NASA detects fast radio bursts for the first time in Milky Way.
                     NASA DETECTS FAST RADIO 
BURSTS FOR THE FIRST TIME 
IN MILKY WAY
INTRODUCTION
• Astronomers have detected a bright fast radio 
burst, which lasted for a millisecond, from our 
galaxy for the first time ever.
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Source: theprint.in
FAST RADIO BURSTS 
(FRB) 
• Fast radio bursts (FRB) are bright bursts of radio 
waves from astronomical objects across 
galaxies, and their sources have been a mystery 
for over a decade.
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Source: theprint.in
FRB 200428
• This signal, called FRB 200428, was found in 
April inside the Milky Way galaxy for the first 
time and was also the first to be traced to a 
magnetar.
• These are dead stars that have the most 
powerful magnetic fields in the universe. 
4
Source: theprint.in
WHO DISCOVERED THE SIMULTANEOUS 
BURSTS IN THE MILKY WAY?
• The X-ray portion of the simultaneous bursts 
was detected by several satellites, including 
NASA’s Wind mission, and the radio component 
was discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen 
Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME).
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Source: indianexpress.com
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE FRB 
DETECTED IN APRIL?
• The source of the FRB detected in April in the 
Milky Way is a very powerful magnetic neutron 
star, referred to as a magnetar, called SGR 
1935+2154 or SGR 1935.
• It is located in the constellation Vulpecula and is 
estimated to be between 14,000-41,000 light-
years away.
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Source: indianexpress.com
X-RAY BURSTS 
• The FRB was part of one of the magnetar’s most 
prolific flare-ups, with the X-ray bursts lasting 
less than a second. 
• The radio burst, on the other hand, lasted for a 
thousandth of a second and was thousands of 
times brighter than any other radio emissions 
from magnetars seen in the Milky Way 
previously. 
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Source: indianexpress.com
WHAT IS A MAGNETAR?
• A magnetar is a neutron star, the crushed, city-
size remains of a star many times more massive 
than our Sun.
• The magnetic field of such a star is very 
powerful, which can be over 10 trillion times 
stronger than a refrigerator magnet.
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Source: indianexpress.com
HOW MAGNETARS MAY PRODUCE FAST 
RADIO BURSTS?
• Magnetars may be the progenitors because their 
strong magnetic fields could act as engines that 
drive FRBs. 
• A flare from a magnetar could have collided and 
generated a shock wave.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
THEORIES RELATED TO FRBS
• There were various theories that tried to explain 
what the possible sources of an FRB could be. 
• Scientists have come up with new theories 
about the origin of these FRBs, including 
possible origins from neutron stars, which are 
formed from the powerful deathly explosion of 
high mass stars in a supernova. 
• Magnetars are a type of neutron star and have 
long been considered potential sources of these 
FRBs.
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Source: indianexpress.com
WHY IS THIS OBSERVATION 
SIGNIFICANT?
• Before April this year, scientists did not have 
any evidence to show that FRBs could be 
blasted out of a magnetar. 
• Therefore, the observation is especially 
significant.
11
Source: indianexpress.com