Signs of alien life? Radio bursts heard from a faraway galaxy

Feb 26, 2016, 01:14
Signs of alien life? Radio bursts heard from a faraway galaxy

Since 2007, astronomers have detected these short blasts of radio waves from outer space, each lasting just a few milliseconds, but have been unable to locate any of their origins until now.

Fast Radio Bursts (FRB) are something that have been a mystery to those scientists that have been studying them for over a decade. And with more FRBs pinpointed in the years to come, astronomers will be able to nail down more lines of sight, until they create a 3D model of the cosmos. And in order to do that, they needed to catch one in real time.

Researchers from Australia's CSIRO and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Subaru telescope in Hawaii have for the first time calculated the originating location of a radio burst. Dr. Keane and colleagues therefore believe that the FRB originated after collision between two neutron stars.

"The good news is our observations and the model match, we have found the missing matter", Keane said.

Detection... fast radio bursts were first discovered by Australia's famous Parkes radio telescope.

"Whereas with this one, I was awoken by my phone going insane a few seconds after it happened, saying: Evan, wake up!" There was an FRB!"Keane told the BBC".

France rejects Russia's proposed United Nations resolution on Syria
All sides should cease-fire simultaneously and the government should release prisoners, it added. The draft resolution was put forth by Russia Friday at an emergency meeting of the U.N.

The CSIRO's Compact Array homed in on the FRB's radio afterglow, which lasted six days and gave the team time to find the source.

Then, the Japanese Subaru telescope took up the search.

Optical observations of the galaxy in which the burst was located provided measurements of the distance to the epicenter of the event. For one, the galaxy FRB 150418 comes from is very old, which allows us to rule out the bright stellar beacons known as pulsars.

In an attempt to increase the amount of data immediately collected on FRBs, the team developed a method for quickly detecting FRBs and alerting a worldwide network for timely follow-up observations. The prevailing theory was that the bursts were emitted from pulsars, but since the galaxy is relatively old, and pulsars are, by definition, relatively new, that explanation can now be eliminated.

A global team of scientists has found a cosmic missing link - the mysterious "missing matter" that eludes even the most powerful and sensitive of telescopes.

Keane's organization, the Square Kilometer Array Organization, is designing a giant radio telescope that should be able to detect lots more of these FRBs. It's a delay in the radio signal caused by the material it passes through. Now, scientists can learn more about the most cataclysmic crashes between massive objects like black holes.

Taylor Swift takes on Kanye West in Grammys marred by glitches
A commercial immediately following the performance for a technology company involved in the production was a discordant note, too. Actor Don Cheadle noted that Lamar's disc "daringly incorporated jazz, funk, soul and pure poetry into a hip-hop masterpiece".

Features of the universe are imprinted on the FRB as it travelled through space, so the scientists were able to measure these features - in particular the frequency-dependent dispersion, which shows how much material the FRB has gone through.

"Essentially this lets us weigh the universe, or at least the normal matter it contains", he said.

On the basis of these findings, "we have found the missing matter", contended Keane.

The universe is thought to be made up of about 70 per cent dark energy, 25 per cent undetectable dark matter, and only about five per cent ordinary matter - the stuff of which planets, stars and humans are made. By measuring the speed at which different shockwaves hit us and the delay between them we can actually estimate the amount of "dark matter" that's slowing them down without our knowledge.

 

 

NYPD Officer Convicted of Manslaughter in Shooting Death of Akai Gurley
And the jury's decision is a rare instance in which a police officer was convicted of killing someone in the line of duty. Here, Liang sits in court as testimony is read back for jurors during deliberations in Brooklyn Supreme Court this week.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
  • Xbox Live is down, for the eighth time in as many days

    Xbox Live is down, for the eighth time in as many days

    Microsoft is still working on a solution to fix the issue after they received countless of complaints on social media . Here are a few tweets from affected users.
    Who Won Best in Show at Westminster Dog Show 2016?

    Who Won Best in Show at Westminster Dog Show 2016?

    There's attractive dogs", longtime golden retriever breeder Michael Pickard said with a sigh. In the end, C.J. earned his win at Westminster 2016 simply because he epitomized his breed.
    'Dark Souls 3' Season Pass Leaked

    'Dark Souls 3' Season Pass Leaked

    Dark Souls will eventually be backwards compatible, so Xbox One owners will be able to download and play it on their consoles. Take a look at what bonuses are available if you pre-order the game digitally through the three available platforms.
  • Syracuse Police Continue to Search for Missing Toddler

    Syracuse Police Continue to Search for Missing Toddler

    Police do not know what Ryan Lawrence was last seen wearing, the pair's mode of transportation or their destination at this time. She is described as a white female, one-year-old (birthdate: 4/24/14) with blonde hair and brown eyes.
    Copa America 2016 Draw: Favorites, Team USA And Gillette Stadium Views

    Copa America 2016 Draw: Favorites, Team USA And Gillette Stadium Views

    Costa Rica, like Colombia, also had a strong 2014 World Cup, losing to the Netherlands on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals. They have been drawn with two World Cup quarter-finalists in Colombia and Costa Rica.
    150000 penguins killed after colossal iceberg in Antarctica leaves colony landlocked

    150000 penguins killed after colossal iceberg in Antarctica leaves colony landlocked

    Scientists believe the growth in Antarctic sea ice is largely driven by changes in wind and local conditions. They can barely survive themselves, not to mention hatch the subsequent era.
  • UK Game Charts: Call of Duty Black Ops 3 Sets New Record

    UK Game Charts: Call of Duty Black Ops 3 Sets New Record

    It remains to be seen if Street Fighter 5 manages to creep up in sales once more updates are released. As for Black Ops 3 , the game now holds the most top spots of any other game in the franchise.

    Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge to be Available in 60 Countries Soon

    The public have had a year to recognize the Galaxy S6, and now when they spot an S7 they'll instantly know it's a Samsung phone. According to CNET , the Galaxy S7 will be priced at AU$1149 while the S7 Edge will be available for AU$1249 in Australia.
    US Oil Prices Fall Below $27 a Barrel

    US Oil Prices Fall Below $27 a Barrel

    Oil supplies from non-OPEC countries in 2015 increased by 1.32 million barrels per day - up to 56.99 million barrels per day. Tehran is aiming to increase output by 500,000 bpd, which would fill most of the hole left by non-Opec members.
  • Calvin Harris gushes over 'beautiful girlfriend' Taylor Swift

    Calvin Harris gushes over 'beautiful girlfriend' Taylor Swift

    Before that and beyond the performances from Swift and Lamar, the Grammy stage was packed with tributes for most of the evening. Also, Taylor Swift opened up this year's Grammy Awards with a performance of a song I do not know the name of, nor do I care.
    Syria's Regime And Rebel Group Agree To Truce That Will Begin Saturday

    Syria's Regime And Rebel Group Agree To Truce That Will Begin Saturday

    The Kurds have been fighting IS, even as they face attacks from America's North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-ally Turkey. The second round of inter-Syrian talks was planned to start in Geneva under United Nations auspices on February 25.
    Star Wars Battlefront February Update Patch 1.05 Release Date Revealed

    Star Wars Battlefront February Update Patch 1.05 Release Date Revealed

    However, Chewbacca's weapon of choice will have slightly reduced splash damage, as its explosion radius drops from 3 to 2.5m. In this patch, players will find a new film grain filter has been added that can be adjusted up to 200 percent.
popular