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Two radio telescopes located in the outback and synchronized to observe the same point of the sky have uncovered one of the most mysterious events in the universe in a new research published this week.
Widein Array Murch (MWA) telescopes led by Curtin University and CSIRO's Australian ASKAP SKA Pathfinder telescopes (ASKAP) scoured the skies for fast radios, which are exceptionally bright flashes of energy from the space.
These extreme events last only a few milliseconds, but are so brilliant that many astronomers initially rejected the first recorded radio burst as an observation error.
In a study published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, astronomers describe how ASKAP detected several extremely fast radio bursts, but the MWA – which analyzes the sky at lower frequencies – has seen nothing, even though it is was headed to the same sky area at the same time.
The lead author, Dr. Marcin Sokolowski, of the Curtin University node of the International Center for Research in Radioastronomy (ICRAR), stated that the fact that fast radio bursts have not been observed at frequencies lower was highly significant.
"When ASKAP sees these events extremely bright and the MWA does not do this, it tells us that something really unexpected happens: the sources of fast radio bursts do not emit at low frequencies, or signals are blocked when they go to Earth, "Dr. Sokolowski said.
Dr. Ramesh Bhat, co-author of the study and also based at ICRAR-Curtin, said considerable coordination was needed for the ASKAP telescope led by CSIRO and the Curtin-led MWA telescope to point to the same area of the sky at the same time.
Both telescopes were able to capture the same view as they are located side by side in the remote wilderness of Murchison, Western Australia.
"Fast radio bursts are unpredictable, so it's not easy to intercept them when both telescopes are looking in the same direction," said Dr. Bhat.
"It took several months for ASKAP and the MWA to follow the same sky zone, ensuring the best possible overlap of their views, to give us the chance to get some of these enigmatic explosions.
"The challenge was to make everything happen automatically, but it really paid off."
Dr. Jean-Pierre Macquart, astronomer of ICRAR-Curtin, also co-author of the research, said that rapid radio bursts have puzzled astronomers since the discovery of the first occurred in 2007.
"It's really exciting to have a clue about the origins of these incredible energy bursts coming from outside our galaxy," said Dr. Macquart.
"The MWA adds an important piece of the puzzle that has only been made possible by this" technological tango "between the two telescopes.
"This is an exciting development because it unites the two teams and has the advantage of having both telescopes on the same site.
"Future coordination between teams will also benefit other areas of astronomy, as complementary views of both telescopes can provide a more complete picture of the situation."
Research Report: "No emission of low frequencies from extremely bright radio bursts".
Related Links
International Center for Research in Radioastronomy
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Italy and Australia will combine on the largest telescope in the world
Perth, Australia (SPX) Oct 26, 2018
Representatives from renowned Italian and Australian scientific institutions met in Perth yesterday to form a formal partnership for the next step towards the world's largest telescope, Square Kilometer Array (SKA).
The Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) and the node of the International Center for Research in Radioastronomy (ICRAR) at Curtin University will combine complementary technologies and skills from both organizations to advance the … read
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