A Nearby Repeating Fast Radio Burst in the Direction of M81
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Bhardwaj_2021_ApJL_910_L18.pdf
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Published version
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Author(s)
Bhardwaj, M
Gaensler, BM
Kaspi, VM
Landecker, TL
Mckinven, R
Michilli, D
Pleunis, Z
Tendulkar, SP
Andersen, BC
Boyle, PJ
Date Issued
2021
Journal
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Citation
Bhardwaj, M, Gaensler, BM, Kaspi, VM, Landecker, TL, Mckinven, R et al. 2021. "A Nearby Repeating Fast Radio Burst in the Direction of M81." The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 910 (2).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
We report on the discovery of FRB 20200120E, a repeating fast radio burst
(FRB) with low dispersion measure (DM), detected by the Canadian Hydrogen
Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME)/FRB project. The source DM of 87.82 pc
cm$^{-3}$ is the lowest recorded from an FRB to date, yet is significantly
higher than the maximum expected from the Milky Way interstellar medium in this
direction (~ 50 pc cm$^{-3}$). We have detected three bursts and one candidate
burst from the source over the period 2020 January-November. The baseband
voltage data for the event on 2020 January 20 enabled a sky localization of the
source to within $\simeq$ 14 sq. arcmin (90% confidence). The FRB localization
is close to M81, a spiral galaxy at a distance of 3.6 Mpc. The FRB appears on
the outskirts of M81 (projected offset $\sim$ 20 kpc) but well inside its
extended HI and thick disks. We empirically estimate the probability of chance
coincidence with M81 to be $< 10^{-2}$. However, we cannot reject a Milky Way
halo origin for the FRB. Within the FRB localization region, we find several
interesting cataloged M81 sources and a radio point source detected in the Very
Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS). We searched for prompt X-ray counterparts in
Swift/BAT and Fermi/GBM data, and for two of the FRB 20200120E bursts, we rule
out coincident SGR 1806$-$20-like X-ray bursts. Due to the proximity of FRB
20200120E, future follow-up for prompt multi-wavelength counterparts and
sub-arcsecond localization could be constraining of proposed FRB models.
MIT Department
MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ABEAA6
