

Hunting for fast radio signals

CRACO will soon be offered as part of the Australia Telescope National Facility, managed by CSIRO. This opens it up globally to scientists who want to hunt for fast radio bursts and other odd signals.

“Once at full capacity, CRACO will be a game changer for international astronomy,” said Dr. Wang. He believes the technology will find more objects out in space that defy expectations.

ASKAP itself is part of a wave of next-generation tools that collect vast amounts of data. Innovations like CRACO will handle the load, scanning the input swiftly and tagging unusual patterns.

Researchers want to tune CRACO’s speed so it can scan 1,000 times each second. That pace could reveal bursts that are too short or rare to catch using older methods.

What lies ahead

The next steps involve adopting more advanced radio astronomy engineering. These improvements might capture bursts that flicker and vanish in less than 10 milliseconds.

Each detection is a chance to learn something new about the cosmos. CRACO’s quick response system can notify astronomers right away, who can then steer other telescopes toward that target.

Scientists hope this technology will guide them to new puzzles about star formations, neutron stars, or even black hole activity. Any new object that flickers in radio waves might be part of this expanding list.

The next wave of radio signals

CRACO’s data will be archived and shared. This ensures that researchers worldwide can investigate the signals without having to start from scratch.

Global collaboration often leads to discoveries that might have been missed by a single group. As more international teams plug into CRACO, more eyes will pore over the data.

Australia’s strong reputation in radio astronomy rests on developments like ASKAP and CRACO. Astronomers praise these systems for their ability to process enormous datasets in near real time.

There is hope that the next wave of bursts and transients will shine a light on how galaxies form and evolve. Each flash tells a tiny story that, once pieced together, will help unravel cosmic mysteries.

The findings were published in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.

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