In late April, the orbiting Observatory Neil Gehrels Swift Observator recorded the unusual activity of the object SGR 1935 + 2154, which for no apparent reason began to emit streams of x-ray and gamma radiation. The number of flashes grew and soon they are on the chart began to resemble a palisade lines, and then the signals and is merged into a single “forest”. Astronomers decided that the so-called quick burst, which for the first time in history comes from our own galaxy.
The signal was so powerful that it was recorded in the canadian lab CHIME, which was outside the direct range of the source. Interestingly, the lab CHIME specializiruetsya on the search for fast radio bursts here and gained a lot of experience in this field, and therefore first questioned the identity of the radiation to this type of signals.
The source of the burst is detected, this Magnetar SGR 1935 + 2154 located only 30,000 light-years away within the milky way. The problem is that Magnetar only in theory can emit fast radio bursts, in practice this has never been observed. Maybe the signal from SGR 1935 + 2154’s just the first in history that managed to find?
Scientists are confused by the power of the signal is only close to SGR 1935 + 2154 earth’s telescopes he seems so strong. But in fact calculations show that beyond the galaxy it is barely visible. Signal falls between the energy levels set for the fast radio bursts, but on the bottom of the border. Therefore, doubts about the nature of the signal and the role of the Magnetar SGR 1935 + 2154 still persist.
Source — The Astronomers Telegram