An Australian-developed technology is revealing deep-space mysteries by sifting through signals as if sorting grains of sand. 

The system, called CRACO, was created by CSIRO astronomers and engineers for the ASKAP radio telescope and is designed to rapidly detect fast radio bursts and other cosmic phenomena.  

In its first trial, researchers from the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) used CRACO to uncover two fast radio bursts, two sporadically emitting neutron stars, and more precise locations for four pulsars. 

They have since identified over 20 additional fast radio bursts.  

Dr Andy Wang from ICRAR, who led the research, said the findings exceeded expectations. 

“We were focused on finding fast radio bursts, a mysterious phenomenon that has opened up a new field of research in astronomy,” he said. 

“CRACO is enabling us to find these bursts better than ever before. We have been searching for bursts 100 times per second and in the future we expect this will increase to 1,000 times per second.”  

CSIRO astronomer and engineer Dr Keith Bannister explained the scale of CRACO’s capability, saying it processes 100 billion pixels per second in search of these fleeting cosmic signals. 

“That’s the equivalent of sifting through a whole beach of sand to look for a single five-cent coin every minute,” he said.  

CRACO - Commensal Realtime ASKAP Fast Transient COherent - operates at the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory on Wajarri Yamaji Country and strengthens Australia’s reputation as a leader in radio astronomy. 

The system, which links a cluster of computers and accelerators to ASKAP, is engineered to detect anomalies in real-time, allowing scientists to act quickly when unusual signals appear.  

Beyond its success with fast radio bursts, CRACO is also identifying long-period transients, space objects that remain largely mysterious. 

“Both fast radio bursts and these transients were first discovered in Australia, so it is great that we’re continuing the path of discovery with this impressive technology,” Dr Wang said.  

The technology will soon be made available globally through CSIRO’s Australia Telescope National Facility, which includes Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope. 

With further refinements, it is expected to become even faster and more sensitive, offering a new window into the universe’s most elusive signals.

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