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Astronomers have detected radio signals, dubbed “ASKAP J173608.2-321635”, near the galactic center, and they have not been able to determine which type of cosmic object would best suit their particular properties.
“The signals are part of a new class of organisms discovered through radio-imaging investigations,” said the team of scientists, led by Ziting Wang of the University of Sydney, Australia.
ASKAP J173608.2-321635 was discovered using the Australian Pathfinder Square Kilometer Array (ASKAP), one of the most sensitive radio telescopes ever built, designed to deepen the radio universe.
Scientists note that the “mysterious source” is highly variable, emitting radio waves for weeks at a time, then vanishing over rapid time scales. The signal is also strongly polarized, that is, the direction of oscillation of the electromagnetic wave is twisted, linear and circular.
The source of the newly discovered radio signals is incompatible with pulsars, and x-ray binaries, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae have also been excluded.
However, the object shares some characteristics with a type of mysterious signal seen near the galactic center known as GCRT, three of which were identified in the 2000s, and more are pending confirmation.
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