Toward unveiling the cosmic mystery of Fast Radio Bursts

A team of researchers from the University of Tokyo, the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), and the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) investigated the birth environments of mysterious radio fireworks in the Universe, ‘fast radio bursts (Figure 1 left).’ The research team, including Prof. Bunyo Hatsukade (Univ. of Tokyo) and Ms. Tzu-Yin Hsu (NTHU; Figure middle), found that quite a large variety in molecular-gas properties in host galaxies of fast radio bursts, in stark contrast to those of long gamma-ray bursts and core-collapse supernovae. They concluded that the origins of fast radio bursts are not unique but heterogeneous in a wide range of host galaxy environments. Prof. Hashimoto says, “I am shocked. We are trying to find the unique origin of fast radio bursts, but instead, we found a huge variety!”. Tzuyin says, “Prof. Hashimoto did not believe me when we found a variety of results.” 

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https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/press/2022/8180/

Figure 1. (right) An artist's impression of a fast radio burst. Credit: Daniëlle Futselaar/ASTRON (artsource.nl). (middle) Tzu-Yin Hsu at the department of physics at National Tsing Hua University. (right) Tetsuya Hashimoto at the department of physics at National Chung Hsing University.