Main Page
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Giant Pulses | SNR (Pulsars) | Giant Pulses | Repeat | -- | Synch. / Curv. |
Yes | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | URL • URL • URL | Rapid flux decay expected to be observed within a few years. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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 |