A long-standing astronomical puzzle has been solved, as scientists have traced the origin of a mysterious “alien” signal detected in 2022.
Known as a fast radio burst (FRB), the millisecond-long burst of energy was spotted by a radio telescope and initially sparked speculation of extraterrestrial intelligence.
The true origin, however, turned out to be a neutron star with an extraordinarily powerful magnetic field, located 200 million light-years away.
This groundbreaking discovery marks the first time researchers have pinpointed the source of one of these enigmatic signals, shedding new light on the nature of these cosmic phenomena.
The signal, officially named FRB 20221022A, was determined to have originated from the magnetosphere of a neutron star – a celestial object formed when a massive star explodes in a supernova, leaving behind an incredibly dense core.
Neutron stars are some of the densest objects in the universe; a sugar cube-sized piece of their material would weigh a billion tonnes on Earth.
These stars are surrounded by magnetic fields trillions of times stronger than those on Earth. In such an environment, atoms are torn apart by the immense forces, making it one of the universe’s most extreme conditions.
Co-author Professor Kiyoshi Masui explained: “Around these highly magnetic neutron stars, also known as magnetars, atoms can’t exist – they would just get torn apart by the magnetic fields.
“The energy stored in those magnetic fields, close to the source, is twisting and reconfiguring such that it can be released as radio waves that we can see halfway across the universe.”
Scintillation Unlocks the Location
To locate the FRB’s exact origin, scientists analyzed its “scintillation” – a twinkling effect caused by the interaction of light with gases along its path.
If the signal had come from a vast shockwave far from the neutron star, no scintillation would have been detected. However, the burst twinkled like a distant star, indicating its source was within hundreds of thousands of kilometers of the star’s surface.
Lead researcher Dr. Kenzie Nimmo noted: “This means that the FRB is probably within hundreds of thousands of kilometers from the source. By analyzing the gas cloud the flash passed through, we pinpointed its origin with remarkable accuracy.”
Remarkably, scientists identified a region just 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) wide as the origin of the burst – equivalent to the distance from Edinburgh to Cape Town.
Professor Masui likened this precision to measuring the width of a DNA strand from the surface of the moon.
A New Chapter in Astrophysics
Since the discovery of the first FRB in 2007, thousands have been detected, but their origins have remained elusive.
This breakthrough not only confirms that these bursts can arise from neutron star magnetospheres but also provides tools for studying the universe’s most extreme environments.
With this success, researchers are optimistic about unlocking more secrets of the cosmos and understanding the nature of these extraordinary events.
This discovery represents a significant leap forward in astrophysics, demonstrating the precision and power of modern scientific methods in exploring the universe.