The study of fast radio bursts reveals the most distant signals ever detected and clarifies their natural astrophysical origin.
TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
● The phenomenon known as a fast radio burst, abbreviated as FRB, designates an extremely short and intense pulse of radio waves that originates in distant regions of the cosmos.
● The specific event labeled FRB 20240304B was registered on 4 March 2024 by the MeerKAT radio telescope located in South Africa.
● The measurement shows a redshift of approximately z = 2.148, which places the emission at a time when the universe was about 3 billion years old. 🌌
● This signal traveled for more than 11 billion light years before reaching Earth, making it the farthest fast radio burst ever recorded.
● During its journey, the burst interacted with intergalactic electrons, a process that allowed scientists to reconstruct its path with precision. 📡
● Researchers discuss natural causes such as magnetars, stellar mergers, and extreme activity in galaxies, while discarding extraterrestrial intelligence because no coded structure or repetitive artificial pattern appears in the signal. ⚡
INSTITUTIONAL BACKGROUND
● The acronym FRB derives from the English term “Fast Radio Burst,” which combines “fast” meaning rapid, “radio” referring to the electromagnetic domain of long wavelengths, and “burst” denoting a sudden emission.
● The first discovery of an FRB occurred in 2007, and since then hundreds have been observed across the sky.
● The most recent record, FRB 20240304B, doubles the previous distance measured for localized fast radio bursts and extends the capacity of observational astrophysics. 🌠
● Instruments such as ASKAP, CHIME, and the planned Square Kilometre Array form part of the global effort to expand the catalogue of detections.
● The James Webb Space Telescope contributes by confirming the host galaxy, which is identified as small, young, and actively forming stars. 🔭
● The academic consensus defines these bursts as natural high-energy events rather than signals of extraterrestrial origin, and emphasizes their role as probes of the intergalactic medium and the evolution of matter distribution. 📖
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 