The origin of mysterious 'radio circuits' in space has been solved

Strange radio circuits in the universe, known as ORCs, have puzzled science for a long time. Now there seems to be an explanation.

SAN DIEGO — First discovered in 2019: mysterious rings in space that are not visible in the optical or infrared range. It also does not emit any X-rays, only radio waves. That's why they are called “individual radio circuits” and abbreviated as ORCs. So far, only a few of these unusual structures have been discovered, and although there are some theories, an explanation for their existence is still missing. But now it has become possible to solve the mystery of the strange circuits in the universe. It was the study In the specialized magazine nature published.

A team of researchers led by Alison Coyle of the University of California San Diego has found a possible explanation for the appearance of ORCs. Scientists focused on so-called “starburst” galaxies, that is, galaxies in which an unusually large number of stars are forming. “These galaxies are really interesting,” Cowell explains in one of them notice Their university. “They form when two large galaxies collide. The merger compresses all the gas into a very small area, resulting in an intense explosion of star formation.

ORCs appear to be formed by the galactic winds of dying stars

But that's not all, as Cowell continues: Massive stars burn quickly, and when they die, they expel their gas in the form of flowing winds. According to the researcher, this process could give rise to strange radio circuits: if enough stars explode at the same time in close proximity to each other, the explosion could push gas out of the galaxy. Wind speeds can reach 2,000 kilometers per second, giving rise to OCR.

However, there are some prerequisites for this, as Coyle explains: “For this to work, you need massive outflow, which means a lot of material is being ejected very quickly. The surrounding gas outside the galaxy has to be of low density, otherwise the shock will stop.” “These are the two main factors.”

Her research team found that the galaxies they studied had high mass flow rates, Coyle explains. “They may be rare, but they do exist,” she says. I really think this indicates that the ORCs come from some sort of flowing galactic wind. (unpaid bill)

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