神秘的深空物体每16天向地球发送一次信号

神秘的深空物体每16天向地球发送一次信号

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

一个距离地球5亿光年的神秘物体，每16天就向地球发射一次信号，这让科学家们困惑不已。

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.

科学家们不知道是什么导致了这种现象，但它被认为是第一个在深空的快速无线电爆炸的可靠模式。

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

这些新发现的无线电脉冲每16天重复一次，表明有什么东西在控制它们。

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.

到目前为止，研究人员已经发现了超过100种类型的快速无线电脉冲，但其中只有10种被观察到重复出现——而且没有一种显示出任何一致的节奏。

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

天体物理学家在加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省的氢强度测绘实验(或称CHIME射电望远镜)的数据中发现了这种模式。

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

在这种特殊情况下，大约每小时会发出一到两次无线电脉冲，持续四天，然后沉寂12天。

The cycle then repeats itself.

然后这个循环不断重复。

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

根据这些脉冲，最近追踪到一个离地球近5亿光年的螺旋星系。

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

位于摩根敦的西维吉尼亚大学的天体物理学家Duncan Lorimer告诉《科学新闻》:“这是非常重要的。”

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

“这可能会把我们引向一个有趣的方向，去弄清这些重复者的真相。”

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

有人认为，这种特殊的快速无线电爆炸可能是围绕着其他东西运行的，比如恒星或黑洞。

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

风可能是另一个原因，周期性地增强或阻断无线电脉冲。

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

但是，尽管科学家们不知道是什么导致了这些信号，他们还是排除了一些可能。

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.

荷兰射电天文研究所的Leon Oostrum告诉《新科学家》杂志:“如果它是一个外星人的信标，我认为它会发射得更快，因为16天的周期对通讯来说是太没效率了。”

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

“想象一下，每16天才收到一个信号——那收到一条信息可是要花很长时间。”