Scientists have caught a pulsating signal from space - it is different from all previous ones

Astrophysicists have recorded a very unusual fast radio burst from the depths of space, called FRB 20191221A. It has two unique features: a pulse and a duration of about three seconds, which is about 1000 times longer than the previous ones. Analysis of this signal publishedSub-second periodicity in a fast radio burst in the journal Nature.

Scientists noted that every 0.2 seconds, an impact occurred inside the burst. This pulsation was compared with the heartbeat. Researcher Daniele Michilli of the MIT Institute for Astrophysics and Space Studies noted that this is the first signal with a clear periodicity.

Fast radio bursts (FRB) are powerful pulses of radiation in intergalactic space, which are recorded by radio telescopes. They usually last a few milliseconds.

Astrophysicists think the cause of the FRB 20191221A signal is a magnetar, a type of neutron star with an incredible magnetic field. However, there is still no complete understanding of the source. According to the properties of the signal, it can be assumed that there is a plasma cloud around it, which should be extremely turbulent,

added astrophysics.

The best way to understand the nature of FRB 20191221A is to either catch it again or find similar signals with a complex wave. Scientists hope that this discovery will help them advance in the study of the Universe: new equipment can detect thousands of radio bursts per month. Many of them may be unique in their own way.