Fast radio bursts may be from a neutron star orbiting a black hole

Twistiness of the radio waves suggests they traveled through a strong magnetic field

fast radio burst

TWISTS AND TURNS  The twisted waves from a distant fast radio burst suggest the burst originates from a neighborhood with a strong magnetic field. This artist’s impression represents the burst in different radio wavelengths: blue is a shorter wavelength, red is longer.

Jingchuan Yu, Beijing Planetarium/NRAO

OXON HILL, Md.