Fast Radio Bursts with Extended Gamma-Ray Emission?

Kohta Murase, Peter Mészáros, Derek B. Fox

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

We consider some general implications of bright γ-ray counterparts to fast radio bursts (FRBs). We show that even if these manifest in only a fraction of FRBs, γ-ray detections with current satellites (including Swift) can provide stringent constraints on cosmological FRB models. If the energy is drawn from the magnetic energy of a compact object such as a magnetized neutron star, the sources should be nearby and be very rare. If the intergalactic medium is responsible for the observed dispersion measure, the required γ-ray energy is comparable to that of the early afterglow or extended emission of short γ-ray bursts. While this can be reconciled with the rotation energy of compact objects, as expected in many merger scenarios, the prompt outflow that yields the γ-rays is too dense for radio waves to escape. Highly relativistic winds launched in a precursor phase, and forming a wind bubble, may avoid the scattering and absorption limits and could yield FRB emission. Largely independent of source models, we show that detectable radio afterglow emission from γ-ray bright FRBs can reasonably be anticipated. Gravitational wave searches can also be expected to provide useful tests.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberL6
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume836
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 10 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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