New Findings Deepen the Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts

An anonymous reader writes: Last week, it was reported that the mystery of fast radio bursts were solved, and that they were due to the merger of a neutron star with another collapsed object, well outside of our galaxy. However, not only was that analysis fundamentally flawed, but a new paper out today identifies fast radio bursts that repeat, a dealbreaker for the merger scenario. Instead, it's thought that these events come from the evolution of young neutron stars, as the data show an extragalactic but non-transient origin for these bursts. Planned follow-up observations plan on identifying the source locations as well as their true nature, and discerning whether all fast radio bursts have the same origin, or whether there are multiple different classes.

Comments

Do we know this isn't gravitational lensing?

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

>> fast radio bursts that repeat, a dealbreaker for the merger scenario

Do we know this isn't gravitational lensing? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_lens)

Re:Do we know this isn't gravitational lensing?

[amRadioHed]

It would be obvious if the repeated results were from lensing since the signals would come from two different locations. Also, there might be some clue in the signal if it was just a repeat of the same event.

Re:Do we know this isn't gravitational lensing?

[coastwalker]

I have not seen any discussion on FRB with respect to lensing so I do not know whether gravitational lensing is involved. Increases in the number and effectiveness of observation tools over the next few years will provide a big enough sample of these events to start characterizing them better though.

I think that in some sense this field is bigger than gravitational wave astronomy right now. It will be a while before the required new gravitational wave detectors find and locate many sources.

The field of FRB's is definitely one where interesting new science is likely to appear soon. It is quite exciting to see these early papers contradicting each other as new data comes in - this is bleeding edge science going on right before our eyes.

Re:Do we know this isn't gravitational lensing?

[dsmatthews9379]

Exactly, in fact there is vector that joins any two place in the universe that traverses each black hole's event horizon, they are universal information routers therefore a huge primary burst that is shielded by one black-hole will manifest as multiple smaller echoes as it is routed to the observer with time delays according to the individual path distances, accounting for the fact that there is also further shielding of some of the echoes by other bodies.

Re:Possible explanation

[sinij]

Occam's Razor encourages us to look for more ordinary explanations first.

Yes, if we apply Occam's Razor, we can deduce that this is just Zorlax the Mighty trying to connect on LinkedIn.

Re:Possible explanation

[wonkey_monkey]

I would expect that when a ship transitions into or out of warp drive, it would cause something like this focused tightly along the path of travel.

And you expect that based on... what? A few seasons of TNG and BSG?

My guess is that this is the cause of these events and a clever scientist...

...would have a better theory.

Re:Possible explanation

[Gavagai80]

Everyone knew the world was round, if you live near an ocean it's very hard not to notice. Columbus just thought it was half as big around as everybody else did, so they predicted he'd starve before he reached India.

Perytons , pulsars, ET & microwave oven RFI

[volvox_voxel]

The internet was buzzing about a possible ET contact. Short radio bursts were detected from radio telescopes over multiple antennas over many years that had no natural explanations that researchers claim could only be man made or from an extra-terrestrial:

http://www.newscientist.com/ar... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

The paper from the actual researchers is far more guarded, and suggest that it may be EMI similar to Perytons, which are radio sources that appear to look like a pulsar signature.

From Wikipedia - "In 2015, Perytons were found to be the result of premature opening of microwave oven doors at the Parkes Observatory. The microwave oven releases a frequency-swept radio pulse that mimics an FRB as the magnetron turns off.[2][10]"

http://arxiv.org/pdf/1503.0524...

Here is a paper on Perytons, and their possible sources: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1404.5080...

Here is a link on Pulsar physics, including a very basic back of the envelope derivation of the dispersion medium of pulsars. Apparently two pulses from a pulsar are detected a few milliseconds from one another, and stem from the mass difference between the electron and a proton and their interaction with interstellar space. Still trying to get a handle on this.. http://www.cv.nrao.edu/course/...

Dispersion measure variations and their effect on precision pulsar timing: http://www.parkes.atnf.csiro.a...

Re:Possible explanation

[amRadioHed]

No, not at all. Google Eratosthenes.

Re:Possible explanation

[Livius]

No, if you go there and check, it turns out India is not in the Caribbean.

Re:Possible explanation

[Anonymous Coward]

He seems to have a better grasp than you do:

As far back as the 3rd century BC, Eratosthenes had correctly computed the circumference of the Earth by using simple geometry and studying the shadows cast by objects at two different locations: Alexandria and Syene (modern-day Aswan).[30] Eratosthenes's results were confirmed by a comparison of stellar observations at Alexandria and Rhodes, carried out by Posidonius in the 1st century BC. These measurements were widely known among scholars, but confusion about the old-fashioned units of distance in which they were expressed had led, in Columbus's day, to some debate about the exact size of the Earth.

Toscanelli's notions of the geography of the Atlantic Ocean, which directly influenced Columbus's plans
From d'Ailly's Imago Mundi Columbus learned of Alfraganus's estimate that a degree of latitude (or a degree of longitude along the equator) spanned 56 miles, but did not realize that this was expressed in the Arabic mile rather than the shorter Roman mile with which he was familiar (1,480 m).[31] He therefore estimated the circumference of the Earth to be about 30,200 km, whereas the correct value is 40,000 km (25,000 mi).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#Geographical_considerations

Re:Possible explanation

[Hylandr]

I am more than a little angry with the US Public school system and 43 years of popular media...