LOFAR Detection of 110–188 MHz Emission and Frequency-dependent Activity from FRB 20180916B

Journal article

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are transient radio signals with millisecond-duration, large dispersion measure (DM) and extremely high brightness temperature. Among them, FRB 20180916B has been found to have a 16-day periodic activity. However, the physical origin of the periodicity is still a mystery. Here, we utilize the comprehensive observational data to diagnose the periodic models. We find that the ultra-long rotation model is the most probable one for the periodic activity. However, this model cannot reproduce the observed rotation measure (RM) variations. We propose a self-consistent model, i.e., a massive binary containing a slowly rotational neutron star and a massive star with large mass loss, which can naturally accommodate the wealth of observational features for FRB 20180916B. In this model, the RM variation is periodic, which can be tested by future observations.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Authors: Pleunis, Z; Michilli, D; Bassa, CG; Hessels, JWT; Naidu, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Astronomical Society
• Journal: The Astrophysical Journal Letters
• Volume: 911
• Issue: 1
• Pages: L3-L3
• Publication date: 2021-04-09
• DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/abec72
• EISSN: 2041-8213
• ISSN: 2041-8205
• Language: English
• Keywords: Physics; Fast radio burst; Astronomy; Polarization (electrochemistry); Radio telescope; Magnetic field; Astrophysics; Spectral line; Chemistry; LOFAR; Faraday effect; Computational physics