神秘的深空物體每16天向地球發(fā)送一次信號

神秘的深空物體每16天向地球發(fā)送一次信號

A mysterious object 500 million light-years away has baffled scientists after transmitting signals that hit Earth every 16 days.

一個距離地球5億光年的神秘物體，每16天就向地球發(fā)射一次信號，這讓科學家們困惑不已。

Scientists do not know what is causing the phenomenon, but it is being recognized as the first reliable pattern of fast radio bursts in deep space.

科學家們不知道是什么導致了這種現(xiàn)象，但它被認為是第一個在深空的快速無線電爆炸的可靠模式。

These newly discovered radio bursts repeat their activity every 16 days – suggesting something is controlling them.

這些新發(fā)現(xiàn)的無線電脈沖每16天重復一次，表明有什么東西在控制它們。

Researchers have so far found over 100 types of fast radio bursts, but only 10 of those have been seen to repeat – and none have shown any consistent tempo.

到目前為止，研究人員已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了超過100種類型的快速無線電脈沖，但其中只有10種被觀察到重復出現(xiàn)——而且沒有一種顯示出任何一致的節(jié)奏。

Astrophysicists discovered the pattern in data from the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, or CHIME, radio telescope in British Columbia.

天體物理學家在加拿大不列顛哥倫比亞省的氫強度測繪實驗(或稱CHIME射電望遠鏡)的數(shù)據(jù)中發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種模式。

In this particular instance, around one to two radio bursts will blast out per hour for four days before going silent for 12 days.

在這種特殊情況下，大約每小時會發(fā)出一到兩次無線電脈沖，持續(xù)四天，然后沉寂12天。

The cycle then repeats itself.

然后這個循環(huán)不斷重復。

These bursts were recently traced to a spiral galaxy nearly 500 million light-years away from Earth.

根據(jù)這些脈沖，最近追蹤到一個離地球近5億光年的螺旋星系。

Duncan Lorimer, an astrophysicist at West Virginia University in Morgantown told Science News: “This is very significant.

位于摩根敦的西維吉尼亞大學的天體物理學家Duncan Lorimer告訴《科學新聞》:“這是非常重要的。”

“It’s potentially going to take us in an interesting direction to get to the bottom of these repeaters.”

“這可能會把我們引向一個有趣的方向，去弄清這些重復者的真相。”

It has been suggested that this particular fast radio burst could be orbiting something else, such as a star or a black hole.

有人認為，這種特殊的快速無線電爆炸可能是圍繞著其他東西運行的，比如恒星或黑洞。

Winds could be another cause, periodically boosting or blocking radio pulses.

風可能是另一個原因，周期性地增強或阻斷無線電脈沖。

But despite scientists not knowing what causes the signals, they are ruling some things out.

但是，盡管科學家們不知道是什么導致了這些信號，他們還是排除了一些可能。

Leon Oostrum at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy told New Scientist: “If it were an alien beacon I would think it would emit more quickly because a 16-day period is not efficient for communication.

荷蘭射電天文研究所的Leon Oostrum告訴《新科學家》雜志:“如果它是一個外星人的信標，我認為它會發(fā)射得更快，因為16天的周期對通訊來說是太沒效率了。”

“Imagine getting one signal every 16 days – it would take forever to get a message.”

“想象一下，每16天才收到一個信號——那收到一條信息可是要花很長時間。”