Solving the Mystery of Mysterious Cosmic Explosions: Magnetars at the Heart of the Phenomenon

Every day, thousands of mysterious cosmic energy explosions, known as fast radio bursts, occur beyond the range of visible sight. These bursts release an enormous amount of energy within a fraction of a second—equivalent to what the Sun produces in an entire day.

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Due to their brief and fleeting nature, observing these bursts has largely depended on luck, making it difficult for scientists to determine their source or explain their behavior. However, a team of astronomers led by Kriti Sharma from the California Institute of Technology has made significant progress in understanding this phenomenon.

According to the study published in the journal Nature on November 6, these fast bursts originate in massive star-forming galaxies and are believed to be caused by rare explosions of dead stars known as magnetars.

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Researchers believe that these magnetars may result from the merger of two stars, providing important clues about how they form.

In a press release, Sharma stated: “We know very little about how magnetars form after massive stars die. Our work helps answer this question.”

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By analyzing the host galaxies of 30 fast radio bursts recorded by the Deep Synoptic Array-110 in California, the team discovered that these bursts occur in galaxies rich in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, which are environments conducive to the formation of magnetars, thought to be the primary source of these explosions.

The team suggests that these stars may result from the merger of binary stars, where mass transfer between them increases the magnetic fields, which could be hundreds of trillions of times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field, leading to the formation of a magnetar.

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