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Fast radio bursts detected in the Milky Way for the first time:
Context:
Intense pulses of radio waves known as fast radio bursts (FRB) have been found in the Milky Way for the first time.
- So far, such waves have been frequently detected in other galaxies.
Significance of this discovery:
The FRB was not only the closest such signal ever recorded near the Earth. It was also 3,000 times brighter than any other magnetar radio signal detected till now.
How are FRBs generated?
The new study has confirmed that FRBs are generated by a rare type of neutron star known as a ‘magnetar’.
What are Magnetars?
A magnetar is a type of neutron star.
- Magnetars are the most powerful magnets in the cosmos. Their magnetic fields are 5,000 trillion times more powerful than that of the Earth.
The source of latest FRBs:
- They came from a magnetar known as SGR 1935+2154, located about 30,000 light-years from the earth.
- It lies in the centre of the Milky Way, in the constellation Vulpecula.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- What are radio waves?
- What is electromagnetic spectrum?
- What are Magnetars?
- What is a neutron star?
Sources: Down to Earth.
