Seminario DAS: Unveiling the progenitors of Fast Radio Bursts

Speaker: Dr. Marilyn Cruces
Affiliation: ESO / Joint ALMA Observatory

Abstract: When observed at radio frequencies, the sky is largely populated by transient events, with timescales as short as a fraction of a millisecond. Among them, the coherent and most energetic ones come from fast radio bursts (FRBs). They are a new observational phenomenon, consisting of bright flashes of extragalactic origin detected thus far exclusively in the radio bands in the centimeter range. FRBs are proposed as powerful tools for cosmology and for testing fundamental physics, such as the photon rest mass. Although the progenitor source of FRBs remains mysterious, the most popular scenarios associate FRBs with highly magnetized neutron stars, known as magnetars.
 
In this talk, I will present the key recent observational results: the repetition pattern and periodic activity phases, their complex dynamical environment, and the implications of the association of some FRBs with persistent radio sources of yet unknown origin. We will discuss as well the main constraints imposed by multi-wavelength campaigns and the potential of new facilities to detect and monitor FRBs to unveil their true nature.