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Welcome to the FRB Theory Wiki!

This is a collaborative effort between theorists and astronomers to discuss and track theories and observations pertaining to fast radio bursts (FRBs). The field of FRBs is in its fairly nascent stages and theories are abound. It is getting hard to keep abreast of the latest ideas and observations. This wiki aims to do the following:

  1. Track published FRB theories, their predictions in different wavebands, current observational constraints, and future tests.
  2. Serve as a discussion board to hash out finer points of theories, possible extensions and modifications.
  3. Serve as a tracer of the zeitgeist and how (over the next decade or so) science converges on the answer(s).
  4. Publish 'state of theory' snapshots every year (with all contributors invited to be authors).

The FRB theory catalog and this wiki were first published as PAPER REFERENCE. Please cite XXX if it was of use to your work.

Email Shriharsh Tendulkar (shriharsh@physics.mcgill.ca) or Amanda Weltman (amanda.weltman@uct.ac.za) if you need more help/information.

Contributing to the Wiki

You are invited to contribute to the discussion by signing in/making an account (at the top right corner). This wiki is divided into the summary page, that concisely tabulates current FRB theories, and the individual theory discussion pages, where further discussion takes place. See [Instructions] for more details.

Rules and Guidelines

We expect a healthy and frank discussion of ideas on this wiki. As many of these ideas are fairly personal, arguments can get heated. We would like to remind users that this is public discussion forum. The basic rule to follow is the golden rule: Treat others (and others' ideas) the way you'd like to yourself or your ideas be treated. Be fair and polite, using the same tone as a good referee report. Moderators may send warnings or ban users for not following this rule.

We expect that people will use their real names and email addresses in the login. The moderators may ask you to update your user information.

Follow the setup of the wiki in general --- For example, if a section requests a concise summary, please keep it short. Moderators will be going through editing and wordsmithing to keep a uniform look.

Summary Table

Name Category Progenitor Type Energy Mechanism Emission Mechanism LF Radio Counterpart HF Radio Counterpart Microwave Counterpart THz Counterpart OIR Counterpart X ray Counterpart Gamma ray Counterpart GW Counterpart Neutrino Counterpart References Comments
AGN-KBH AGN AGN-KBH Interaction Repeat Maser Synch. Yes -- -- -- Supernova -- Yes Yes Yes URL Neutrinos from preceding SN and from collapse to BH.
AGN-SS AGN AGN-Strange Star Interaction Repeat Electron oscillation -- Yes -- -- -- Thermal -- Yes Yes Yes URL Neutrinos from preceding SN and from collapse to BH. GW from collapse and persistent GWs from SS.
Alien Light Sails Other Alien Light Sails Repeat Artificial transmitter -- Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL Highly speculative.
Annihilating Mini BHs Inviable Annihilating Mini BHs Single N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A URL None
Axion Cloud and BH Collision / Interaction Superradiant Axion Cloud and BH Repeat Laser Synch. Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- Yes -- URL Observational counterparts could be associated with electron-positron annihilation and/or positroniu
Axion Minicluster and NS Collision / Interaction Axion Minicluster and NS Single Maser Synch. Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL None
Axion Quark Nugget and NS Collision / Interaction Axion Quark Nugget and NS Repeat Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes Possible Possible -- -- -- -- -- -- URL None
Axion Star and BH Collision / Interaction Axion Star and BH Repeat Electron oscillation -- Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL None
Axion Star and NS Collision / Interaction Axion Star and NS Single Electron oscillation Coherent dipole radiations Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL URL URL URL URL None
Decelerating Blast Waves Shock Interaction Magnetar Repeat Thin shell Synch. Maser Yes
(excl. self absorption)
Yes -- -- Possible, Prompt Prompt Prompt No No URL None
DSR in Galaxies Other Dicke's Superradiance in Galaxies Both Dicke's Superradiance Spectral line Yes Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL URL --
Giant Pulses SNR (Pulsars) Giant Pulses Repeat -- Synch.
/ Curv.
Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL URL URL Rapid flux decay expected to be observed within a few years.
Jet-Caviton AGN Jet-Caviton Interaction Both Electron scattering Bremsst. Yes Yes -- -- -- -- Possible GRB Yes -- URL URL Persistent scintillating radio emission.
KNBH-BH (Inspiral) Merger KNBH-BH Single Mag. flux change Curv. Yes Afterglow -- -- -- Yes sGRB
if jet aligned
Yes -- URL Unlikely to account for full FRB population.
KNBH-BH (Magneto. Collapse) Merger KNBH-BH Single Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes Afterglow -- -- -- -- Afterglow Yes -- URL Can only account for a sub-population of FRBs.
Magnetars with Low Magnetospheric Twist Other Magnetars with Low Magnetospheric Twist Repeat Mag. reconnection Pulsar-like Yes --- Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Unlikely detectable --- --- URL URL Unlikely to form in Galactic magnetars.
MWN Shock (Clustered Flares) SNR (Magnetars) MWN Shock (Clustered Flares) Repeat Maser Synch. Yes Afterglow -- -- Possible bright optical Yes but ~100 years later Low energy gamma-rays, sGRB if jet aligned Yes -- URL FRB 121102 may by unlikely in this scenario.
MWN Shock (Single Flare) SNR (Magnetars) MWD Shock (Single Flare) Single Maser Synch. Yes Afterglow -- -- Maybe -- Low energy gamma-rays, sGRB if jet aligned Yes -- URL URL URL None
Neutral Cosmic Strings Other Neutral Cosmic Strings Single Cusp decay -- Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL None
NS and Asteroid Belt Collision/ Interaction NS and Asteroid Belt Repeat Electron stripping Curv. Yes -- -- -- -- -- Yes -- -- URL URL None
NS and Asteroids/Comets Collision/ Interaction NS and Asteroids/ Comets Single Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes -- -- -- -- Yes (probably too faint to detect) Yes (probably too faint to detect) -- -- URL None
NS and Primordial BH Collision / Interaction NS and Primordial BH Both Mag. reconnection -- Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- Yes -- URL None
NS Combing Other NS Combing Both Various Mag. reconnection Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL URL The model can apply to a variety of events, and thus counterparts will depend on the scenario.
NS to BH (DM-Induced) Collapse NS to BH Single Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- Yes -- URL None
NS to KNBH Collapse NS to KNBH Single Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes -- -- -- -- Possible afterglow Possible GRB Yes -- URL URL URL Possible X-ray afterglow and a short/long GRB created in NS birth prior to the FRB.
NS to Quark Star Collapse NS to Quark Star Single β-decay Synch. Yes -- -- -- -- Yes Yes Yes -- URL The burst is predicted to be several seconds, explainable if the de-dispersion process that stacks f
NS-BH Merger Merger NS-BH Single BH battery -- -- -- -- -- -- Yes Yes Yes -- URL None
NS-NS Merger (Mag. Braking) Merger NS-NS Single Mag. braking -- Yes Yes -- -- Kilonova Afterglow sGRB
if jet aligned
Yes -- URL
NS-NS Merger (Mag. Flux Change) Merger NS-NS Both Mag. flux change -- Yes Yes -- -- Kilonova Afterglow sGRB
if jet aligned
Yes -- URL In dense stellar clusters
NS-NS Merger (Mag. Reconnection) Merger NS-NS Both Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes (excl. self absorption) Yes ? ? Kilonova Afterglow sGRB
if jet aligned
Yes -- URL None
NS-SN Interaction Shock Interaction NS-SN Interaction Single Mag. reconnection -- Yes -- -- -- Supernova -- possible GRB (low flux) -- -- URL
NS-WD Accretion Accretion NS-WD Repeat Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes -- -- -- -- -- Yes, but unlikely detectable -- -- URL None
NS-WD Merger Merger NS-WD Single Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL
Pulsar Lightning Other Pulsar Lightning Repeat Electrostatic Curv. Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL None
Pulsar Schwinger Pairs SNR (Pulsars) Pulsar Schwinger Pairs Single Schwinger Curv. Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL None
Pulsar Wind Bubble SNR (Pulsars) Pulsar Wind Bubble (NS and MWD) Single -- Synch. Yes -- -- -- -- Yes -- -- -- URL None
Pulsar-BH Interaction Interaction Pulsar-BH Single -- -- Yes ? -- -- -- -- -- Yes -- URL
RDM Stars Other RDM Star Both Stimulated emission Synch. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- URL URL Repeaters are possible if multiple asteroids collide with the star
Small Body and Pulsar Collision / Interaction Small Body and Pulsar Single Maser Synch. Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL None
SS Crust Collapse Strange Star Crust Single Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- Yes -- URL None
Starquakes Other Starquakes Repeat Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes -- -- -- Possible Possible Yes
if pulsar jet aligned
Yes, but unlikely detectable -- URL URL None
Stellar Coronae Inviable Stellar Corona Both N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A URL URL None
Superconducting Cosmic Strings Other Superconducting Cosmic Strings Single Cusp decay -- Yes -- -- -- -- -- GRB
if jet aligned
Yes Yes URL URL URL High energy cosmic rays are also expected.
Tiny EM Explosions Other Tiny EM Explosions Both Thin shell interactions Curv. Yes Yes -- -- -- -- Unlikely observable -- -- URL URL None
Variable Stars Other Variable Stars Repeat Undulator Synch. Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL None
Wandering Beam AGN Wandering Beam Repeat -- Synch. Yes -- -- -- -- Yes -- -- -- URL None
Wandering Pulsar Other Wandering Pulsar Beams Repeat -- -- Yes -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- URL Any counterparts will be associated with the pulsar, but are not specified.
WD-BH Merger Merger WD-BH Single Maser Synch. -- -- -- -- -- Yes (transient accretion disk) -- -- -- URL None
WD-WD Merger Merger WD-WD Single Mag. reconnection Curv. Yes -- -- -- Supernova Afterglow -- -- -- URL --
White Holes Other White Holes Single -- -- Yes -- -- -- Yes -- Yes -- -- URL URL None
Young Magnetars Merger/Collapse Magnetars Born in BNS Mergers and WD Col Repeat Maser Synch. Yes Afterglow -- -- Possible SN Afterglow sGRB Yes -- URL Same mechanisms as flares, but magnetars born in mergers or collapse as opposed in to SLSNe or LGRBs