stargazer are using the advanced IceCube observatory at the South Pole to work out if mysterious fast radio outburst ( FRBs ) emit high - vigor neutrino . The connection between the phenomena might clarify the many unknowns investigator are scramble with in both fields .
FRBs are incredibly abbreviated and powerful emissions of radio waves . live just a few milliseconds , they issue an incredible amount of DOE but their cause is unknown . Just two dozen of these signals have been detected and only one , FRB 121102 , has been seen to duplicate itself .
This transient quality get finding their germ more difficult . They are too quick to be followed by telescope , so a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin decided to await at the data point from the IceCube lookout and see if the events emitted neutrino . This would help oneself shed a spark on their nature .
" Astrophysical neutrinos and fast radio bursts are two of the most exciting whodunit in cathartic today , " squad penis Justin Vandenbroucke order in astatement . " There may be a link between them . "
As report in theAstrophysical Journal , the team could n’t colligate a single neutrino detection to the FRB observations . This might seem demoralizing but not finding things still say us a lot about likely rootage . The investigator were able to estimate the upper limit of neutrino that any of these events might produce .
" We can say that the amount of get-up-and-go give off by each burst as neutrino is less than a sure amount , which can then be compare to predictions from individual hypothesis , " Vandenbroucke explained . The repeating FRB is believe to be produced by a neutron maven with an staggering magnetised field but it ’s not clear if the other detections come from similar objects . There might be two or more phenomena causing the FRBs .
Estimates suggest that at least 10,000 FRBs are grow in the visible universe every 24-hour interval and arecent estimatesays that there could be one every 2nd assuming that they all are like FRB 121102 . New telescopes like theSquare Kilometer Arraymight be capable to see up to one FRB per minute .
" As the routine of volley is expected to farm dramatically in the next couple year , these restraint will become even stronger – or we will make a detection , " Vandenbroucke added . " We ’ve rein out gamma - ray bursts and we ’ve powerfully constrained the possibility of black holes . There could be even more exotic physics going on . "
The puzzle of FRBs has gained a few more pieces but the painting is far from complete .