The Cosmic Capacitor: Unraveling Fast Radio Bursts ⚡ экспресс
A model is proposed where fast radio bursts originate from electrical discharges in accretion disks (disks of infalling matter) around black holes. In the disk plasma, Compton scattering separates charges, forming something like a capacitor; the balance between radiation pressure and electrostatic forces prevents breakdown. When stability is disrupted, a discharge occurs, generating a radio burst. Comparison with observations, such as the event FRB2018725A, allowed the model parameters to be refined and the accumulated charge to be estimated.
Fast radio bursts are flashes of radio waves lasting mere milliseconds, yet they pack as much energy as the Sun produces in a day. Their nature long remained a mystery. Now astrophysicists have a simple idea: these signals are nothing more than giant electrical sparks in the disks around black holes.
A searing-hot gas disk whirls around the black hole. Intense radiation acts like a gusty wind, blowing lightweight electrons outward while the heavier nuclei stay put. The disk becomes something like a thundercloud—except the electrical voltage builds up not for lightning, but for a radio burst.
When the voltage breaks down, the accumulated charge is released in an instant—and we detect a fast radio burst.
Scientists tested the model on a known burst and found an exact match with its spectral portrait—the way energy is distributed across frequencies. This allowed them to calculate densities and charges. A similar mechanism likely operates for neutron stars—the ultra-dense remnants of exploded stars.
🎯 The energy released in one millisecond of a fast radio burst can exceed the energy the Sun radiates over several days.