A team of astronomers identified a strange object found in a distant galaxy, and it is the source of an elusive fast radio burst signal. The object has been named NGTS-7. When viewed with standard telescopes, it appears to be a singular star. It raised the interest of the astronomers because it seemed to release flares. Further examinations proved that the event took place every 16.2 hours, which was quite intriguing.
The astronomers discovered that there are two similarly sized stars in close to each other, but only one of them was dimmed briefly by an unknown factor. The explication was more straightforward than some may have expected: a brown dwarf orbits one of the stars, and the orbit trajectory is so tight that the entire cycle is completed in 16.2 hours.
The researchers used a variation of the technique employed in the hunt for exoplanets: they tracked how the intensity of the light decreased as the brown dwarf passed between the host star and Earth. The so-called ‘’ dip’’ represents a moment of a partial eclipse of the star, caused by an object which is too faint even for powerful telescopes.
Astronomers Found That The Elusive Signal In The Milky Way Comes From A Three-Star System
According to one of the researchers involved in the study tracking down the system was the most straightforward task. The star is quite small, and the size of the brown dwarf extend the transit signal by up to ten times in comparison to what is seen when regular exoplanets are observed.
Even if you manage to detect the fast radio burst signal, there is more to be done since you have to understand it. This task is complicated by the fact that brown dwarf transit is quite bizarre. For example, the temperature of the brown dwarf is influenced by the nearby stars, and it would appear to be red hot during day time.
The detection of a brown dwarf is quite exciting. These objects are considerably larger than Jupiter or significant exoplanets, but they lack the mass need to ignite the nuclear fusion process, which is essential for being a star.
Jasmine holds a Master’s in Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto and writes professionally in a broad variety of genres. She has worked as a senior manager in public relations and communications for major telecommunication companies, and is the former Deputy Director for Media Relations with the Modern Coalition. Jasmine writes primarily in our LGBTTQQIAAP and Science section.