A repeating fast radio burst source in a globular cluster

Kirsten, F.; Marcote, B.; Nimmo, K.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Bhardwaj, M.; Tendulkar, S. P.; Keimpema, A.; Yang, J.; Snelders, M. P.; Scholz, P.; Pearlman, A. B.; Law, C. J.; Peters, W. M.; Giroletti, M.; Paragi, Z.; Bassa, C.; Hewitt, D. M.; Bach, U.; Bezrukovs, V.; Burgay, M.; Buttaccio, S. T.; Conway, J. E.; Corongiu, A.; Feiler, R.; Forssén, O.; Gawroński, M. P.; Karuppusamy, R.; Kharinov, M. A.; Lindqvist, M.; Maccaferri, G.; Melnikov, A.; Ould-Boukattine, O. S.; Possenti, A.; Surcis, G.; Wang, N.; Yuan, J.; Aggarwal, K.; Anna-Thomas, R.; Bower, G. C.; Blaauw, R.; Burke-Spolaor, S.; Cassanelli, T.; Clarke, T. E.; Fonseca, E.; Gaensler, B. M.; Gopinath, A.; Kaspi, V. M.; Kassim, N.; Lazio, T. J. W.; Leung, C.; Li, D. Z.; Lin, H. H.; Masui, K. W.; Mckinven, R.; Michilli, D.; Mikhailov, A. G.; Ng, C.; Orbidans, A.; Pen, U. L.; Petroff, E.; Rahman, M.; Ransom, S. M.; Shin, K.; Smith, K. M.; Stairs, I. H.; Vlemmings, W.

A repeating fast radio burst source in a globular cluster

F. Kirsten (), B. Marcote, K. Nimmo, J. W. T. Hessels, M. Bhardwaj, S. P. Tendulkar, A. Keimpema, J. Yang, M. P. Snelders, P. Scholz, A. B. Pearlman, C. J. Law, W. M. Peters, M. Giroletti, Z. Paragi, C. Bassa, D. M. Hewitt, U. Bach, V. Bezrukovs, M. Burgay, S. T. Buttaccio, J. E. Conway, A. Corongiu, R. Feiler, O. Forssén, M. P. Gawroński, R. Karuppusamy, M. A. Kharinov, M. Lindqvist, G. Maccaferri, A. Melnikov, O. S. Ould-Boukattine, A. Possenti, G. Surcis, N. Wang, J. Yuan, K. Aggarwal, R. Anna-Thomas, G. C. Bower, R. Blaauw, S. Burke-Spolaor, T. Cassanelli, T. E. Clarke, E. Fonseca, B. M. Gaensler, A. Gopinath, V. M. Kaspi, N. Kassim, T. J. W. Lazio, C. Leung, D. Z. Li, H. H. Lin, K. W. Masui, R. Mckinven, D. Michilli, A. G. Mikhailov, C. Ng, A. Orbidans, U. L. Pen, E. Petroff, M. Rahman, S. M. Ransom, K. Shin, K. M. Smith, I. H. Stairs and W. Vlemmings
Additional contact information
F. Kirsten: Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory
B. Marcote: Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC
K. Nimmo: ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
J. W. T. Hessels: ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
M. Bhardwaj: McGill University
S. P. Tendulkar: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
A. Keimpema: Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC
J. Yang: Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory
M. P. Snelders: University of Amsterdam
P. Scholz: University of Toronto
A. B. Pearlman: McGill University
C. J. Law: California Institute of Technology
W. M. Peters: US Naval Research Laboratory
M. Giroletti: Istituto di Radioastronomia
Z. Paragi: Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC
C. Bassa: ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
D. M. Hewitt: University of Amsterdam
U. Bach: Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
V. Bezrukovs: Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS)
M. Burgay: Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari
S. T. Buttaccio: Istituto di Radioastronomia Radiotelescopio di Noto
J. E. Conway: Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory
A. Corongiu: Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari
R. Feiler: Nicolaus Copernicus University
O. Forssén: Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory
M. P. Gawroński: Nicolaus Copernicus University
R. Karuppusamy: Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
M. A. Kharinov: Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences
M. Lindqvist: Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory
G. Maccaferri: Istituto di Radioastronomia
A. Melnikov: Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences
O. S. Ould-Boukattine: University of Amsterdam
A. Possenti: Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari
G. Surcis: Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari
N. Wang: Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory
J. Yuan: Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory
K. Aggarwal: West Virginia University
R. Anna-Thomas: West Virginia University
G. C. Bower: Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics
R. Blaauw: ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
S. Burke-Spolaor: West Virginia University
T. Cassanelli: University of Toronto
T. E. Clarke: US Naval Research Laboratory
E. Fonseca: McGill University
B. M. Gaensler: University of Toronto
A. Gopinath: University of Amsterdam
V. M. Kaspi: McGill University
N. Kassim: US Naval Research Laboratory
T. J. W. Lazio: California Institute of Technology
C. Leung: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
D. Z. Li: California Institute of Technology
H. H. Lin: University of Toronto
K. W. Masui: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
R. Mckinven: University of Toronto
D. Michilli: McGill University
A. G. Mikhailov: Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences
C. Ng: University of Toronto
A. Orbidans: Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS)
U. L. Pen: University of Toronto
E. Petroff: University of Amsterdam
M. Rahman: Sidrat Research
S. M. Ransom: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
K. Shin: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
K. M. Smith: Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
I. H. Stairs: University of British Columbia
W. Vlemmings: Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory

Nature, 2022, vol. 602, issue 7898, 585-589

Abstract: Abstract Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are flashes of unknown physical origin1. The majority of FRBs have been seen only once, although some are known to generate multiple flashes2,3. Many models invoke magnetically powered neutron stars (magnetars) as the source of the emission4,5. Recently, the discovery6 of another repeater (FRB 20200120E) was announced, in the direction of the nearby galaxy M81, with four potential counterparts at other wavelengths6. Here we report observations that localized the FRB to a globular cluster associated with M81, where it is 2 parsecs away from the optical centre of the cluster. Globular clusters host old stellar populations, challenging FRB models that invoke young magnetars formed in a core-collapse supernova. We propose instead that FRB 20200120E originates from a highly magnetized neutron star formed either through the accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf, or the merger of compact stars in a binary system7. Compact binaries are efficiently formed inside globular clusters, so a model invoking them could also be responsible for the observed bursts.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04354-w

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