Chinese astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery in cosmic research using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-dish radio observatory. A team from the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed new evidence this week supporting the theory that some fast radio bursts (FRBs) originate from binary star systems.
The findings, published in a peer-reviewed journal, document dramatic and reversible changes in magnetic environments around FRB sources – the first such observational record in the field. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the solitary nature of FRB-emitting neutron stars and opens new avenues for understanding these mysterious cosmic phenomena.
"This discovery represents a paradigm shift in FRB research," said a lead researcher from the PMO team. "The observed magnetic variations strongly suggest interaction between celestial bodies in a binary system."
Since becoming operational in 2020, FAST has contributed to nearly half of all known FRB discoveries worldwide. Its unprecedented sensitivity continues to position China at the forefront of radio astronomy, with international collaborations increasing by 40% since 2023.
