Chinese Sky Eye FAST finely depicts the polarization characteristics of RF Universe
CTOnews.com, December 27 (Xinhua): fast radio burst is a high-energy astrophysical phenomenon of cosmological origin, showing transient radio wave pulses, and it is also the most intense burst phenomenon in the radio band in the universe. It can release solar energy for a day, a month or even a year in millisecond time scales, but the corresponding radiation mechanism and origin are unknown.
According to CCTV, FRB20121102A is the first case of repetitive storm found, while FRB20190520B is the first case of persistent active repetitive storm found by CRAFTS survey. As one of the basic properties of electromagnetic wave, polarization carries the intrinsic radiation characteristics of the light source and the key information of the light propagation environment. Through in-depth monitoring, Chinese researchers were able to use the two-source data captured by Tianyan FAST to delineate the polarization characteristics of this mysterious phenomenon in the dynamic universe.
CTOnews.com learned that this scientific research result was published as a cover article in the comprehensive leading journal "Science Bulletin" of the China Science and Technology Journals Excellence Action Plan on December 26, 2022, Beijing time.
According to reports, Li's team at the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that less than 5 per cent of the FRB20121102A and FRB20190520B repeated storms captured by the Chinese Academy of Sciences had the characteristics of circularly polarized radiation, with a degree of circular polarization up to 64 per cent.
This discovery greatly increases the number of samples containing circularly polarized repetitive storms. As one of the few active repetitive storms, the detection of circular polarization of FRB20121102A, 20190520B and 20201124A suggests that circular polarization may be a common feature of repetitive fast radio storms.
Officials say FAST's further systematic characterization of the radio frequency polarization of the dynamic universe will deepen understanding of the radiation mechanism of fast radio storms and is expected to eventually reveal the origin of this mysterious astrophysical phenomenon.
