Astronomers report a breakthrough in understanding a puzzling class of repeating cosmic signals that had defied explanation for years.
A long-standing puzzle
The signals — brief, powerful bursts that recur in patterns — had prompted numerous theories about their origin. New analysis points to a physical mechanism that accounts for their timing and behaviour.
Opening a window
Pinning down the source helps researchers use these signals as probes of the distant universe, including the matter that lies between galaxies. The finding is the latest example of how improved instruments and data are resolving cosmic mysteries.
Source: ScienceDaily.