Hubble Discovers curious birthplace Peculiar Location of Most Distant Rapid Radio Burst.
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| Credit for the image of the host galaxy of an extremely potent fast radio burst, FRB 20220610A, goes to NASA, ESA, STScI, and Alexa Gordon (Northwestern), as captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. |
In the summer of 2022, astronomers made a groundbreaking
discovery by detecting the most powerful fast radio burst (FRB) ever observed.
Not only was this FRB incredibly powerful, but it also originated from a
location that dates back halfway to the Big Bang, making it the farthest known
FRB to date.
Hubble looked halfway back to the big bang to find the brightest and farthest fast radio burst to date, located within a group of galaxies that may be merging.
— Hubble (@NASAHubble) January 9, 2024
Called FRBs, these powerful bursts of energy can briefly outshine an entire galaxy: https://t.co/8qtCiwsH6K#AAS243 pic.twitter.com/FF7pjekEUW
Now, a team of astronomers led by Northwestern University
has successfully identified the birthplace of this extraordinary object, and it
has sparked great curiosity among the scientific community.
Using images captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the
researchers were able to trace the FRB back to not just one galaxy, but a group
of at least seven galaxies. Interestingly, these galaxies appear to be
interacting with one another, possibly even on the path towards a future
merger. Such groups of galaxies are rare and may have played a role in
triggering the FRB.
This unexpected finding poses a challenge to existing
scientific models that explain the production and origins of FRBs.
According to Alexa Gordon, the lead researcher from
Northwestern University, the Hubble's imaging was crucial in unraveling the
mystery surrounding the origin of this FRB. Without it, it would have remained
uncertain whether the FRB originated from a single galaxy or from some form of
interacting system. Gordon emphasizes that it is these peculiar environments
that drive scientists towards a better understanding of the enigma surrounding
FRBs.
Gordon will present this groundbreaking research during the
243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Her presentation, titled "Revealing the Environment of the Most Distant
Fast Radio Burst with the Hubble Space Telescope," will take place at 2:15
p.m. CST on Tuesday, January 9th, as part of a session on "High-Energy Phenomena and Their Origins." Reporters
interested in attending can register for the event.
Alexa Gordon is a graduate student in astronomy at
Northwestern's Weinberg College of
Arts and Sciences, under the guidance of study co-author Wen-fai Fong, an associate professor of physics
and astronomy. Both Gordon and Fong are also members of the Center for
Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA).
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