Upgraded Sardinia Radio Telescope To Continue Probing Mysterious Fast Radio Bursts

The Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) has been upgraded to continue observing fast radio bursts (FRBs). The telescope, located in Sardinia, is known for its advanced technology and has made significant contributions to the study of FRBs. The upgrade is necessary because the SRT is part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) deep space network and will be offline until at least September. The SRT is capable of observing between 300 MHz and 116 GHz, covering a wide range of radio frequencies. The telescope's dual-beam receiver allows simultaneous observations at 300 MHz and 1.5 GHz.

FRB 180916 was detected by the SRT in a star-forming region of a spiral galaxy at a distance of 500 million light-years. The discovery was made at 328 MHz, and it is one of the lowest frequency FRBs detected. The origin of FRBs is still unclear, but they are believed to be caused by extreme astrophysical phenomena. Magnetars, which are highly magnetized neutron stars, are considered a possible explanation for repeat FRBs. The SRT has found that FRB 180916 is not enveloped in a thick nebula, which would block low-frequency radiation. This suggests that the FRB is in a middle-age stage, though still active.

The SRT team is also monitoring other transient phenomena, such as magnetars, microquasars, and gamma-ray bursts, to find potential links in how these systems operate. Pilia notes that the SRT's observational advantage allows for simultaneous observations at two different frequencies. The study of FRBs remains challenging due to the lack of a clear mechanism for their origin. The SRT's upgrade will allow continued research into these mysterious bursts, but the exact cause is still unknown.

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