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C. Leung

Publications and source records attributed to C. Leung.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Searching for Historical Extragalactic Optical Transients Associated with Fast Radio Bursts

We present a systematic search for past supernovae (SNe) and other historical optical transients at the positions of fast radio burst (FRB) sources to test FRB progenitor systems. Our sample comprises 83 FRBs detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) and its KKO Outrigger, along with 93 literature FRBs representing all known well-localized FRBs. We search for optical transients coincident in position and redshift with FRBs and find no significant associations within the 5-sigma FRB localization uncertainties except for a previously identified potential optical counterpart to FRB 20180916B. By constraining the timescale for SN ejecta to become transparent to FRB emission, we predict that it takes at least 6-10 years before the FRB emission can escape. From this, we infer that approximately 7% of matched optical transients, up to 30% of currently known SNe, and up to 40% of core-collapse SNe could have an observable FRB based on timescales alone. We derive the number of new, well-localized FRBs required to produce one FRB-SN match by chance, and find it will take ~ 22,700 FRBs to yield one chance association at the projected CHIME/FRB Outrigger detection rate. Looking forward, we demonstrate redshift overlap between SNe detected by the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory and CHIME/FRB Outrigger FRBs, indicating the prospect of an increase in potential associations at redshift z < 1. Our framework is publicly available, flexible to a wide range of transient timescales and FRB localization sizes, and can be applied to any optical transient populations in future searches.

astro-ph.HE

The Massive and Quiescent Elliptical Host Galaxy of the Repeating Fast Radio Burst FRB20240209A

The discovery and localization of FRB20240209A by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Fast Radio Burst (CHIME/FRB) experiment marks the first repeating FRB localized with the CHIME/FRB Outriggers and adds to the small sample of repeating FRBs with associated host galaxies. Here we present Keck and Gemini observations of the host that reveal a redshift $z=0.1384\pm0.0004$. We perform stellar population modeling to jointly fit the optical through mid-infrared data of the host and infer a median stellar mass log$(M_*/{\rm M_{\odot}})=11.34\pm0.01$ and a mass-weighted stellar population age $\sim11$Gyr, corresponding to the most massive and oldest FRB host discovered to date. Coupled with a star formation rate $<0.36\,{\rm M_{\odot}\ yr^{-1}}$, the specific star formation rate $<10^{-11.8}\rm\ yr^{-1}$ classifies the host as quiescent. Through surface brightness profile modeling, we determine an elliptical galaxy morphology, marking the host as the first confirmed elliptical FRB host. The discovery of a quiescent early-type host galaxy within a transient class predominantly characterized by late-type star-forming hosts is reminiscent of short-duration gamma-ray bursts, Type Ia supernovae, and ultraluminous X-ray sources. Based on these shared host demographics, coupled with a large offset as demonstrated in our companion paper, we conclude that preferred progenitors for FRB20240209A include magnetars formed through merging binary neutron stars/white dwarfs or the accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf, or a luminous X-ray binary. Together with FRB20200120E localized to a globular cluster in M81, our findings provide strong evidence that some fraction of FRBs may arise from a process distinct from the core collapse of massive stars.

astro-ph.HE

A repeating fast radio burst source in the outskirts of a quiescent galaxy

We report the discovery of the repeating fast radio burst source FRB 20240209A using the CHIME/FRB telescope. We have detected 22 bursts from this repeater between February and July 2024, six of which were also recorded at the Outrigger station KKO. The 66-km long CHIME-KKO baseline can provide single-pulse FRB localizations along one dimension with $2^{\prime\prime}$ accuracy. The high declination of $\sim$86 degrees for this repeater allowed its detection with a rotating range of baseline vectors, enabling the combined localization region size to be constrained to $1^{\prime\prime}\times2^{\prime\prime}$. We present deep Gemini observations that, combined with the FRB localization, enabled a robust association of FRB 20240209A to the outskirts of a luminous galaxy (P(O|x) = 0.99; $L \approx 5.3 \times 10^{10}\,L_{\odot}$). FRB 20240209A has a projected physical offset of $40 \pm 5$ kpc from the center of its host galaxy, making it the FRB with the largest host galaxy offset to date. When normalized by the host galaxy size, the offset of FRB 20240209A is comparable to that of FRB 20200120E, the only FRB source known to originate in a globular cluster. We consider several explanations for the large offset, including a progenitor that was kicked from the host galaxy or in situ formation in a low-luminosity satellite galaxy of the putative host, but find the most plausible scenario to be a globular cluster origin. This, coupled with the quiescent, elliptical nature of the host as demonstrated in our companion paper, provide strong evidence for a delayed formation channel for the progenitor of the FRB source.

astro-ph.HE

Revealing the Dynamic Magneto-ionic Environments of Repeating Fast Radio Burst Sources through Multi-year Polarimetric Monitoring with CHIME/FRB

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) display a confounding variety of burst properties and host galaxy associations. Repeating FRBs offer insight into the FRB population by enabling spectral, temporal and polarimetric properties to be tracked over time. Here, we report on the polarized observations of 12 repeating sources using multi-year monitoring with the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) over 400-800 MHz. We observe significant RM variations from many sources in our sample, including RM changes of several hundred $\rm{rad\, m^{-2}}$ over month timescales from FRBs 20181119A, 20190303A and 20190417A, and more modest RM variability ($\rm{ΔRM \lesssim}$ few tens rad m$^{-2}$) from FRBs 20181030A, 20190208A, 20190213B and 20190117A over equivalent timescales. Several repeaters display a frequency dependent degree of linear polarization that is consistent with depolarization via scattering. Combining our measurements of RM variations with equivalent constraints on DM variability, we estimate the average line-of-sight magnetic field strength in the local environment of each repeater. In general, repeating FRBs display RM variations that are more prevalent/extreme than those seen from radio pulsars in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds, suggesting repeating FRBs and pulsars occupy distinct magneto-ionic environments.

astro-ph.HE

Measurement of flavor asymmetry of light-quark sea in the proton with Drell-Yan dimuon production in $p+p$ and $p+d$ collisions at 120 GeV

Evidence for a flavor asymmetry between the $\bar u$ and $\bar d$ quark distributions in the proton has been found in deep-inelastic scattering and Drell-Yan experiments. The pronounced dependence of this flavor asymmetry on $x$ (fraction of nucleon momentum carried by partons) observed in the Fermilab E866 Drell-Yan experiment suggested a drop of the $\bar d\left(x\right) / \bar u\left(x\right)$ ratio in the $x > 0.15$ region. We report results from the SeaQuest Fermilab E906 experiment with improved statistical precision for $\bar d\left(x\right) / \bar u\left(x\right)$ in the large $x$ region up to $x=0.45$ using the 120 GeV proton beam. Two different methods for extracting the Drell-Yan cross section ratios, $\sigma^{pd} /2 \sigma^{pp}$, from the SeaQuest data give consistent results. The $\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ ratios and the $\bar d\left(x\right) - \bar u\left(x\right)$ differences are deduced from these cross section ratios for $0.13 < x < 0.45$. The SeaQuest and E866/NuSea $\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ ratios are in good agreement for the $x\lesssim 0.25$ region. The new SeaQuest data, however, show that $\bar d\left(x\right)$ continues to be greater than $\bar u\left(x\right)$ up to the highest $x$ value ($x = 0.45$). The new results on $\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ and $\bar{d}\left(x\right) - \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ are compared with various parton distribution functions and theoretical calculations.

hep-ph

A Large Scale Magneto-ionic Fluctuation in the Local Environment of Periodic Fast Radio Burst Source, FRB 20180916B

Fast radio burst (FRB) source 20180916B exhibits a 16.33-day periodicity in its burst activity. It is as of yet unclear what proposed mechanism produces the activity, but polarization information is a key diagnostic. Here, we report on the polarization properties of 44 bursts from FRB 20180916B detected between 2018 December and 2021 December by CHIME/FRB, the FRB project on the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment. In contrast to previous observations, we find significant variations in the Faraday rotation measure (RM) of FRB 20180916B. Over the nine month period 2021 April$-$2021 December we observe an apparent secular increase in $\rm{RM}$ of $\sim 50 \; \rm{rad\, m^{-2}}$ (a fractional change of over $40\%$) that is accompanied by a possible drift of the emitting band to lower frequencies. This interval displays very little variation in the dispersion measure ($Δ\rm{DM}\lesssim 0.8\; \rm{pc\, cm^{-3}}$) which indicates that the observed RM evolution is likely produced from coherent changes in the Faraday-active medium's magnetic field. Burst-to-burst RM variations appear unrelated to the activity cycle phase. The degree of linear polarization of our burst sample ($\gtrsim 80\%$) is consistent with the negligible depolarization expected for this source in the 400-800 MHz bandpass of CHIME. FRB 20180916B joins other repeating FRBs in displaying substantial RM variations between bursts. This is consistent with the notion that repeater progenitors may be associated with young stellar populations by their preferential occupation of dynamic magnetized environments commonly found in supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae or near high mass stellar companions.

astro-ph.HE

Modeling Fast Radio Burst Dispersion and Scattering Properties in the First CHIME/FRB Catalog

We present a Monte Carlo-based population synthesis study of fast radio burst (FRB) dispersion and scattering focusing on the first catalog of sources detected with the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst (CHIME/FRB) project. We simulate intrinsic properties and propagation effects for a variety of FRB population models and compare the simulated distributions of dispersion measures (DMs) and scattering timescales with the corresponding distributions from the CHIME/FRB catalog. Our simulations confirm the results of previous population studies, which suggested that the interstellar medium of the host galaxy alone (simulated based on the NE2001 model) cannot explain the observed scattering timescales of FRBs. We therefore consider additional sources of scattering, namely, the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of intervening galaxies and the circumburst medium whose properties are modeled based on typical Galactic plane environments. We find that a population of FRBs with scattering contributed by these media is marginally consistent with the CHIME/FRB catalog. In this scenario, our simulations favor a population of FRBs offset from their galaxy centers over a population which is distributed along the spiral arms. However, if the models proposing the CGM as a source of intense scattering are incorrect, then we conclude that FRBs may inhabit environments with more extreme properties than those inferred for pulsars in the Milky Way.

astro-ph.HE

A clock stabilization system for CHIME/FRB Outriggers

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) has emerged as the prime telescope for detecting fast radio bursts (FRBs). CHIME/FRB Outriggers will be a dedicated very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) instrument consisting of outrigger telescopes at continental baselines working with CHIME and its specialized real-time transient-search backend (CHIME/FRB) to detect and localize FRBs with 50 mas precision. In this paper we present a minimally invasive clock stabilization system that effectively transfers the CHIME digital backend reference clock from its original GPS-disciplined ovenized crystal oscillator to a passive hydrogen maser. This enables us to combine the long-term stability and absolute time tagging of the GPS clock with the short and intermediate-term stability of the maser to reduce the clock timing errors between VLBI calibration observations. We validate the system with VLBI-style observations of Cygnus A over a 400 m baseline between CHIME and the CHIME Pathfinder, demonstrating agreement between sky-based and maser-based timing measurements at the 30 ps rms level on timescales ranging from one minute to up to nine days, and meeting the stability requirements for CHIME/FRB Outriggers. In addition, we present an alternate reference clock solution for outrigger stations which lack the infrastructure to support a passive hydrogen maser.

astro-ph.IM

Burst timescales and luminosities link young pulsars and fast radio bursts

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are extragalactic radio flashes of unknown physical origin. Their high luminosities and short durations require extreme energy densities, like those found in the vicinity of neutron stars and black holes. Studying the burst intensities and polarimetric properties on a wide range of timescales, from milliseconds down to nanoseconds, is key to understanding the emission mechanism. However, high-time-resolution studies of FRBs are limited by their unpredictable activity levels, available instrumentation and temporal broadening in the intervening ionised medium. Here we show that the repeating FRB 20200120E can produce isolated shots of emission as short as about 60 nanoseconds in duration, with brightness temperatures as high as $3\times 10^{41}$ K (excluding relativistic effects), comparable to `nano-shots' from the Crab pulsar. Comparing both the range of timescales and luminosities, we find that FRB 20200120E observationally bridges the gap between known Galactic young pulsars and magnetars, and the much more distant extragalactic FRBs. This suggests a common magnetically powered emission mechanism spanning many orders of magnitude in timescale and luminosity. In this work, we probe a relatively unexplored region of the short-duration transient phase space; we highlight that there likely exists a population of ultra-fast radio transients at nanosecond to microsecond timescales, which current FRB searches are insensitive to.

astro-ph.HE

A repeating fast radio burst source in a globular cluster

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are exceptionally luminous flashes of unknown physical origin, reaching us from other galaxies (Petroff et al. 2019). Most FRBs have only ever been seen once, while others flash repeatedly, though sporadically (Spitler et al. 2016, CHIME/FRB Collaboration et al. 2021). Many models invoke magnetically powered neutron stars (magnetars) as the engines producing FRB emission (Margalit & Metzger 2018, CHIME/FRB Collaboration et al. 2020). Recently, CHIME/FRB announced the discovery (Bhardwaj et al. 2021) of the repeating FRB 20200120E, coming from the direction of the nearby grand design spiral galaxy M81. Four potential counterparts at other observing wavelengths were identified (Bhardwaj et al. 2021) but no definitive association with these sources, or M81, could be made. Here we report an extremely precise localisation of FRB 20200120E, which allows us to associate it with a globular cluster (GC) in the M81 galactic system and to place it ~2pc offset from the optical center of light of the GC. This confirms (Bhardwaj et al. 2021) that FRB 20200120E is 40 times closer than any other known extragalactic FRB. Because such GCs host old stellar populations, this association strongly challenges FRB models that invoke young magnetars formed in a core-collapse supernova as powering FRB emission. We propose, instead, that FRB 20200120E is a highly magnetised neutron star formed via either accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf or via merger of compact stars in a binary system (Margalit et al. 2019). Alternative scenarios involving compact binary systems, efficiently formed inside globular clusters, could also be responsible for the observed bursts.

astro-ph.HE

A Local Universe Host for the Repeating Fast Radio Burst FRB 20181030A

We report on the host association of FRB 20181030A, a repeating fast radio burst (FRB) with a low dispersion measure (DM, 103.5 pc cm$^{-3}$) discovered by CHIME/FRB Collaboration et al. (2019a). Using baseband voltage data saved for its repeat bursts, we localize the FRB to a sky area of 5.3 sq. arcmin (90% confidence). Within the FRB localization region, we identify NGC 3252 as the most promising host, with an estimated chance coincidence probability $< 2.5 \times 10^{-3}$. Moreover, we do not find any other galaxy with M$_{r} < -15$ AB mag within the localization region to the maximum estimated FRB redshift of 0.05. This rules out a dwarf host 5 times less luminous than any FRB host discovered to date. NGC 3252 is a star-forming spiral galaxy, and at a distance of $\approx$ 20 Mpc, it is one of the closest FRB hosts discovered thus far. From our archival radio data search, we estimate a 3$σ$ upper limit on the luminosity of a persistent compact radio source (source size $<$ 0.3 kpc at 20 Mpc) at 3 GHz to be ${\rm 2 \times 10^{26} erg~s^{-1} Hz^{-1}}$, at least 1500 times smaller than that of the FRB 20121102A persistent radio source. We also argue that a population of young millisecond magnetars alone cannot explain the observed volumetric rate of repeating FRBs. Finally, FRB 20181030A is a promising source for constraining FRB emission models due to its proximity, and we strongly encourage its multi-wavelength follow-up.

astro-ph.HE

No Evidence for Galactic Latitude Dependence of the Fast Radio Burst Sky Distribution

We investigate whether the sky rate of Fast Radio Bursts depends on Galactic latitude using the first catalog of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst (CHIME/FRB) Project. We first select CHIME/FRB events above a specified sensitivity threshold in consideration of the radiometer equation, and then compare these detections with the expected cumulative time-weighted exposure using Anderson-Darling and Kolmogrov-Smirnov tests. These tests are consistent with the null hypothesis that FRBs are distributed without Galactic latitude dependence ($p$-values distributed from 0.05 to 0.99, depending on completeness threshold). Additionally, we compare rates in intermediate latitudes ($|b| < 15^\circ$) with high latitudes using a Bayesian framework, treating the question as a biased coin-flipping experiment -- again for a range of completeness thresholds. In these tests the isotropic model is significantly favored (Bayes factors ranging from 3.3 to 14.2). Our results are consistent with FRBs originating from an isotropic population of extragalactic sources.

astro-ph.HE

The CHIME Pulsar Project: System Overview

We present the design, implementation and performance of a digital backend constructed for the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) that uses accelerated computing to observe radio pulsars and transient radio sources. When operating, the CHIME correlator outputs 10 independent streams of beamformed data for the CHIME/Pulsar backend that digitally track specified celestial positions. Each of these independent streams are processed by the CHIME/Pulsar backend system which can coherently dedisperse, in real-time, up to dispersion measure values of 2500 pc/cm$^{-3}$ . The tracking beams and real-time analysis system are autonomously controlled by a priority-based algorithm that schedules both known sources and positions of interest for observation with observing cadences as small as one day. Given the distribution of known pulsars and radio-transient sources, the CHIME/Pulsar system can monitor up to 900 positions once per sidereal day and observe all sources with declinations greater than $-20^\circ$ once every $\sim$2 weeks. We also discuss the science program enabled through the current modes of data acquisition for CHIME/Pulsar that centers on timing and searching experiments.

astro-ph.IM

A nearby repeating fast radio burst in the direction of M81

We report on the discovery of FRB 20200120E, a repeating fast radio burst (FRB) with low dispersion measure (DM), detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME)/FRB project. The source DM of 87.82 pc cm$^{-3}$ is the lowest recorded from an FRB to date, yet is significantly higher than the maximum expected from the Milky Way interstellar medium in this direction (~ 50 pc cm$^{-3}$). We have detected three bursts and one candidate burst from the source over the period 2020 January-November. The baseband voltage data for the event on 2020 January 20 enabled a sky localization of the source to within $\simeq$ 14 sq. arcmin (90% confidence). The FRB localization is close to M81, a spiral galaxy at a distance of 3.6 Mpc. The FRB appears on the outskirts of M81 (projected offset $\sim$ 20 kpc) but well inside its extended HI and thick disks. We empirically estimate the probability of chance coincidence with M81 to be $< 10^{-2}$. However, we cannot reject a Milky Way halo origin for the FRB. Within the FRB localization region, we find several interesting cataloged M81 sources and a radio point source detected in the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS). We searched for prompt X-ray counterparts in Swift/BAT and Fermi/GBM data, and for two of the FRB 20200120E bursts, we rule out coincident SGR 1806$-$20-like X-ray bursts. Due to the proximity of FRB 20200120E, future follow-up for prompt multi-wavelength counterparts and sub-arcsecond localization could be constraining of proposed FRB models.

astro-ph.HE

The Asymmetry of Antimatter in the Proton

The fundamental building blocks of the proton, quarks and gluons, have been known for decades. However, we still have an incomplete theoretical and experimental understanding of how these particles and their dynamics give rise to the quantum bound state of the proton and its physical properties, such as for example its spin. The two up and the single down quarks that comprise the proton in the simplest picture account only for a few percent of the proton mass, the bulk of which is in the form of quark kinetic and potential energy and gluon energy from the strong force. An essential feature of this force, as described by quantum chromodynamics, is its ability to create matter-antimatter quark pairs inside the proton that exist only for a very short time. Their fleeting existence makes the antimatter quarks within protons difficult to study, but their existence is discernible in reactions where a matter-antimatter quark pair annihilates. In this picture of quark-antiquark creation by the strong force, the probability distributions as a function of momentum for the presence of up and down antimatter quarks should be nearly identical, since their masses are quite similar and small compared to the mass of the proton. In the present manuscript, we show evidence from muon pair production measurements that these distributions are significantly different, with more abundant down antimatter quarks than up antimatter quarks over a wide range of momentum. These results revive interest in several proposed mechanisms as the origin of this antimatter asymmetry in the proton that had been disfavored by the previous results and point to the future measurements that can distinguish between these mechanisms.

hep-ph

LOFAR Detection of 110-188 MHz Emission and Frequency-Dependent Activity from FRB 20180916B

FRB 20180916B is a well-studied repeating fast radio burst source. Its proximity (~150 Mpc), along with detailed studies of the bursts, have revealed many clues about its nature -- including a 16.3-day periodicity in its activity. Here we report on the detection of 18 bursts using LOFAR at 110-188 MHz, by far the lowest-frequency detections of any FRB to date. Some bursts are seen down to the lowest-observed frequency of 110 MHz, suggesting that their spectra extend even lower. These observations provide an order-of-magnitude stronger constraint on the optical depth due to free-free absorption in the source's local environment. The absence of circular polarization and nearly flat polarization angle curves are consistent with burst properties seen at 300-1700 MHz. Compared with higher frequencies, the larger burst widths (~40-160 ms at 150 MHz) and lower linear polarization fractions are likely due to scattering. We find ~2-3 rad/m^2 variations in the Faraday rotation measure that may be correlated with the activity cycle of the source. We compare the LOFAR burst arrival times to those of 38 previously published and 22 newly detected bursts from the uGMRT (200-450 MHz) and CHIME/FRB (400-800 MHz). Simultaneous observations show 5 CHIME/FRB bursts when no emission is detected by LOFAR. We find that the burst activity is systematically delayed towards lower frequencies by ~3 days from 600 MHz to 150 MHz. We discuss these results in the context of a model in which FRB 20180916B is an interacting binary system featuring a neutron star and high-mass stellar companion.

astro-ph.HE

An analysis pipeline for CHIME/FRB full-array baseband data

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) has become a leading facility for detecting fast radio bursts (FRBs) through the CHIME/FRB backend. CHIME/FRB searches for fast transients in polarization-summed intensity data streams that have 24-kHz spectral and 1-ms temporal resolution. The intensity beams are pointed to pre-determined locations in the sky. A triggered baseband system records the coherent electric field measured by each antenna in the CHIME array at the time of FRB detections. Here we describe the analysis techniques and automated pipeline developed to process these full-array baseband data recordings. Whereas the real-time FRB detection pipeline has a localization limit of several arcminutes, offline analysis of baseband data yields source localizations with sub-arcminute precision, as characterized by using a sample of pulsars and one repeating FRB with known positions. The baseband pipeline also enables resolving temporal substructure on a micro-second scale and the study of polarization including detections of Faraday rotation.

astro-ph.HE

Periodic activity from a fast radio burst source

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are bright, millisecond-duration radio transients originating from extragalactic distances. Their origin is unknown. Some FRB sources emit repeat bursts, ruling out cataclysmic origins for those events. Despite searches for periodicity in repeat burst arrival times on time scales from milliseconds to many days, these bursts have hitherto been observed to appear sporadically, and though clustered, without a regular pattern. Here we report the detection of a $16.35\pm0.15$ day periodicity (or possibly a higher-frequency alias of that periodicity) from a repeating FRB 180916.J0158+65 detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst Project (CHIME/FRB). In 38 bursts recorded from September 16th, 2018 through February 4th, 2020, we find that all bursts arrive in a 5-day phase window, and 50% of the bursts arrive in a 0.6-day phase window. Our results suggest a mechanism for periodic modulation either of the burst emission itself, or through external amplification or absorption, and disfavour models invoking purely sporadic processes.

astro-ph.HE