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Kirsten F, Marcote B, Nimmo K, Hessels JWT, Bhardwaj M, Tendulkar SP, Keimpema A, Yang J, Snelders MP, Scholz P, Pearlman AB, Law CJ, Peters WM, Giroletti M, Paragi Z, Bassa C, Hewitt DM, Bach U, Bezrukovs V, Burgay M, Buttaccio ST, Conway JE, Corongiu A, Feiler R, Forssén O, Gawroński MP, Karuppusamy R, Kharinov MA, Lindqvist M, Maccaferri G, Melnikov A, Ould-Boukattine OS, Possenti A, Surcis G, Wang N, Yuan J, Aggarwal K, Anna-Thomas R, Bower GC, Blaauw R, Burke-Spolaor S, Cassanelli T, Clarke TE, Fonseca E, Gaensler BM, Gopinath A, Kaspi VM, Kassim N, Lazio TJW, Leung C, Li DZ, Lin HH, Masui KW, Mckinven R, Michilli D, Mikhailov AG, Ng C, Orbidans A, Pen UL, Petroff E, Rahman M, Ransom SM, Shin K, Smith KM, Stairs IH, Vlemmings W. A repeating fast radio burst source in a globular cluster. Nature 2022; 602:585-589. [PMID: 35197615 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04354-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Kirsten
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, Onsala, Sweden. .,ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.
| | - B Marcote
- Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - K Nimmo
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J W T Hessels
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Bhardwaj
- Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - S P Tendulkar
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.,National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Pune, India
| | - A Keimpema
- Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - J Yang
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, Onsala, Sweden
| | - M P Snelders
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P Scholz
- Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - A B Pearlman
- Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - C J Law
- Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - W M Peters
- Remote Sensing Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - M Giroletti
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Radioastronomia, Bologna, Italy
| | - Z Paragi
- Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - C Bassa
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - D M Hewitt
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - U Bach
- Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany
| | - V Bezrukovs
- Engineering Research Institute Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (ERI VIRAC), Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS), Ventspils, Latvia
| | - M Burgay
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Selargius, Italy
| | - S T Buttaccio
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Radioastronomia Radiotelescopio di Noto, Noto, Italy
| | - J E Conway
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, Onsala, Sweden
| | - A Corongiu
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Selargius, Italy
| | - R Feiler
- Institute of Astronomy, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - O Forssén
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, Onsala, Sweden
| | - M P Gawroński
- Institute of Astronomy, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - R Karuppusamy
- Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany
| | - M A Kharinov
- Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - M Lindqvist
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, Onsala, Sweden
| | - G Maccaferri
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Radioastronomia, Bologna, Italy
| | - A Melnikov
- Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - O S Ould-Boukattine
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Possenti
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Selargius, Italy.,Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - G Surcis
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Selargius, Italy
| | - N Wang
- Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Urumqi, China
| | - J Yuan
- Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Urumqi, China
| | - K Aggarwal
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - R Anna-Thomas
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - G C Bower
- Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - R Blaauw
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - S Burke-Spolaor
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - T Cassanelli
- Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - T E Clarke
- Remote Sensing Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - E Fonseca
- Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - B M Gaensler
- Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - A Gopinath
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - V M Kaspi
- Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - N Kassim
- Remote Sensing Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - T J W Lazio
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - C Leung
- MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - D Z Li
- Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - H H Lin
- Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - K W Masui
- MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - R Mckinven
- Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - D Michilli
- Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - A G Mikhailov
- Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - C Ng
- Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - A Orbidans
- Engineering Research Institute Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (ERI VIRAC), Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS), Ventspils, Latvia
| | - U L Pen
- Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - E Petroff
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M Rahman
- Sidrat Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - S M Ransom
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - K Shin
- MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - K M Smith
- Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - I H Stairs
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - W Vlemmings
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, Onsala, Sweden
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Chatterjee S, Law CJ, Wharton RS, Burke-Spolaor S, Hessels JWT, Bower GC, Cordes JM, Tendulkar SP, Bassa CG, Demorest P, Butler BJ, Seymour A, Scholz P, Abruzzo MW, Bogdanov S, Kaspi VM, Keimpema A, Lazio TJW, Marcote B, McLaughlin MA, Paragi Z, Ransom SM, Rupen M, Spitler LG, van Langevelde HJ. A direct localization of a fast radio burst and its host. Nature 2017; 541:58-61. [PMID: 28054614 DOI: 10.1038/nature20797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 498] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fast radio bursts are astronomical radio flashes of unknown physical nature with durations of milliseconds. Their dispersive arrival times suggest an extragalactic origin and imply radio luminosities that are orders of magnitude larger than those of all known short-duration radio transients. So far all fast radio bursts have been detected with large single-dish telescopes with arcminute localizations, and attempts to identify their counterparts (source or host galaxy) have relied on the contemporaneous variability of field sources or the presence of peculiar field stars or galaxies. These attempts have not resulted in an unambiguous association with a host or multi-wavelength counterpart. Here we report the subarcsecond localization of the fast radio burst FRB 121102, the only known repeating burst source, using high-time-resolution radio interferometric observations that directly image the bursts. Our precise localization reveals that FRB 121102 originates within 100 milliarcseconds of a faint 180-microJansky persistent radio source with a continuum spectrum that is consistent with non-thermal emission, and a faint (twenty-fifth magnitude) optical counterpart. The flux density of the persistent radio source varies by around ten per cent on day timescales, and very long baseline radio interferometry yields an angular size of less than 1.7 milliarcseconds. Our observations are inconsistent with the fast radio burst having a Galactic origin or its source being located within a prominent star-forming galaxy. Instead, the source appears to be co-located with a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus or a previously unknown type of extragalactic source. Localization and identification of a host or counterpart has been essential to understanding the origins and physics of other kinds of transient events, including gamma-ray bursts and tidal disruption events. However, if other fast radio bursts have similarly faint radio and optical counterparts, our findings imply that direct subarcsecond localizations may be the only way to provide reliable associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Chatterjee
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - C J Law
- Department of Astronomy and Radio Astronomy Lab, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - R S Wharton
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - S Burke-Spolaor
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA.,Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University, Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA
| | - J W T Hessels
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G C Bower
- Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 645 North A'ohoku Place, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA
| | - J M Cordes
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - S P Tendulkar
- Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University, 3600 University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada
| | - C G Bassa
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - P Demorest
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA
| | - B J Butler
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA
| | - A Seymour
- Arecibo Observatory, HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00612, USA
| | - P Scholz
- National Research Council of Canada, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics, Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, PO Box 248, Penticton, British Columbia V2A 6J9, Canada
| | - M W Abruzzo
- Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, USA
| | - S Bogdanov
- Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - V M Kaspi
- Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University, 3600 University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada
| | - A Keimpema
- Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - T J W Lazio
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA
| | - B Marcote
- Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - M A McLaughlin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA.,Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University, Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA
| | - Z Paragi
- Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - S M Ransom
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, USA
| | - M Rupen
- National Research Council of Canada, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics, Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, PO Box 248, Penticton, British Columbia V2A 6J9, Canada
| | - L G Spitler
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, Bonn D-53121, Germany
| | - H J van Langevelde
- Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Sterrewacht Leiden, Leiden University, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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