Ukuqhuma kwerediyo esheshayo okungaziwa kuphinda kuvele ngesikhathi sangempela

Ihlanganisa amakhulukhulu amamitha kusiyingi esiyigebe esishiya isici esicishe singabi namuntu phezu komhlaba, i-Arecibo Observatory e-Puerto Rico ingabonakala inikeza ukubonakala okufanayo kusibukeli seso lenyoni njengoba imigodi yenyanga yenza esweni lomuntu lapho ibonwa isemhlabeni. Uma kucatshangelwa ukuthi ingenye yezinkulu emhlabeni, i-Arecibo Observatory iphinde ibe ngesinye sezibonakude ezimbalwa ezilwela ukuhlahla indlela yokuqonda okujulile kwenkambu engaziwa kakhulu kwesokunxele yesikhala se-extragalactic. Yize ingadli kakhulu ngenani lendawo ebonakalayo ebusayo, iParkes Observatory e-Australia (elinganisa u-64m ububanzi) nayo ibilokhu idala isasasa elikhulu phakathi komphakathi wezazi zesayensi yezinkanyezi cishe iminyaka eyishumi manje. 

Lokhu kungenxa yengxenye enkulu yesazi sesayensi yezinkanyezi uDuncan Lorimer, owayengomunye wabacwaningi bokuqala eParkes Observatory ukuthi bathole uhlobo lomsebenzi wasemkhathini oyingqayizivele noyivelakancane: ukuqhuma komsakazo okushesha kakhulu okwakuvela, njengoba idatha ingasikisela, kude futhi. indawo ekude kakhulu ngaphandle kwe-Milky Way yethu.

Konke kwaqala emuva ngo-2007, ngesikhathi u-Lorimer nethimba lakhe behlola amarekhodi amadala edatha yesibonakude kusukela ngo-2001 futhi, njengoba bekungenzeka, bathola igagasi elilodwa lomsakazo elingahleliwe, elilodwa, nelinamandla kakhulu lomthombo ongaziwa. Leli gagasi lomsakazo elilodwa, nakuba lihlala i-millisecond kuphela, labonakala likhipha amandla angaphezu kwalawo ilanga ebengawenza eminyakeni eyisigidi. Ukuxaka kwale FRB (ukuqhuma komsakazo osheshayo) kubonakale kudonsela ukunaka okukhulu njengoba ithimba liqala ukufunda ukuthi ngempela lesi sigameko esinamandla, esithatha isikhathi eside esingangesekhondi elilodwa sivele sivelaphi. 

Ngesilinganiso somphumela ongaseceleni we-astronomical obizwa ngokuthi i-plasma dispersion - inqubo enquma ngokuyisisekelo inani lamaza omsakazo wama-electron ahlangane nalo endleleni eya emkhathini womhlaba - anqume ukuthi lokhu kuqhuma kwerediyo okusheshayo kuhambe kusuka ngaphezu kwama-perimeters. womthala wethu. Eqinisweni, izilinganiso zokuhlakazeka zibonise ukuthi ukuqhuma komsakazo osheshayo okwabonwa ngo-2011 kwakusuka eminyakeni yokukhanya engaphezu kwebhiliyoni. Ukuze sikuqonde lokhu, umthala wethu ulinganisa iminyaka yokukhanya engu-120,000 5.5 kuphela ububanzi. Lawa maza abonakale eqhamuka eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-XNUMX yokukhanya.

Nakuba lokhu kutholwa kwakungase kubonakale kujabulisa ngaleso sikhathi emphakathini wezazi zesayensi yezinkanyezi, okurekhodiwe kwakamuva kakhulu kokuqhuma kwemisakazo okusheshayo, okwaphinde kwatholwa e-Parkes Observatory e-Australia, kuqala ukugcwalisa enye ingxenye ebalulekile kule puzzle exakile. Iqembu lase-Australia aliqophanga kuphela ukuqhuma kwemisakazo esheshayo okuyisikhombisa (ngolwazi lwethu) kusukela eminyakeni eyi-10 edlule, likwazile ukubamba umcimbi ngesikhathi sangempela. Ngenxa yokulungela kwabo, ithimba likwazile ukuxwayisa ezinye izibonakude emhlabeni wonke ukuthi ziqondise ukugxila kwazo engxenyeni efanele yesibhakabhaka futhi lenze izikena ezingaphansi kokuqhuma ukuze libone ukuthi yibuphi (uma bukhona) obungatholwa ubude bamaza. 

Kulokhu kuqashelwa, ososayensi bafunde ulwazi olubalulekile okungenzeka lungasitsheli kahle ukuthi ama-FRB avela aphi , kodwa ahlambalaza lokho abangeyikho. Abanye bangaphikisa ngokuthi ukwazi ukuthi into engekho kubaluleke ngokulinganayo njengokwazi ukuthi iyini, ikakhulukazi uma ubhekene nendaba engase ibe mnyama, njengoba kuncane kakhulu okwaziwayo ngalesi sihloko kunanoma yimuphi omunye ubuhlakani esikhaleni.

Lapho ulwazi lungekho, izinkolelo-mbono zesayensi ezizwakalayo neziwubuwula nakanjani ziyovela. Kube njalo ngokuqhuma okungaqondakali komsakazo, lapho u-Lorimer ebikezele ukuthi isimo sizokwanda phakathi neminyaka eyishumi ezayo, ethi “Okwesikhashana, kuzoba nemibono eminingi kunokuqhuma komuntu ngamunye.” 

Uke wezwakala esekela umbono wokuthi lokhu kuqhuma kungase kube uphawu lobuhlakani bangaphandle komhlaba. U-Duncan Lorimer, isazi sezinkanyezi esihola iqembu e-Parkes Observatory futhi okwaqanjwa ngaye ama-FRB, uzwakale edlala ngombono wokuthi lawa magagasi angaba umphumela weqhawe elithile elinobungane elizama ukuzilolonga ekuseni 'sawubona'. kusuka komunye umthala okude nokude. U-Lorimer ucashunwe phakathi nengxoxo ne-NPR, ethi “kuke kwaba nezingxoxo ezincwadini mayelana namasignesha avela emiphakathini yangaphandle,” nakuba esazoqinisekisa ukuthi uyazisekela ngokugcwele lezi zinsolo. 

Eqinisweni, iningi lomphakathi wesayensi libonakala lingabaza kancane ukubeka noma yisiphi isisindo kulokhu, noma okunye kwalolo daba, ukuqagela njengoba kunjalo nje; amathiyori ngaphandle kobufakazi obuzwakalayo.

Ngaphambi kokuthi kube khona noma yimiphi imibono ephikisanayo, nokho, ama-FRB u-Lorimer ayewaqoqile kusukela kudatha emuva ngo-2001 ayekholelwa kakhulu ososayensi (kuze kube kamuva nje) ukuthi anesizathu nendawo eyayisendaweni kakhulu futhi engaphansi kakhulu kweyangempela. imvelaphi. Nakuba u-Lorimer nethimba lakhe beqoqe isenzakalo esisodwa se-FRB kudatha yabo yango-2011, azikho ezinye izehlakalo ezirekhodiwe zala maza omsakazo akhiqizwa phakathi kwesethi yedatha ye-Parkes Observatory nanoma imaphi amanye amadivaysi anomqondo ofanayo emhlabeni jikelele. Futhi njengoba ososayensi baziwa ngokuba nokungabaza okukhulu kunoma yimuphi umbiko oyedwa noma ucwaningo olukhiqizwa ngaphandle kohlobo oluthile lokuqinisekisa okuvela eceleni, ukuqhuma kwe-Lorimer kwabhalwa njengokuwumshoshaphansi wobuchwepheshe obabuthole kuqala. Lokhu kusola kwabonakala kwanda kuphela lapho ngo-2013, okunye ukuqhuma okune kutholwa yisibonakude se-Parkes, kodwa kulokhu ama-FRB abonise izici ezidonse ukufana okuningi okungajabulisi nokugxambukela kwerediyo okwaziwa ukuthi ngomsuka wasemhlabeni: ama-perytons.

Ososayensi bakwazi ukuphetha ngezinyathelo eziphezulu zokuhlakazeka kwe-Lorimer eqhumayo ukuthi babevela endaweni yezinkanyezi. Isayensi yezobuchwepheshe ngemuva kwalesi silinganiso, ezosiza ukuqonda ukuthi kungani la magagasi enziwe iphutha njengama-perytons, empeleni ilula kakhulu. Uma into iba kude, yilapho kufanele ihlangane ne-plasma eyengeziwe (okungukuthi ama-ion ashajiwe), okuvame ukuphumela ku-spectrum ehlakazekile, okusho ukuthi amafrikhwensi anensa azofika ngemva kwalawo asheshayo. Isikhala phakathi kokuthi lezi zikhathi zokufika ziba nini ngokuvamile sizobonisa umthombo woqobo ongaphakathi noma ngaphandle kwamapherimitha womthala wethu. Lolu hlobo lwe-spectrum yokusabalalisa ngokuvamile alwenzeki ezintweni ezitholakala ngaphakathi komthala wethu, lokho ngaphandle kwecala elingajwayelekile lama-perytons. Nakuba ehlekisa ukuziphatha komthombo ovela emkhathini we-extragalactic, ama-peryton empeleni anemvelaphi yasemhlabeni futhi, njengokuqhuma kwe-Lorimer, abonwe kuphela i-Parkes Observatory. 

Manje usungaqala ukubona ukuthi ososayensi ababehlongoze ukuthi umthombo wama-FRBs ube ngowomsuka wasezulwini base beqala kanjani ukulungiswa ngobuchwepheshe babo, iphutha elilula elingabalelwa kuphela ngenxa yokuntuleka kokuhlukahluka phakathi kwamasampula abo. Abangakholwa kanye nama-naysayers baqala ukungabaza kakhulu ukunikeza lawa magagasi isimo se-extragalactic, njengesenzakalo esiyingqayizivele, baze baqinisekise ukubonwa kwalawa magagasi kwesinye isibonakude endaweni ehlukile. U-Lorimer waze wavuma ukuthi lokho akutholile ngeke kunikezwe uhlobo lokufaneleka kwesayensi umphakathi olufuna kuze kuqoshwe isiqinisekiso esivela kwenye indawo yokuhlola kusetshenziswa “amaqembu ahlukene [kanye], nemishini ehlukene”.

NgoNovemba ka-2012, imithandazo ka-Lorimer nabanye abacwaningi ababenenkolelo yokuthi lawa ma-FRB avela ngaphandle komthala wethu yaba nempendulo yawo. I-FRB12110, ukuqhuma komsakazo okusheshayo okufanayo okubikwe e-Australia, kutholwe e-Arecibo Observatory e-Puerto Rico. Ibanga eliphakathi kwe-Puerto Rico ne-Australia - cishe amakhilomitha angu-17,000 - liwuhlobo nje lwesikhala abacwaningi ababenethemba lokusibeka phakathi kokubonwa kwama-FRBs, manje sebengaqinisekisa ukuthi lawa maza obude obungajwayelekile abengekona okudidayo kwe-Parkes telescope noma indawo yayo.

Manje njengoba lawa ma-FRB afakazele ukuba semthethweni kwawo ocwaningweni lwe-astrophysics, isinyathelo esilandelayo ukuthola ukuthi lokhu kuqhuma kuvelaphi ngempela nokuthi kubangelwa yini. Ukuhlolwa kusibonakude se-SWIFT kuqinisekise ukuthi kunemithombo emi-2 yama-X-ray ekhona lapho ibheke khona i-FRB, kodwa ngaphandle kwalokho, awekho amanye amaza atholakele. Ngokungatholi noma yiluphi olunye uhlobo lomsebenzi kolunye uhlobo lwamaza wamaza, ososayensi bakwazile ukubekela eceleni eminye imibono eminingi ephikisanayo ekubeni ithathwe njengezincazelo ezisebenzayo zemvelaphi ye-FRB. 

Ngaphezu kokungabheki lokhu kuqhuma kunoma ibuphi obunye ubude beza, bathole ukuthi ama-FRB ayenziwe ngokwehlukana ayisiyingi kunokuba abe ngomugqa, okubonisa ukuthi kufanele futhi abe phambi kwendawo ethile enamandla kazibuthe. Ngenqubo yokuqeda, ososayensi baye bakwazi ukuhlukanisa imithombo engaba khona yalokhu kuqhuma baba izigaba ezintathu: Izimbobo ezigoqayo (manje ezaziwa ngokuthi ama-blitzar), ama-flare amakhulu akhiqizwa kuzibuthe (izinkanyezi ze-neutron ezinozibuthe ophakeme), noma ukuthi kuwumphumela wokushayisana phakathi kwezinkanyezi ze-neutron nezimbobo ezimnyama. Yomithathu imibono inamandla okusebenza njengamanje, njengoba ulwazi esingalwazi mayelana nalokhu kuqhuma okunamandla lusadlula ulwazi esilufake kwikhathalogi.