Australian Researchers Detect Over 20 Fast Radio Bursts Using New Technology
Australian researchers have detected over 20 fast radio bursts using new technology called CRACO, leading to improved localisation and understanding of these cosmic phenomena.
A study published in the peer-reviewed Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia reveals that Australian researchers have detected more than 20 mysterious signals in space. This significant achievement follows their sifting through intergalactic signals, likened to sorting through grains of sand at the beach.
The study marks the first trial of new technology called CRACO, developed by astronomers and engineers at Australia’s national science agency CSIRO. Andy Wang, from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy, who led the research, expressed that they discovered more astronomical objects than they had initially anticipated.
CRACO was designed for CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope to detect fast radio bursts (FRBs). Researchers initially identified two FRBs and two sporadically emitting neutron stars, also improving the location data for four pulsars. However, their efforts have now led to the location of over 20 FRBs.
According to Dr Wang, "CRACO is enabling us to find these bursts better than ever before. We have been searching for bursts 100 times per second, and we expect this will increase to 1,000 times per second in the future."
Fast radio bursts are brief flashes of light originating mainly from outside our galaxy, and technology like CRACO is crucial for probing their origins. Laura Driessen from the University of Sydney noted, "We're looking for sort of flashes in space, but in just one giant pixel."
CRACO represents an advancement over previous technology, allowing researchers to process vast amounts of data, scanning through 100 billion pixels per second to identify the location of bursts without needing additional steps.
Dr Driessen indicated that the localisation of FRBs is essential for understanding their origins and linking them to specific galaxies, which offers valuable insight into what causes these phenomena.
The development of the CRACO system was a collaborative effort involving CSIRO and both Australian and international researchers, with partial funding from an Australian Research Council grant.
