A Search for Fast Radio Bursts Associated With Gamma-Ray Bursts

Abstract

The detection of seven fast radio bursts (FRBs) has recently been reported. FRBs are short duration (∼1 ms), highly dispersed radio pulses from astronomical sources. The physical interpretation for the FRBs remains unclear but is thought to involve highly compact objects at cosmological distance. It has been suggested that a fraction of FRBs could be physically associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Recent radio observations of GRBs have reported the detection of two highly dispersed short duration radio pulses using a 12 m radio telescope at 1.4 GHz. Motivated by this result, we have performed a systematic and sensitive search for FRBs associated with GRBs. We have observed five GRBs at 2.3 GHz using a 26 m radio telescope located at the Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory, Hobart. The radio telescope was automated to rapidly respond to Gamma-ray Coordination Network notifications from the Swift satellite and slew to the GRB position within ∼140 s. The data were searched for pulses up to 5000 pc cm −3 in dispersion measure and pulse widths ranging from 640 μs to 25.60 ms. We did not detect any events 6σ . An in depth statistical analysis of our data shows that events detected above 5σ are consistent with thermal noise fluctuations only. A joint analysis of our data with previous experiments shows that previously claimed detections of FRBs from GRBs are unlikely to be astrophysical. Our results are in line with the lack of consistency noted between the recently presented FRB event rates and GRB event rates.

Discovery of a Transient Gamma-Ray Counterpart to FRB 131104

“…However, these candidates may be artifacts of radio frequency interference; null results from a more sensitive subsequent search by Palaniswamy et al (2014), and other GRB rapidresponse experiments discussed therein, lend weight to this interpretation.…”

The Arcminute Microkelvin Imager catalogue of gamma-ray burst afterglows at 15.7 GHz

“…Bannister et al (2012) used a 12 m radio dish at 1.4 GHz to trigger on nine Swift GRBs, possibly detecting a single, highly dispersed short duration radio pulse at 6 times the root-mean square (RMS) noise (σs) from two GRBs. While work by Zhang (2014) supports a possible link between GRBs and FRBs (particularly short GRBs), triggered observations performed by Palaniswamy et al (2014) on five Swift GRBs using a 26m radio dish at 2.3 GHz, failed to detect prompt radio emission above 6σs, discouraging an association. The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA; Tingay et al 2013) also triggers on Swift GRBs, and a recent search for prompt radio emission associated with the short GRB 150424A placed 3 Jy flux limits on 4 s, 2 minute and 30 minute timescales between 80 − 133 MHz (Kaplan et al 2015).…”

Hunting Gravitational Waves with Multi-Messenger Counterparts: Australia’s Role

“…A cartoon illustrating some of the possible scenarios for coalescing systems of NSs and BHs. Short duration gamma ray bursts (SGRBs) have been linked with the merger of compact objects (Berger et al, 2005;Bloom et al, 2006) and could be accompanied by a fast radio burst (FRB; Thornton et al, 2013;Lorimer et al, 2013;Totani, 2013;Palaniswamy et al, 2014;Zhang, 2014). If a stable magnetar is formed, the long lived X-ray plateaus observed in many SGRBs could indicate a constant energy injection (Corsi & Mészáros, 2009a;Rowlinson et al, 2010Rowlinson et al, , 2013Zhang, 2013;Gao et al, 2013a;Fan et al, 2013); the possible collapse of a merger product to a BH could also result in an FRB (Falcke & Rezzolla, 2014;Zhang, 2014).…”