An unknown object is sending radio signals from the center of our galaxy

An unknown object is sending radio signals from the center of our galaxy

An unknown object is sending radio signals from the center of our galaxy

A group of astronomers has discovered a rare source of radio signals not far from the center of our galaxy. Scientists have not been able to discover … 07.09.2021, Sputnik world

2021-09-07T14: 39 + 0000

2021-09-07T14: 39 + 0000

2021-09-07T14: 39 + 0000

Science

Milky Way

astronomy

fast bursts of radio waves (frb)

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The object has been christened ASKAP J173608.2-321635 and details about its discovery and properties will soon be published in an investigation in the Astrophysical Journal, explains Ziteng Wang, lead astronomer team at the University of Sydney (Australia), and responsible for the current moment. The mysterious object was discovered with the help of ASKAP, in Australia. This is one of the most sensitive radio telescopes ever built in the world, and was specifically designed to allow scientists to take a deeper look into the world of radio signals. The device has already detected things that have never been seen before, such as strange radio circuits, unknown galaxies and mysterious fast radio bursts. Scientists do not exclude that ASKAP J173608.2-32163 is an already known type of cosmic object. However, if this is the case, it certainly broadens the definition of such an object, taking into account the characteristics that scientists have already been able to identify. ASKAP J173608.2-32163 is highly variable, that is, the radio emits waves for weeks on end and then disappears. The signal is also highly polarized, which means that the direction of electromagnetic wave oscillation is skewed, linear and circular, Alert Science explains. Prior to April 2019, it was never discovered by ASKAP. From this period through August 2020, the signal appeared 13 times in the data collected. However, follow-ups conducted in April and July 2020 using a different radio telescope did not reveal its existence. The presence of the object was confirmed by observations from the radio telescopes MeerKAT (South Africa) in February 2021 and ATCA (Australia) in April of the same year. However, ASKAP J173608.2-32163 has never been detected by these devices before, nor has the radio signal source been shown in X-ray and near-infrared observations, or in radio data files collected by multiple instruments analyzed from by researchers. Some types of stars differ in radio wavelengths, such as a mysterious object. However, the lack of detection of X-rays and near-infrared wavelengths makes this type of object unlikely, and not likely to be a pulsar, since these neutron stars have a regular frequency. , on a time scale. of watches that do not match the behavior of ASKAP J173608.2-32163. In addition, astronomers note a three-month delay without detecting the object, which is also incompatible with pulsars. Scientists have also ruled out the possibility of X-ray binaries, gamma-ray bursts, or supernovae, but the object shares some characteristics with some kind of mysterious signal that has been detected near the galactic center. These are the Galactic Center Transit Radio Stations – GCRT, for its English acronym – three of which have been identified in the past two decades. These fonts have not yet been explained, but they have many features in common with ASKAP J173608.2-32163. If the mysterious object is a GCRT, its discovery could help scientists find more of these sources and find out exactly what they are.