Virgo

• The origin of these “fast radio bursts” is one of the greatest mysteries in astronomy today.
• You can take your pick from highly magnetised neutron stars, collisions of incredibly dense stars or many more extreme or exotic phenomena.

Gravitational wave astronomy

• Gravitational waves are different: they pass straight through matter, so nothing can really get in their way.
• We also have reason to think fast radio bursts may produce gravitational wave signals.

What produces fast radio bursts?

• Some fast radio bursts have been seen to repeat, but most are seen as single events.
• For the repeating bursts, a recent simultaneous observation of x-rays and a radio burst from a highly magnetised neutron star in our own Milky Way galaxy proves this type of star can produce fast radio bursts.

The CHIME radio telescope

• To look for new evidence on what causes fast radio bursts I co-led a targeted search using fast radio bursts detected by a radio telescope called CHIME in Canada.
• As the CHIME/FRB project has detected hundreds of fast radio bursts, there’s a good chance of catching one close enough to Earth to be observed by a gravitational wave telescope.
• We looked for gravitational wave signals around the sky position of each non-repeating fast radio burst around the time each occurred.

What did we find out?

• It was not such a surprise, as we think fast radio bursts are much more common than detectable gravitational wave signals.
• In other words, gravitational wave sources would only account for a small fraction of fast radio bursts.

What next?

• Gravitational wave detectors have become more sensitive than when we conducted this search, and will continue to improve in the coming years.
• We are also targeting future fast radio bursts from the known repeating source in our own galaxy mentioned above.

• (Photo Credit: NASA)
  WASHINGTON, July 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) nears its one-year anniversary of providing incredible imagery showcasing the origins of our universe, pioneering and sustaining a new era in astronomy is no small task.
• Engineers at Northrop Grumman – in partnership with NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) – perform maintenance support for Webb using testbeds that simulate the observatory on the ground.
• “Today, the team is powering Webb’s discoveries and expanding humankind’s understanding of the universe, by keeping the observatory safe and healthy,” said Robby Swoish, program manager, James Webb Space Telescope operations and maintenance, Northrop Grumman.
• Before any updates are made to Webb in space, Northrop Grumman practices on Earth.

• LYON, France and AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goal Acquisitions Corp. (Nasdaq: PUCK) (“Goal”), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, and Digital Virgo Group (“Digital Virgo”), a global leader providing access to mobile content, entertainment, and commerce payable on a phone bill, that is building a one destination hub enabling users to access the services and products they want with just a mobile device—no credit card or bank account needed, using carrier billing solutions or alternative payment methods, today announced the confidential submission on February 8, 2023 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) of a draft registration statement on Form F-4 in relation to a previously announced business combination between Goal and Digital Virgo (“Business Combination”).
• The agreement between Goal and Digital Virgo relating to the Business Combination (“Business Combination Agreement”) was amended and restated as of February 8, 2023 (the “Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement”).
• Upon closing of the Business Combination, Digital Virgo is expected to be the publicly traded entity for the combined company.
• Closing is conditioned upon, among other things, regulatory and shareholder approval.

• AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goal Acquisitions Corp. (Nasdaq: PUCK) today issued the following open letter to its shareholders:
  As you may know, Goal Acquisitions Corp. (Nasdaq: PUCK) (“Goal” or “we”) has recently announced our entry into a business combination with Digital Virgo Group (“Digital Virgo” or the “Company”).
• We are excited about their consistent growth and the upside as we look to bring Digital Virgo’s capabilities to the North American market.
• We see Digital Virgo as a source for long-term returns, as well as a leader in the space as mobile, entertainment, gaming, sports, wagering, and commerce converge.
• Our Goal team thanks you for your partnership and support so far, and requests that you support our extension.