Researchers at the SETI Institute have observed 35 bursts from FRB 20220912A using the Allen Telescope array, revealing the mysterious nature of fast radio bursts and their possible origin from extreme cosmic objects. This work demonstrates that a new type of telescope with unique capabilities like ATA can reveal unsolved mysteries in the science of fast radio bursts from a new perspective.
A team of scientists at the SETI Institute has unveiled the cosmic mystery of fast radio bursts (FRBs). The SETI Institute's upgraded Allen Telescope Array (ATA) has discovered and detailed observations of the recurring FRB 20220912A, revealing the nature of these space signals.
FRB is a short, intense flash of radio waves from deep space. While most of the time it only happens once, some"Repeaters"Signals are emitted more than once, which adds to the complexity of understanding its origins. Over 541 hours of observation, the researchers detected 35 FRBs from the repeater FRB 20220912a. Observations made with ATA cover a wide range of radio frequencies and reveal fascinating patterns. All 35 FRBs occur in the lower band of the spectrum, each with its own unique energy signature.
Dynamic spectra of all bursts of FRB 20220912A detected using the Allen Telescope array (or"Waterfalls"Fig.), frequency-averaged pulse profiles, and time-averaged spectra. The red shaded area in the time series plot represents the time span of the defined sub-burst, and the red vertical line is the dividing line of the adjacent sub-burst. Source**: SETI Institute.
This work is exciting because it both confirms the known FRB properties and discovers some new ones"Dr. Sofia Sheikh of the SETI Institute, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Academy of Science MPS-ASCEND and the first author of the work, said. "We are narrowing the scope of FRB, for example, to extreme objects such as magnetars, but existing models cannot account for all of the properties observed so far. It's fantastic to be part of the FRB research that was being conducted for the first time utilizing ATA – this work proves that a new type of telescope like ATA with unique features can shed a new light on unsolved mysteries in FRB science. "
The detailed findings, recently published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNNRAS), demonstrate the intriguing behaviour of FRB. These mysterious signals exhibit a downward drift in frequency, a connection between bandwidth and the center frequency, and a change in burst duration over time. The team also observed some previously unreported phenomena: during the two-month observation period, there was a significant decrease in the frequency of the center of the eruption, revealing an unexpected kind of universe"Slide-whistle"Phenomenon.
The two parameters of the FRB 20220912A dataset – the center frequency and bandwidth – are plotted in MJD over time from the start of the activity to the end of the activity (approximately 60 days). A) The plot shows that the center frequency of FRB decreases throughout the active period (fit residuals and Lowess nonparametric criteria are shown in blue below). b) The panel shows the same drop in bandwidth over time. Source**: SETI Institute.
In addition, the researchers used these observations to ** the tipping point of the brightest burst of FRB 20220912a, indicating its contribution to the signaling rate of the universe as a whole. In fact, only a few percent of all the strong FRBs in the sky in these observations were caused by this particular celestial body.
The study also investigated the temporal patterns of burst sequences, looking for duplication within and between FRBs. No obvious patterns were found as a result, highlighting the inadmissibility of these celestial phenomena.
This work demonstrates the important role of the Allen Telescope Array in solving the mystery of the FRB. The Allen Telescope Array has the unique ability to record a large number of frequency channels simultaneously, even if they are far apart – for example, some at high frequencies and some at low frequencies. This allows for an immediate check when FRB is present to limit the activity of FRB at both high and low frequencies. The upgrades that are underway guarantee more functionality to see darker FRBs at more frequencies at the same time, ensuring that ATA is always ahead of the curve in advancing our understanding of FRBs.
The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is located at the Hat Creek Radio Astronomy Observatory in California, USA. Operated by the SETI Institute, ATA is an instrument dedicated to technical signal search and has the potential to be a powerful facility for studying transients. **joe marfia
Dr. Wael Farah, ATA project scientist and co-author at the SETI Institute, said:"It's exciting to see ATA get involved in the FRB study three years after the launch of its upgrade program. ATA has unique capabilities that are being used in many research efforts, including fast transients. "
This landmark discovery marks an important step forward in the ongoing quest to uncover the secrets of extreme celestial bodies in the universe. As scientists continue to explore the universe, each unique feature we discover will bring us closer to understanding the origin and nature of these fascinating cosmic signals.
References:"Characterize the duplication of FRB 20220912a with an Allen telescope array", by Sofia Z sheikh、wael farah、alexander w. pollak、andrew、p. v.、siemion、mohammed a. chamma、luigi f. cruz、roy h. d**is、d**id m. b.and m c. m. d. cruz, roy h. d**is, d**id r.Deboer, Vishal Gajjar, Phil Karn, Jamar Kittling, Wenbin Lu, Mark Masters, Prana** Premnath, Sarah Schoultz, Carol Shumaker, Gurmehar Singh and Michael Snodgrass, accepted, Monthly Proceedings of the Royal Astronomical Society.
arxiv:2312.07756
Compilation**: scitechdaily