Scientists have discovered new cosmic signals repeated from somewhere in the universe

The scientists found themselves overwhelmed with an incredible amount of data on one of the most unique and rare mysteries of the universe, the fast radio bursts (FRB). These occurrences were first identified in 2007 and it was discovered that they came from millions or even billions of light years from Earth.

The FRBs have had an impact on the development of new radio telescopes, such as the Canadian hydrogen intensity mapping (CHIME) experiment. At the present time, a team of Canadian and US scientists using CHIME has announced a new and important set of FRB detections that could help understand where these mysterious signals come from and what generates them. The research team reported identifying eight new bursts that have been repeated so far.

New cosmic signals repeated from somewhere in the universe identified by scientists

Ryan McKinven, one of the scientists at the University of Toronto and co-author of the FRB study, explained that the repetition of the FRB is extremely valuable because their repetitive nature could allow the scientists to locate their galaxies of origin. In addition, tracking searches at multiple wavelengths can help evaluate whether the found blocks are generated at wavelengths other than radio or not.

Follow-up studies could provide information on the origins of mysterious bursts. A larger sample of these repeating FRBs could also help researchers answer the question that these FRBs are recurring gusts that have not yet been recorded. Until now, dozens of FRB blocks have been identified and tagged in the last 12 years, a few of them being deep space signals known to repeat themselves. By adding the new set of bursts discovered, the number of repeaters identified has reached 12.

Observing relatively close FRBs will probably allow scientists to understand the source behind these signals. The origin could be anything from ridiculous notions such as extraterrestrial vessels to the most likely causes, such as neutron stars. The research team published its findings in a draft text that was submitted to Astrophysical Journal and published this month on Arxiv.

Laura grew up in a small town in northern Quebec. She studied chemistry at the university, graduated and married with her husband a month later. They were then blessed with two baby boys during the first four years of marriage. Having babies has given their families the desire to return to the old ways – to feed their families with traditional foods produced here; rid their homes of toxic chemicals and petroleum products; and give their boys a chance to experience a simple and sustainable way of life. They are currently building a farm from scratch on two small acres in central Texas. Much remains to be done to become self-sufficient, but they are not in debt and spend their days living this simple and enjoyable life with their five young children. Laura is a lawyer for people with disabilities.