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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:
- Track published FRB theories, their predictions in different wavebands, current observational constraints, and future tests.
- Serve as a discussion board to hash out finer points of theories, possible extensions and modifications.
- Serve as a tracer of the zeitgeist and how (over the next decade or so) science converges on the answer(s).
- 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 or Amanda Weltman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS-WD Accretion | Accretion | NS-WD | Repeat | Mag. reconnection | Curv. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Yes, but unlikely detectable | -- | -- | URL | None |
| 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. |
| Wandering Beam | AGN | Wandering Beam | Repeat | -- | Synch. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | Yes | -- | -- | -- | URL | None |
| Jet-Caviton | AGN | Jet-Caviton Interaction | Both | Electron scattering | Bremsst. | Yes | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | Possible GRB | Yes | -- | URL • URL | Persistent scintillating radio emission. |
| SS Crust | Collapse | Strange Star Crust | Single | Mag. reconnection | Curv. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Yes | -- | URL | None |
| NS to BH (DM-Induced) | Collapse | NS to BH | Single | Mag. reconnection | Curv. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Yes | -- | URL | None |
| 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 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. |
| Axion Quark Nugget and NS | Collision / Interaction | Axion Quark Nugget and NS | Repeat | Mag. reconnection | Curv. | Yes | Possible | Possible | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | None |
| Axion Minicluster and NS | Collision / Interaction | Axion Minicluster and NS | Single | Maser | Synch. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | None |
| Small Body and Pulsar | Collision / Interaction | Small Body and Pulsar | Single | Maser | Synch. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | None |
| Axion Star and BH | Collision / Interaction | Axion Star and BH | Repeat | Electron oscillation | -- | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | None |
| NS and Primordial BH | Collision / Interaction | NS and Primordial BH | Both | Mag. reconnection | -- | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Yes | -- | 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 Star and NS | Collision / Interaction | Axion Star and NS | Single | Electron oscillation | Coherent dipole radiations | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL • URL • URL • 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 Asteroid Belt | Collision/ Interaction | NS and Asteroid Belt | Repeat | Electron stripping | Curv. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Yes | -- | -- | URL • URL | None |
| Pulsar-BH Interaction | Interaction | Pulsar-BH | Single | -- | -- | Yes | ? | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Yes | -- | URL | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| WD-BH Merger | Merger | WD-BH | Single | Maser | Synch. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Yes (transient accretion disk) | -- | -- | -- | URL | None |
| 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 | |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| WD-WD Merger | Merger | WD-WD | Single | Mag. reconnection | Curv. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | Supernova | Afterglow | -- | -- | -- | 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-WD Merger | Merger | NS-WD | Single | Mag. reconnection | Curv. | Yes | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Alien Light Sails | Other | Alien Light Sails | Repeat | Artificial transmitter | -- | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | Highly speculative. |
| Pulsar Lightning | Other | Pulsar Lightning | Repeat | Electrostatic | Curv. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | None |
| Tiny EM Explosions | Other | Tiny EM Explosions | Both | Thin shell interactions | Curv. | Yes | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | Unlikely observable | -- | -- | URL • 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. |
| Wandering Pulsar | Other | Wandering Pulsar Beams | Repeat | -- | -- | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | Any counterparts will be associated with the pulsar, but are not specified. |
| 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. |
| Variable Stars | Other | Variable Stars | Repeat | Undulator | Synch. | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL | None |
| DSR in Galaxies | Other | Dicke's Superradiance in Galaxies | Both | Dicke's Superradiance | Spectral line | Yes | Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL • URL | -- |
| Neutral Cosmic Strings | Other | Neutral Cosmic Strings | Single | Cusp decay | -- | 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 |
| White Holes | Other | White Holes | Single | -- | -- | Yes | -- | -- | -- | Yes | -- | Yes | -- | -- | URL • URL | None |
| RDM Stars | Other | RDM Star | Both | Stimulated emission | Synch. | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | URL • URL | Repeaters are possible if multiple asteroids collide with the star |
| 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. |
| NS-SN Interaction | Shock Interaction | NS-SN Interaction | Single | Mag. reconnection | -- | Yes | -- | -- | -- | Supernova | -- | possible GRB (low flux) | -- | -- | URL | |
| Decelerating Blast Waves | Shock Interaction | Magnetar | Repeat | Thin shell | Synch. Maser | Yes (excl. self absorption) |
Yes | -- | -- | Possible, Prompt | Prompt | Prompt | No | No | URL | None |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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 |