Yi Feng

The origin and evolution of the universe are crucial to human development. Scientists accidentally discovered a fast radio burst signal that can release huge energy in a very short time. FRBs have the potential to provide a unique probe of physics in extreme conditions and of the distribution of matter in the universe. However, most fast radio burstsare are too distant from us and lack multi-band information, so it is challenging to determine the origin of fast radio bursts.

Dr. Yi Feng from Zhejiang Lab analyzed the polarization properties of five repeating FRB sources using the Five-hundredmeter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) and the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Combined with a diverse set of existing data, these observations reveal systematic frequency evolution, namely depolarization toward lower frequencies, which can be well described by multi-path scatter, with only one single adjustable parameter σRM. Such a unified description of repeating FRBs indicates a complex environment near and/or around the bursting sources. It was also selected as one of the “Top 10 Scientific Achievements in China of Year 2022” and one of the “Top 10 Science and Technology Progress News in China of Year 2022”.

As an expert in the fields of fast radio bursts, gravitational waves, pulsars and star formation, Yi‘s works include discovering the extreme field reversal phenomenon of fast radio bursts (FRBs), accurately characterizing the polarization characteristics of fast radio bursts, establishing the largestfast radio burst database, and detecting gravitational waves with pulsar timing arrays. 

Yi said that in the future, he will continue to use advanced equipment such as FAST, which may reveal key findings such as the origin of fastradio bursts.