NEW YORK, Oct 23, (Agencies): Astronomers have recently intercepted a mysterious and ancient radio signal that has traversed the cosmos for an astonishing eight billion years before finally reaching Earth. This signal, classified as a fast radio burst (FRB), is the most powerful ever observed, releasing in less than a millisecond the equivalent of 30 years' worth of energy from our Sun. The sheer magnitude of this phenomenon raises intriguing questions about its origin and provides valuable insights for unraveling the cosmos.

FRBs, which were first discovered in 2007, remain enigmatic and rare cosmic events, with only about 50 detections to date. The signal in question, designated FRB 20220610A, was identified in June of the previous year using the ASKAP radio telescope array in Western Australia. Subsequent observations from telescopes in Europe and South America allowed scientists to pinpoint the source's location.

To their astonishment, the FRB originated much farther than anticipated. Rather than emerging from a source galaxy, it appeared to emanate from a cluster of merging galaxies undergoing active star formation. This observation lends support to the prevailing theory that FRBs stem from neutron stars, the incredibly dense remnants of massive stars.

What makes this discovery even more tantalizing is that it aligns with the Macquart relation, suggesting that FRBs originating from greater distances unveil more diffuse intergalactic gas along their journey. These fast radio bursts have the unique capability to detect ionized material, even in nearly empty space, enabling the measurement of intergalactic matter between galaxies.

This intergalactic material plays a vital role, especially concerning the enigma of the missing matter in the universe. Currently, over half of the expected normal matter, the atoms that make up our world is unaccounted for. If it turns out that this missing matter resides between galaxies, FRBs could serve as crucial tools for detecting it. However, if this matter remains elusive, it may necessitate a reevaluation of our cosmological models.