Abstract

Contributed Talk - Splinter JungeAG

Tuesday, 10 September 2024, 16:02   (S25)

Long-term Statistical Study of an Active Repeating Fast Radio Burst using the Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope

Pranav Limaye, Dr. Laura Spitler
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are extragalactic, millisecond-duration radio bursts of unknown origin, with numerous theoretical models proposed to explain these bright radio pulses. While one-off FRBs may indicate cataclysmic events, some FRBs repeat, suggesting a link to young pulsars or magnetars. Given their large luminosity and short burst durations, repeating FRBs likely originate from highly magnetized, compact progenitors. We are conducting follow-up observations of the active repeating FRB20240114A using the Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope. Originally discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), this FRB was subsequently detected during our follow-up observations with Effelsberg. These follow-ups are crucial for obtaining more detections and advancing our understanding of their progenitors, especially given the rarity of FRBs and the limited active periods of repeating ones. Repeating FRBs emit signals in narrow frequency bands but can be detected across a wide range of the radio spectrum, posing challenges for receivers that capture only narrow bands. To overcome this, we utilize the Ultra BroadBand receiver (UBB) on Effelsberg, spanning 1.3 to 6 GHz, enabling broadband detections of FRB20240114A, including its first-ever detection at 6 GHz. The use of Ultra Broadband receivers necessitates managing substantial data rates, requiring rapid data processing and subsequent deletion to accommodate new observations. We are developing efficient pipelines to process these observations, employing existing detection algorithms in complex RFI environments to identify weak extraterrestrial signals. The pipeline must be robust enough to recover all detectable bursts before data removal. I will be discussing our scientific goals, including the development of this data processing pipeline, polarization studies, burst morphology analysis, and periodicity searches. Additionally, I will address the scientific implications of this work for enhancing our understanding of these exotic phenomena. By leveraging Effelsberg's advanced capabilities, we strive to uncover new insights into the enigmatic nature of FRBs and contribute to the development of more refined progenitor models.