Fast radio bursts detected in the Milky Way for the first time

Context:

Intense pulses of radio waves known as fast radio bursts (FRB) that have been frequently detected in other galaxies have now been found in the Milky Way.

About Fast radio bursts (FRB)

• FRBs were first discovered in 2007.
• The latest studies have now confirmed that FRBs are generated by a rare type of neutron star known as a ‘magnetar’.
  • Magnetars are the most powerful magnets in the cosmos.
  • Their magnetic fields are 5,000 trillion times more powerful than that of the Earth.

Source of FRB

• The source of the FRB was traced to a magnetar known as SGR 1935+2154, located about 30,000 light-years from the earth.
  • It lies in the center of the Milky Way, in the constellation Vulpecula.
• The FRB generated by this magnetar was so powerful that it emitted as much energy in one millisecond as the sun does in 30 seconds, according to scientists.
• The scientists also concluded that most FRBs in other galaxies also were generated by magnetars.

Significance of the Study

• Until now, astronomers have been struggling to explain why some FRBs aren’t one-off events like supernova explosions but seem to repeat themselves instead. Magnetars could provide the answer, since they spin slowly and fl are periodical, like a lighthouse beacon.