Astronomers Trace Fast Radio Burst to Neutron Star's Magnetosphere

New analysis of FRB 20221022A reveals its origin within 10,000 kilometers of a highly magnetic neutron star, refining our understanding of these cosmic events.

Fast Radio Burst 20221022A, detected in 2022, has been traced to a galaxy 200 million light-years away using data from the CHIME radio telescope.
Researchers determined the burst originated within the magnetosphere of a neutron star, marking the first conclusive evidence of such proximity for an FRB.
Scintillation, or the twinkling effect caused by gas in the host galaxy, was key to pinpointing the burst's origin and its small emission region of about 10,000 kilometers.
The burst's highly polarized light and S-shaped polarization curve suggest it came from a rotating, magnetized neutron star, or pulsar.
These findings advance our understanding of FRBs, confirming their connection to magnetars and highlighting scintillation as a critical tool for future research.