Press release: Toward unveiling the cosmic mystery of Fast Radio Bursts

An artist’s impression of a fast radio burst. Credit: Daniëlle Futselaar/ASTRON (artsource.nl)

A team of researchers from the University of Tokyo, the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), and the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) investigated the birth environments of mysterious radio fireworks in the Universe, ‘fast radio bursts (Figure top).’ The research team, including Prof. Bunyo Hatsukade (Univ. of Tokyo) and Prof. Tetsuya Hashimoto (NCHU; Figure bottom left), found quite a large variety in molecular-gas properties in host galaxies of fast radio bursts, in stark contrast to those of long gamma-ray bursts and core-collapse supernovae. They concluded that the origins of fast radio bursts are not unique but heterogeneous in a wide range of host galaxy environments. Prof. Hashimoto says, “I am shocked. We are trying to find the unique origin of fast radio bursts, but instead, we found a huge variety!”. Tzuyin says, “Prof. Hashimoto did not believe me when we found a variety of results.”

(Left) Tetsuya Hashimoto at the department of physics at National Chung Hsing University. (Right) Tzu-Yin Hsu at the department of physics at National Tsing Hua University.
(Left) Tetsuya Hashimoto at the department of physics at National Chung Hsing University. (Right) Tzu-Yin Hsu at the department of physics at National Tsing Hua University.

Please visit the following link for the full description of the press release:
https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/press/2022/8180/

Link to the NCHU physics
https://www.phys.nchu.edu.tw/en/news/ins.php?index_id=43

Tetsuya Hashimoto
Tetsuya Hashimoto
Assistant professor (NCHU)