Astronomers and engineers have created an innovative system for their radio telescope that can quickly identify intriguing fast radio bursts and various cosmic events.
The initial test of a technology developed in Australia has successfully uncovered enigmatic objects by analyzing space signals similarly to sorting sand on a beach.
A team from CSIRO, Australia’s leading science agency, has designed a specialized system called CRACO for their ASKAP radio telescope, aimed at swiftly detecting fast radio bursts and other astronomical phenomena.
This new technology was recently tested by a research team from the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Western Australia.
Findings published today in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia reveal the identification of two fast radio bursts and two neutron stars emitting sporadically, along with enhanced location data for four pulsars, all aided by the new technology. The researchers have since discovered over twenty additional fast radio bursts.
Dr. Andy Wang from ICRAR, who spearheaded the research group testing CRACO, noted that the team discovered more astronomical objects than they had anticipated.
“We aimed to find fast radio bursts, which are a mysterious phenomenon that has unveiled a new area of research within astronomy,” Dr. Wang explained.
“CRACO is allowing us to detect these bursts more effectively than ever before. We are currently searching for bursts at a rate of 100 per second, and we anticipate this will rise to 1,000 per second in the future,” he added.
Dr. Keith Bannister, a CSIRO astronomer and engineer involved in developing the device, emphasized the extensive observational capabilities offered by this new technology.
“CRACO utilizes ASKAP’s ‘live’ perspective of the sky to look for fast radio bursts,” he said.
“It processes massive amounts of data — a staggering 100 billion pixels per second — to locate and identify these bursts,” Dr. Bannister explained. “It’s like combing through an entire beach of sand to find a single five-cent coin every minute.”
The CRACO system consists of a network of computers and accelerators connected to the ASKAP radio telescope at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, which is part of the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory situated on Wajarri Yamaji Country. The development of this technology enhances Australia’s global reputation as a pioneer in radio astronomy engineering and research.
“When fully operational, CRACO will revolutionize international astronomy,” Dr. Wang stated.
CRACO is engineered to analyze the trillions of pixels received by the telescope to detect anomalies, immediately notifying researchers when it identifies something unusual, enabling quick follow-up for further data and analysis.
Dr. Wang and his team have progressively broadened CRACO’s research scope to discover more unusual astronomical sources.
“We’re also identifying long-period transients, which remain enigmatic entities within our galaxy. Both fast radio bursts and these transients were first detected in Australia, so it’s exciting that we’re continuing this journey of discovery with this remarkable technology,” Dr. Wang mentioned.
In the near future, CRACO will be accessible to astronomers globally as part of CSIRO’s Australia Telescope National Facility, a comprehensive national research infrastructure that includes the Murriyang and CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope.
The CRACO system was developed through collaboration among CSIRO and researchers from Australia and other countries, with partial funding from an Australian Research Council grant.
