Ravi, Vikram and Lasky, Paul D. (2016) A neutron star progenitor for FRBs? Insights from polarisation measurements. . (Submitted) https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20161010-120812901
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Abstract
Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are intense, millisecond-duration broadband radio transients, the emission mechanisms of which are not understood. Masui et al. recently presented Green Bank Telescope observations of FRB 110523, which displayed temporal variation of the linear polarisation position angle (PA). This effect is commonly seen in radio pulsars and is attributed to a changing projected magnetic field orientation in the emission region as the star rotates. If a neutron star is the progenitor of this FRB, and the emission mechanism is pulsar-like, we show that the progenitor is either rapidly rotating, or the emission originates from a region of complex magnetic field geometry. The observed PA variation could also be caused by propagation effects within a neutron-star magnetosphere, or by spatially varying magnetic fields if the progenitor lies in a dense, highly magnetised environment. Although we urge caution in generalising results from FRB 110523 to the broader FRB population, our analysis serves as a guide to interpreting future polarisation measurements of FRBs, and presents another means of elucidating the origins of these enigmatic ephemera.
Item Type: | Report or Paper (Discussion Paper) | ||||||
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Additional Information: | Submitted on 22 Jan 2016. VR acknowledges enlightening discussions with S. R. Kulkarni, H. Vedantham, E. G. Thomas, R. M. Shannon and J. Sievers. PDL is supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP1410102578. | ||||||
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Subject Keywords: | polarization scattering, magnetic fields, pulsars: general, stars: magnetars, extraterrestrial intelligence | ||||||
Record Number: | CaltechAUTHORS:20161010-120812901 | ||||||
Persistent URL: | https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20161010-120812901 | ||||||
Usage Policy: | No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. | ||||||
ID Code: | 70966 | ||||||
Collection: | CaltechAUTHORS | ||||||
Deposited By: | Ruth Sustaita | ||||||
Deposited On: | 12 Oct 2016 19:33 | ||||||
Last Modified: | 03 Oct 2019 16:02 |
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