Fast radio bursts: stirrings from a galaxy far, far away
by Robin McKie Observer science editor from on (#2R0G7)
Scientists studying FRBs - energy explosions from distant parts of the universe - are on to something vitally important. But what causes them?
In summer 2006, astronomer Duncan Lorimer started work on a seemingly routine piece of scientific research. He and a team of students began examining old records of sky surveys that had been carried out using the Parkes radio telescope in Australia in past years.
Lorimer was looking for observations of pulsars - highly energetic rotating neutron stars left over from supernovae explosions - that might have been missed during previous sweeps of the heavens. Pulsars are his celestial obsession, the astronomer admits, and he was keen to discover as many new ones as possible.
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