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DISCRETE STEPS IN DISPERSION MEASURES OF FAST RADIO BURSTS
And no, this wasn't published in April 1st!
Link to New Scientist article: Is this ET? Mystery of strange radio bursts from space.
Garth
(emphasis mine)5. CONCLUSION
We have noted a potential discrete spacing in DM (Dispersion Measures) of FRBs (Fast Radios Bursts). Identied steps are integer multiples of 187.5cm-3 pc, so that DMs occur in groups centered at 375, 562, 750, 937, 1125cm-3 pc, with errors <5%. If this holds, future FRBs would show DMs in these groups (and perhaps at the base 187.5cm-3 pc, or larger integer multiples beyond 1125cm-3 pc).
In case this would hold, an extragalactic origin would seem unlikely, as high (random) DMs would be added by intergalactic dust. A more likely option could be a galactic source producing quantized chirped signals, but this seems most surprising. If both of these options could be excluded, only an articial source (human or non-human) must be considered, particularly since most bursts have been observed in only one location (Parkes radio telescope). A re-assessment of man-made phenomena, such as perytons (Burke-Spolaor et al. 2011), would then be required. Failing some observational bias, the suggestive correlation with terrestrial time standards seems to nearly clinch the case for human association of these peculiar phenomena. In the end we only claim interesting features which further data will verify or refute.
And no, this wasn't published in April 1st!
Link to New Scientist article: Is this ET? Mystery of strange radio bursts from space.
Garth
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