Astronomers discover record-breaking ancient cosmic outburst
Detected by the MeerKAT array, this “fast radio burst” comes from 3 billion years after the Big Bang, and could help map the universe’s otherwise-invisible intergalactic matter
Astronomers have discovered a record-breaking ancient cosmic outburst, a fast radio burst (FRB) originating 3 billion years after the Big Bang. Detected by the MeerKAT radio telescope array in South Africa, this unique event occurred around 10 billion years ago, making it the oldest FRB ever recorded, twice as old as the previous record holder.
FRBs are brief, powerful bursts of radio waves lasting just a fraction of a second, and their origins remain a mystery. This ancient FRB occurred in a relatively primitive galaxy with lower mass, less heavy elements than its contemporaries, but higher amounts of star formation. By studying this FRB, astronomers can learn more about the intergalactic matter spread between galaxies.
The discovery also provides an opportunity to study these bursts' host galaxies, which are extremely far away and faint, making it challenging to follow them up and study their properties. The researchers have secured time on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe ancient FRBs, pushing the boundary of cosmic distance records even further.
This breakthrough not only expands our understanding of the universe's early history but also sheds light on the distribution of matter across the cosmos.
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