PHAS graduate student among scientists who have observed a new kind of emission from Andromeda

A group of scientists, including UBC graduate student Sofia Fatigoni, have observed a new kind of emission coming from the Andromeda Galaxy. Called Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME), it can not be any of the standard galactic emission mechanisms, synchrotron or thermal dust emission. There have been hints of AME before, but these results are the first measurements with high statistical significance. These results were achieved by making the largest map yet from the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT), a new Italian facility.

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This work was publicized among Italian news agencies:

• Observed a "anomalous wave" that comes from the Andromeda Galaxy via la Repubblica
• Andromeda: rilevata l’onda anomala della Galassia via le Scienze

Media releases:

• L’onda anomala di Andromeda via INAF press office
• Andromeda: rilevata l’onda anomala della Galassia via Sapienza Università di Roma

Paper:

• Strong evidence of Anomalous Microwave Emission from the ux density spectrum of M31– Battistelli, E. S., Fatigoni, S., Murgia, M., Buzzelli, A., Carretti, E., Castangia, P., ... & Govoni, F. - The Astrophysical Journal Letters 2019, 877, L31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab21de

Sophia and two others on the primary mirror of the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT).