Who or what sends strange radio signals to Earth: five versions

Scientists have recorded strange radio signals of unknown nature, emanating from distant galaxies, writes Air Force

When these signals, known as fast radio bursts (FRBs), reach radio telescopes on Earth, they flash brightly—for thousandths of a second—and disappear.

Over the past decade, several dozen such impulses have already been recorded, but this week the signals turned out to be even stranger than usual - they were repeated.

Scientists do not know for sure that this is precisely where the radio waves originate from, but they have several possible versions.

Neutron star

When a star explodes and dies, it can turn into a rapidly rotating neutron star. Astronomers believe that those of them that are in the zone of a strong magnetic field can emit such strange signals.

“In general, something like a neutron star looks like a pretty good explanation,” says Vancouver-based Canadian astrophysicist Ingrid Stairs.

“But we don’t yet know the nature of the physical processes involved in the creation of radio waves of such high energy,” she clarifies.

The merger of two stars

Another possible explanation is a collision between two neutron stars.

According to Montreal astronomer Sriharsh Tendukar, this is one of the main theories - but it only works for non-repeating cosmic signals, since stars are destroyed during the collision.

“Such an event is a one-time cataclysm. So this theory cannot explain the repeated radio signals,” he explains.

Most of the radio bursts recorded by telescopes over the past decade are just single ones.

However, the two detected signals will repeat again and again, and they will have to find another explanation.

Blitzer

A blitzar is a rapidly rotating neutron star that cannot support its own weight, collapses sharply, and turns into a black hole.

However, again, this phenomenon leads to the destruction of the star, so that it cannot emit a repeating signal.

Black hole

We know so little about black holes that they appear in several possible explanations at once.

There is a version that radio bursts are emitted by a neutron star falling into a black hole. Or the black hole itself, dramatically decreasing in size. Or dark matter in a collision with a black hole.

Photo: NASA / JPL-CALTECH

ИIs it all aliens?

Although many believe that radio signals are exclusively of natural origin, some believe that they can be proof of the existence of extraterrestrial life forms.

However, Professor Stairs believes that such an explanation is highly unlikely.

“Signals are recorded from a variety of places - both in direction and distance. They definitely come from completely different galaxies,” she says.

“It seems completely inconceivable that such a huge number of different alien civilizations could exist, all of which supposedly decided to emit signals of exactly the same type in the same way. The probability of such a coincidence simply approaches zero,” the astrophysicist concludes.

Previously scientists have suggestedthat the Universe can only be a “mirror image” of a parallel world created from antimatter and rushing in the opposite direction from the Big Bang on the time scale.

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