Is GRB 110715A the Progenitor of FRB 171209?
Abstract
The physical origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs) is unknown. Young magnetars born from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been suggested as a possible central engine of FRBs. We test such a hypothesis by systematically searching for GRB-FRB spatial associations from 110 FRBs and 1440 GRBs. We find that one FRB event discovered by the Parkes telescope, FRB 171209, is spatially coincident with a historical long-duration GRB 110715A at z = 0.82. The afterglow of GRB 110715A is consistent with being powered by a millisecond magnetar. The extragalactic dispersion measure of FRB 171209 is in excess of that contributed by the intergalactic medium, which can be interpreted as being contributed by a young supernova remnant associated with the GRB. Overall, the significance of the association is (2.28-2.55)σ. If the association is indeed physical, our result suggests that the magnetars associated with long GRBs can be the progenitors of at least some FRBs.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- May 2020
- DOI:
- 10.3847/2041-8213/ab8d1d
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2004.12050
- Bibcode:
- 2020ApJ...894L..22W
- Keywords:
-
- Radio transient sources;
- Gamma-ray sources;
- Magnetars;
- 2008;
- 633;
- 992;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in ApJL