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James Webb Telescope locates most distant fast radio burst
Astronomers have identified the host galaxy of the most distant fast radio burst (FRB) ever detected, designated FRB 20240304B. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers pinpointed a tiny dwarf galaxy as the source of the millisecond-long signal, which traveled for over 10 billion years to reach Earth.
The burst was initially detected by the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa via the MeerTRAP project. While ground-based telescopes could not see the host galaxy due to its faintness, Webb’s infrared capabilities allowed scientists to measure a redshift of 2.148, placing the event approximately 3 billion years after the Big Bang.
Unlike most previously localized FRBs that originate in massive star-forming galaxies, this host is a small, metal-poor dwarf galaxy. This discovery supports the theory that some FRBs are produced by young magnetars—highly magnetized neutron stars—rather than the merger of older neutron stars.
Entities
James Webb Space Telescope · Manisha Caleb · MeerKAT · NASA · University of Sydney
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Scientists identified the host galaxy of fast radio burst FRB 20240304B. www.ingenieur.de · nautil.us · www.numerama.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The host galaxy is a small, young dwarf galaxy. www.ingenieur.de · nautil.us · www.numerama.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The James Webb Space Telescope was used to locate the host galaxy. www.ingenieur.de · nautil.us · www.numerama.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The burst lasted only a few milliseconds. nautil.us · www.numerama.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The signal traveled for more than 10 billion years. www.ingenieur.de · nautil.us · www.numerama.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The burst was detected by the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. nautil.us · www.numerama.com