Fast Radio Bursts: a riddle closer to being explained
One of the riddles of the universe is closer to an explanation, following the discovery of eight new repeated radio signals - also called Fast Radio Bursts. The phenomenon was first reported in 2007. The signals, which last only a few milliseconds, can discharge energy equivalent to 500 million suns in the same short period of time.
The source of the signals has so far been unknown and difficult to find, as most Fast Radio Bursts are recorded only once, but with the repeated signals, it may be possible to find out their origin.
Morten Remar has spoken to astronomer Ole J. Knudsen from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Aarhus (in Danish).
Follow Science Stories on: iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
See the video-animation about the phenomenon and read about the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), an interferometric radio telescope, located at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in British Columbia, that has been instrumental in detecting the radio signals.