Chromatic periodic activity down to 120 megahertz in a fast radio burst

Inés Pastor-Marazuela, Liam Connor, Joeri Leeuwen (), Yogesh Maan, Sander Veen, Anna Bilous, Leon Oostrum, Emily Petroff, Samayra Straal, Dany Vohl, Jisk Attema, Oliver M. Boersma, Eric Kooistra, Daniel Schuur, Alessio Sclocco, Roy Smits, Elizabeth A. K. Adams, Björn Adebahr, W. J. G. Blok, Arthur H. W. M. Coolen, Sieds Damstra, Helga Dénes, Kelley M. Hess, Thijs Hulst, Boudewijn Hut, V. Marianna Ivashina, Alexander Kutkin, G. Marcel Loose, Danielle M. Lucero, Ágnes Mika, Vanessa A. Moss, Henk Mulder, Menno J. Norden, Tom Oosterloo, Emanuela Orrú, Mark Ruiter and Stefan J. Wijnholds
Additional contact information
Inés Pastor-Marazuela: University of Amsterdam
Liam Connor: University of Amsterdam
Joeri Leeuwen: University of Amsterdam
Yogesh Maan: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Sander Veen: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Anna Bilous: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Leon Oostrum: University of Amsterdam
Emily Petroff: University of Amsterdam
Samayra Straal: NYU Abu Dhabi
Dany Vohl: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Jisk Attema: Netherlands eScience Center
Oliver M. Boersma: University of Amsterdam
Eric Kooistra: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Daniel Schuur: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Alessio Sclocco: Netherlands eScience Center
Roy Smits: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Elizabeth A. K. Adams: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Björn Adebahr: Astronomisches Institut der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (AIRUB)
W. J. G. Blok: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Arthur H. W. M. Coolen: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Sieds Damstra: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Helga Dénes: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Kelley M. Hess: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Thijs Hulst: Kapteyn Astronomical Institute
Boudewijn Hut: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
V. Marianna Ivashina: Chalmers University of Technology
Alexander Kutkin: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
G. Marcel Loose: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Danielle M. Lucero: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Ágnes Mika: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Vanessa A. Moss: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Henk Mulder: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Menno J. Norden: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Tom Oosterloo: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Emanuela Orrú: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Mark Ruiter: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Stefan J. Wijnholds: ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

Nature, 2021, vol. 596, issue 7873, 505-508

Abstract: Abstract Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are extragalactic astrophysical transients1 whose brightness requires emitters that are highly energetic yet compact enough to produce the short, millisecond-duration bursts. FRBs have thus far been detected at frequencies from 8 gigahertz (ref. 2) down to 300 megahertz (ref. 3), but lower-frequency emission has remained elusive. Some FRBs repeat4–6, and one of the most frequently detected, FRB 20180916B7, has a periodicity cycle of 16.35 days (ref. 8). Using simultaneous radio data spanning a wide range of wavelengths (a factor of more than 10), here we show that FRB 20180916B emits down to 120 megahertz, and that its activity window is frequency dependent (that is, chromatic). The window is both narrower and earlier at higher frequencies. Binary wind interaction models predict a wider window at higher frequencies, the opposite of our observations. Our full-cycle coverage shows that the 16.3-day periodicity is not aliased. We establish that low-frequency FRB emission can escape the local medium. For bursts of the same fluence, FRB 20180916B is more active below 200 megahertz than at 1.4 gigahertz. Combining our results with previous upper limits on the all-sky FRB rate at 150 megahertz, we find there are 3–450 FRBs in the sky per day above 50 Jy ms. Our chromatic results strongly disfavour scenarios in which absorption from strong stellar winds causes FRB periodicity. We demonstrate that some FRBs are found in ‘clean’ environments that do not absorb or scatter low-frequency radiation.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03724-8

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