Repeating Fast Radio Burst Traced to Outskirts of Quiescent Elliptical Galaxy

Jan 21, 2025 by News Staff

The source of the newly-detected fast radio burst, FRB 20240209A, is in the distant outskirts of an ancient elliptical galaxy, which is located 2 billion light-years from Earth and has a mass of more than 100 billion solar masses. Young stellar remnants that theorists think produce such bursts of radio waves should have disappeared long ago in this 11.3-billion-year-old galaxy. Detailed in two complementary studies in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, the discovery shatters assumptions that fast radio bursts solely emanate from regions of active star formation.

“The prevailing theory is that fast radio bursts (FRBs) come from magnetars formed through core-collapse supernovae,” said Northwestern University astronomer Tarraneh Eftekhari.

“Thanks to this new discovery, a picture is emerging that shows not all FRBs come from young stars.”

“Maybe there is a subpopulation of FRBs that are associated with older systems.”

“This new FRB shows us that just when you think you understand an astrophysical phenomenon, the universe turns around and surprises us,” added Northwestern University astronomer Wen-fai Fong.

More:
https://www.sci.news/astronomy/repeating-fast-radio-burst-outskirts-quiescent-elliptical-galaxy-13599.html

“That doesn’t appear to be the case here. While young, massive stars end their lives as core-collapse supernovae, we don’t see any evidence of young stars in this galaxy.”