Simultaneous Multiwavelength Observations of the Repeating Fast Radio Burst FRB 20190520B with Swift and FAST
Creators
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1.
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
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2.
University of Leicester
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3.
University of Science and Technology of China
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4.
Tsinghua University
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5.
National Astronomical Observatories
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6.
Zhejiang Lab
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7.
Central China Normal University
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8.
California Institute of Technology
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9.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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10.
Cornell University
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11.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
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12.
West Virginia University
Abstract
Among several dozen known repeating fast radio bursts, those precisely localized offer the best opportunities to explore their multiwavelength counterparts, which are key to uncovering their origins. Here we report our X-ray, ultraviolet (UV), and optical observations with the Swift satellite of the repeating FRB 20190520B, in coordination with simultaneous radio observations with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Our aim was to detect potentially associated multiwavelength bursts and identify any persistent multiwavelength counterparts to the associated persistent radio source (PRS). While a total of 10 radio bursts were detected by FAST during the Swift observations, we detected no X-ray, UV, or optical bursts in accompany with the radio bursts. We obtained the energy upper limits (3σ) on any multwavelength bursts as follows: 5.03 × 1047 erg in the hard X-ray band (15–150 keV), 7.98 × 1045 erg in the soft X-ray band (0.3–10 keV), and 4.51 × 1044 erg in the U band (3465 Å), respectively. The energy ratio between soft X-ray (0.3–10 keV) and radio emission of the bursts is constrained as <6 × 107, and the ratio between optical (U band) and radio as <1.19 × 106. We detect no multiwavelength counterpart to the PRS. The 3σ luminosity upper limits are 1.04 × 1047 (15–150 keV), 8.81 × 1042 (0.3–10 keV), 9.26 × 1042 (UVW1), and 2.54 × 1042 erg s−1 (U), respectively. We show that the PRS is much more radio-loud than representative pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants, extended jets of Galactic X-ray binaries, and ultraluminous X-ray sources, suggestive of boosted radio emission of the PRS.
Copyright and License
© 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank the anonymous referee for stimulating and helpful comments and suggestions. W.Y. would like to thank the Swift PI, Brad Cenko (and his designate) for approving and scheduling our Swift observations. We appreciate the Swift team for helping with quick data access. We would like to thank the FAST TAC for approving our DDT observations and the FRB Key Science Project for the arrangement of half of the FAST observations that are reported in this paper. W.Y., Z.Y., and D.L. would like to acknowledge support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant Nos. 11333005, U1838203, U1938114, 11988101, 12361131579, 12373049, and 12373050). Z.Y. was also supported in part by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. D.L. is a New Cornerstone Investigator. K.L.P. acknowledges funding from the UK Space Agency.
Facilities
Swift - Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission, FAST - Fast Auroral SnapshoT explorer satellite.
Software References
astropy (Astropy Collaboration et al. 2018), matplotlib, proplot (L. L. B. Davis 2021), HEASoft.
Files
Yan_2025_ApJ_983_116.pdf
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Additional details
Related works
- Is new version of
- Discussion Paper: arXiv:2402.12084 (arXiv)
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- 11333005
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- U1838203
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- U1938114
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- 11988101
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- 12361131579
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- 12373049
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- 12373050
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Youth Innovation Promotion Association -
- United Kingdom Space Agency
Dates
- Accepted
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2025-03-03
- Available
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2025-04-14Published