Ever since it was first detected in 2007, the Fast Radio Bursts or FRB has been perplexing space scientists all across the world. Now, a new study conducted by astronomers in China has suggested a fascinating theory behind the origin of these mysterious bursts.
The Chinese team said that Fast Radio Bursts could be the result of crusts collapsing around neutron stars. The team members of the research Jin-Jun Geng and Yong-Feng Huang from the Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics and the School of Astronomy and Space Science have argued that FRBs could be the direct result of stars that have crusts around them.
They also stated that Fast Radio Bursts will happen when these crusts eventually collapse. During the collapse, a small amount of magnetic energy would be moved around the stars, thus resulting in the release of magnetic field energy. The process will be repeated again later that will result in more Fast Radio Bursts.
The Chinese astronomers also made it clear that FRBs can be easily observed from earth even though the event is happening many light years away from the blue planet.
The study entitles with 'Fast Radio Bursts from the collapse of Strange Star Crusts' was published in Astrophysical Journal. Astronomers involved in the research also revealed that the new finding is more suitable for non-repeating Fast Radio Bursts.
"Owing to this long reconstruction timescale, multiple FRB events from the same source seem not likely to happen in our scenario. Our model thus is more suitable for explaining the non-repeating FRBs," said the researchers, Inquistr reports.
Before the introduction of new theory, many space experts believe that FRBs are the result of magnetars, black holes, pulsars and exploding stars. Some adamant conspiracy theorists even claimed that these bursts are intentionally being sent by aliens to reveal their existence.
