arXiv subjects

Shivani Bhandari

Publications and source records attributed to Shivani Bhandari.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Characterizing the FRB host galaxy population and its connection to transients in the local and extragalactic Universe

We present the localization and host galaxies of one repeating and two apparently non-repeating Fast Radio Bursts. FRB20180301A was detected and localized with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to a star-forming galaxy at $z=0.3304$. FRB20191228A, and FRB20200906A were detected and localized by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder to host galaxies at $z=0.2430$ and $z=0.3688$, respectively. We combine these with 13 other well-localized FRBs in the literature, and analyze the host galaxy properties. We find no significant differences in the host properties of repeating and apparently non-repeating FRBs. FRB hosts are moderately star-forming, with masses slightly offset from the star-forming main-sequence. Star formation and low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER) emission are major sources of ionization in FRB host galaxies, with the former dominant in repeating FRB hosts. FRB hosts do not track stellar mass and star formation as seen in field galaxies (more than 95% confidence). FRBs are rare in massive red galaxies, suggesting that progenitor formation channels are not solely dominated by delayed channels which lag star formation by Gigayears. The global properties of FRB hosts are indistinguishable from core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) and short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) hosts, and the spatial offset (from galaxy centers) of FRBs is mostly inconsistent with that of the Galactic neutron star population (95% confidence). The spatial offsets of FRBs (normalized to the galaxy effective radius) also differ from those of globular clusters (GCs) in late- and early-type galaxies with 95% confidence.

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arXiv2021

Chronicling the Host Galaxy Properties of the Remarkable Repeating FRB 20201124A

We present the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) localization and follow-up observations of the host galaxy of the repeating fast radio burst (FRB) source, FRB20201124A, the fifth such extragalactic repeating FRB with an identified host. From spectroscopic observations using the 6.5-m MMT Observatory, we derive a redshift of $z=0.0979 \pm 0.0001$, a star formation rate inferred from H$α$ emission of SFR(H$α$) $\approx 2.1 M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, and a gas-phase metallicity of 12+log(O/H)$\approx 9.0$. By jointly modeling the 12-filter optical-mid-infrared (MIR) photometry and spectroscopy of the host, we infer a median stellar mass of $\approx 2 \times 10^{10} M_{\odot}$, internal dust extinction of $A_V\approx 1-1.5$ mag, and a mass-weighted stellar population age of $\approx 5-6$ Gyr. Connecting these data to the radio and X-ray observations, we cannot reconcile the broad-band behavior with strong AGN activity and instead attribute the dominant source of persistent radio emission to star formation, likely originating from the circumnuclear region of the host. The modeling also indicates a hot dust component contributing to the MIR luminosity at a level of $\approx 10-30\%$. We model the host galaxy's star formation and mass assembly histories, finding that the host assembled $>90\%$ of its mass by 1 Gyr ago and exhibited a fairly constant SFR for most of its existence, with no clear evidence of past star-burst activity.

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arXiv2021

Estimating the contribution of foreground halos to the FRB 180924 dispersion measure

Fast Radio Burst (FRB) dispersion measures (DMs) record the presence of ionized baryons that are otherwise invisible to other techniques enabling resolution of the matter distribution in the cosmic web. In this work, we aim to estimate the contribution to FRB 180924 DM from foreground galactic halos. Localized by ASKAP to a massive galaxy, this sightline is notable for an estimated cosmic web contribution to the DM ($\rm DM_{cosmic} = 220~pc~cm^{-3}$), which is less than the average value at the host redshift ($\rm z = 0.3216$) estimated from the Macquart relation ($280~\rm pc~cm^{-3}$). In the favored models of the cosmic web, this suggests few intersections with foreground halos at small impact parameters ($\lesssim 100$ kpc). To test this hypothesis, we carried out spectroscopic observations of the field galaxies within $\sim$1' of the sightline with VLT/MUSE and Keck/LRIS. Furthermore, we developed a probabilistic methodology that leverages photometric redshifts derived from wide-field DES and WISE imaging. We conclude that there is no galactic halo that closely intersects the sightline and also that the net DM contribution from halos, $\rm DM_{halos}< 45~pc~cm^{-3}$ (95 % c.l.). This value is lower than the $\rm DM_{halos}$ estimated from an "average" sightline ($121~\rm pc~cm^{-3}$) using the Planck $ΛCDM$ model and the Aemulus halo mass function and reasonably explains its low $\rm DM_{cosmic}$ value. We conclude that FRB 180924 represents the predicted majority of sightlines in the universe with no proximate foreground galactic halos. Our framework lays the foundation for a comprehensive analysis of FRB fields in the near future.

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arXiv2021

Astrometric accuracy of snapshot Fast Radio Burst localisations with ASKAP

The recent increase in well-localised fast radio bursts (FRBs) has facilitated in-depth studies of global FRB host properties, the source circumburst medium, and the potential impacts of these environments on the burst properties. The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) has localised 11 FRBs with sub-arcsecond to arcsecond precision, leading to sub-galaxy localisation regions in some cases and those covering much of the host galaxy in others. The method used to astrometrically register the FRB image frame for ASKAP, in order to align it with images taken at other wavelengths, is currently limited by the brightness of continuum sources detected in the short-duration ('snapshot') voltage data captured by the Commensal Real-Time ASKAP Fast Transients (CRAFT) software correlator, which are used to correct for any frame offsets due to imperfect calibration solutions and estimate the accuracy of any required correction. In this paper, we use dedicated observations of bright, compact radio sources in ASKAP's low- and mid-frequency bands to investigate the typical astrometric accuracy of the positions obtained using this so-called 'snapshot' technique. Having captured these data with both the CRAFT software and ASKAP hardware correlators, we also compare the offset distributions obtained from both data products to estimate a typical offset between the image frames resulting from the differing processing paths, laying the groundwork for future use of the longer-duration, higher signal-to-noise ratio data recorded by the hardware correlator. We find typical offsets between the two frames of $\sim 0.6$ and $\sim 0.3$ arcsec in the low- and mid-band data, respectively, for both RA and Dec. We also find reasonable agreement between our offset distributions and those of the published FRBs.

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arXiv2021

A High-Resolution View of Fast Radio Burst Host Environments

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST/WFC3) ultraviolet and infrared observations of eight fast radio burst (FRB) host galaxies with sub-arcsecond localizations, including the hosts of three known repeating FRBs. We quantify their spatial distributions and locations with respect to their host galaxy light distributions, finding that they occur at moderate host normalized-offsets of 1.4 $r_e$ ([0.6,2.1] $r_e$; 68% interval), occur on fainter regions of their hosts in terms of IR light, but overall trace the radial distribution of IR light in their galaxies. The FRBs in our tested distribution do not clearly trace the distributions of any other transient population with known progenitors, and are statistically distinct from the locations of LGRBs, H-poor SLSNe, SGRBs, and Ca-rich transients. We further find that most FRBs are not in regions of elevated local star formation rate and stellar mass surface densities in comparison to the mean global values of their hosts. We also place upper limits to the IR flux at the FRB positions of $m_{\rm IR}\gtrsim\!24.8-27.6$~AB~mag, constraining both satellite and background galaxies to luminosities well below the host luminosity of FRB121102. We find that 5/8 FRB hosts exhibit clear spiral arm features in IR light, and that the positions of all well-localized FRBs located in such hosts are consistent with their spiral arms, although not on their brightest regions. Our results do not strongly support the primary progenitor channel of FRBs being connected either with the most massive (stripped-envelope) stars, or with events which require kicks and long delay times (neutron star mergers).

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arXiv2020

Disentangling the Cosmic Web Towards FRB 190608

FRB 190608 was detected by ASKAP and localized to a spiral galaxy at $z_{host}=0.11778$ in the SDSS footprint. The burst has a large dispersion measure ($DM_{FRB}=339.8$ $pc/cm^3$) compared to the expected cosmic average at its redshift. It also has a large rotation measure ($RM_{FRB}=353$ $rad/m^2$) and scattering timescale ($τ=3.3$ $ms$ at $1.28$ $GHz$). Chittidi et al (2020) perform a detailed analysis of the ultraviolet and optical emission of the host galaxy and estimate the host DM contribution to be $110\pm 37$ $pc/cm^3$. This work complements theirs and reports the analysis of the optical data of galaxies in the foreground of FRB 190608 to explore their contributions to the FRB signal. Together, the two manuscripts delineate an observationally driven, end-to-end study of matter distribution along an FRB sightline; the first study of its kind. Combining KCWI observations and public SDSS data, we estimate the expected cosmic dispersion measure $DM_{cosmic}$ along the sightline to FRB 190608. We first estimate the contribution of hot, ionized gas in intervening virialized halos ($DM_{halos} \approx 7-28$ $pc/cm^3$). Then, using the Monte Carlo Physarum Machine (MCPM) methodology, we produce a 3D map of ionized gas in cosmic web filaments and compute the DM contribution from matter outside halos ($DM_{IGM} \approx 91-126$ $pc/cm^3$). This implies a greater fraction of ionized gas along this sightline is extant outside virialized halos. We also investigate whether the intervening halos can account for the large FRB rotation measure and pulse width and conclude that it is implausible. Both the pulse broadening and the large Faraday rotation likely arise from the progenitor environment or the host galaxy.

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arXiv2020

Extremely band-limited repetition from a fast radio burst source

The fast radio burst (FRB) population is observationally divided into sources that have been observed to repeat and those that have not. There is tentative evidence that the bursts from repeating sources have different properties than the non-repeating ones. In order to determine the occurrence rate of repeating sources and characterize the nature of repeat emission, we have been conducting sensitive searches for repetitions from bursts detected with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) with the 64-m Parkes radio telescope, using the recently commissioned Ultra-wideband Low (UWL) receiver system, over a band spanning 0.7$-$4.0 GHz. We report the detection of a repeat burst from the source of FRB 20190711A. The detected burst is 1 ms wide and has a bandwidth of just 65 MHz. We find no evidence of any emission in the remaining part of the 3.3 GHz UWL band. While the emission bandwidths of the ASKAP and UWL bursts show $ν^{-4}$ scaling consistent with a propagation effect, the spectral occupancy is inconsistent with diffractive scintillation. This detection rules out models predicting broad-band emission from the FRB 20190711A source and puts stringent constraints on the emission mechanism. The low spectral occupancy highlights the importance of sub-banded search methods in detecting FRBs.

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arXiv2020

Host Galaxy Properties and Offset Distributions of Fast Radio Bursts: Implications for their Progenitors

We present observations and detailed characterizations of five new host galaxies of fast radio bursts (FRBs) discovered with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and localized to $\lesssim 1''$. Combining these galaxies with FRB hosts from the literature, we introduce criteria based on the probability of chance coincidence to define a sub-sample of 10 highly-confident associations (at $z=0.03-0.52$), three of which correspond to known repeating FRBs. Overall, the FRB host galaxies exhibit a broad, continuous range of color ($M_u-M_r = 0.9 - 2.0$), stellar mass ($M_\star = 10^{8} - 6\times 10^{10}\,M_{\odot}$), and star-formation rate (${\rm SFR} = 0.05 - 10\,M_{\odot}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$) spanning the full parameter space occupied by $z<0.5$ galaxies. However, they do not track the color-magnitude, SFR-$M_\star$, nor BPT diagrams of field galaxies surveyed at similar redshifts. There is an excess of "green valley" galaxies and an excess of emission-line ratios indicative of a harder radiation field than that generated by star-formation alone. From the observed stellar mass distribution, we rule out the hypothesis that FRBs strictly track stellar mass in galaxies ($>99\%$ c.l.). We measure a median offset of 3.3 kpc from the FRB to the estimated center of the host galaxies and compare the host-burst offset distribution and other properties with the distributions of long- and short-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs and SGRBs), core-collapse supernovae (CC-SNe), and Type Ia SNe. This analysis rules out galaxies hosting LGRBs (faint, star-forming galaxies) as common hosts for FRBs ($>95\%$ c.l.). Other transient channels (SGRBs, CC- and Type Ia SNe) have host galaxy properties and offsets consistent with the FRB distributions. All of the data and derived quantities are made publicly available on a dedicated website and repository.

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arXiv2020

Limits on precursor and afterglow radio emission from a fast radio burst in a star-forming galaxy

We present a new fast radio burst (FRB) at 920 MHz discovered during commensal observations conducted with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) as part of the Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients (CRAFT) survey. FRB 191001 was detected at a dispersion measure (DM) of 506.92(4) pc cm$^{-3}$ and its measured fluence of 143(15) Jy ms is the highest of the bursts localized to host galaxies by ASKAP to date. The subarcsecond localization of the FRB provided by ASKAP reveals that the burst originated in the outskirts of a highly star-forming spiral in a galaxy pair at redshift $z=0.2340(1)$. Radio observations show no evidence for a compact persistent radio source associated with the FRB 191001 above a flux density of $15 μ$Jy. However, we detect diffuse synchrotron radio emission from the disk of the host galaxy that we ascribe to ongoing star formation. FRB 191001 was also detected as an image-plane transient in a single 10 s snapshot with a flux density of 19.3 mJy in the low-time-resolution visibilities obtained simultaneously with CRAFT data. The commensal observation facilitated a search for repeating and slowly varying radio emissions 8 hr before and 1 hr after the burst. We found no variable radio emission on timescales ranging from 1 ms to 1.4 hr. We report our upper limits and briefly review FRB progenitor theories in the literature that predict radio afterglows. Our data are still only weakly constraining of any afterglows at the redshift of the FRB. Future commensal observations of more nearby and bright FRBs will potentially provide stronger constraints.

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arXiv2020

A population analysis of pulse broadening in ASKAP Fast Radio Bursts

The pulse morphology of fast radio bursts (FRBs) provides key information in both understanding progenitor physics and the plasma medium through which the burst propagates. We present a study of the profiles of 33 bright FRBs detected by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. We identify seven FRBs with measureable intrinsic pulse widths, including two FRBs that have been seen to repeat. In our modest sample we see no evidence for bimodality in the pulse width distribution. We also identify five FRBs with evidence of millisecond timescale pulse broadening caused by scattering in inhomogeneous plasma. We find no evidence for a relationship between pulse broadening and extragalactic dispersion measure. The scattering could be either caused by extreme turbulence in the host galaxy or chance propagation through foreground galaxies. With future high time resolution observations and detailed study of host galaxy properties we may be able to probe line-of-sight turbulence on gigaparsec scales.

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arXiv2020

A search for supernova-like optical counterparts to ASKAP-localised Fast Radio Bursts

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-scale radio pulses, which originate in distant galaxies and are produced by unknown sources. The mystery remains partially because of the typical difficulty in localising FRBs to host galaxies. Accurate localisations delivered by the Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients (CRAFT) survey now provide an opportunity to study the host galaxies and potential transient counterparts of FRBs at a large range of wavelengths. In this work, we investigate whether the first three FRBs accurately localised by CRAFT have supernova-like transient counterparts. We obtained two sets of imaging epochs with the Very Large Telescope for three host galaxies, one soon after the burst detection and one several months later. After subtracting these images no optical counterparts were identified in the associated FRB host galaxies, so we instead place limits on the brightness of any potential optical transients. A Monte Carlo approach, in which supernova light curves were modelled and their base properties randomised, was used to estimate the probability of a supernova associated with each FRB going undetected. We conclude that Type Ia and IIn supernovae are unlikely to accompany every apparently non-repeating FRB.

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arXiv2020

The host galaxies and progenitors of Fast Radio Bursts localized with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder

The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope has started to localize Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) to arcsecond accuracy from the detection of a single pulse, allowing their host galaxies to be reliably identified. We discuss the global properties of the host galaxies of the first four FRBs localized by ASKAP, which lie in the redshift range $0.11<z<0.48$. All four are massive galaxies (log( $M_{*}/ M_{\odot}$) $\sim 9.4 -10.4$) with modest star-formation rates of up to $2M_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$ -- very different to the host galaxy of the first repeating FRB 121102, which is a dwarf galaxy with a high specific star-formation rate. The FRBs localized by ASKAP typically lie in the outskirts of their host galaxies, which appears to rule out FRB progenitor models that invoke active galactic nuclei (AGN) or free-floating cosmic strings. The stellar population seen in these host galaxies also disfavors models in which all FRBs arise from young magnetars produced by superluminous supernovae (SLSNe), as proposed for the progenitor of FRB 121102. A range of other progenitor models (including compact-object mergers and magnetars arising from normal core-collapse supernovae) remain plausible.

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arXiv2020

Spectropolarimetric analysis of FRB 181112 at microsecond resolution: Implications for Fast Radio Burst emission mechanism

We have developed a new coherent dedispersion mode to study the emission of Fast Radio Bursts that trigger the voltage capture capability of the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) interferometer. In principle the mode can probe emission timescales down to 3 ns with full polarimetric information preserved. Enabled by the new capability, here we present a spectropolarimetric analysis of FRB 181112 detected by ASKAP, localized to a galaxy at redshift 0.47. At microsecond time resolution the burst is resolved into four narrow pulses with a rise time of just $15 μ$s for the brightest. The pulses have a diversity of morphology, but do not show evidence for temporal broadening by turbulent plasma along the line of sight, nor is there any evidence for periodicity in their arrival times. The pulses are highly polarized (up to 95%), with the polarization position angle varying both between and within pulses. The pulses have apparent rotation measures that vary by $15\pm 2\, {\rm rad \,m^{-2}}$ and apparent dispersion measures that vary by $0.041\pm 0.004\,{\rm pc\,cm^{-3}}$. Conversion between linear and circular polarization is observed across the brightest pulse. We conclude that the FRB 181112 pulses are most consistent with being a direct manifestation of the emission process or the result of propagation through a relativistic plasma close to the source. This demonstrates that our method, which facilitates high-time-resolution polarimetric observations of FRBs, can be used to study not only burst emission processes, but also a diversity of propagation effects present on the gigaparsec paths they traverse.

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arXiv2020

Probing the extragalactic fast transient sky at minute timescales with DECam

Searches for optical transients are usually performed with a cadence of days to weeks, optimised for supernova discovery. The optical fast transient sky is still largely unexplored, with only a few surveys to date having placed meaningful constraints on the detection of extragalactic transients evolving at sub-hour timescales. Here, we present the results of deep searches for dim, minute-timescale extragalactic fast transients using the Dark Energy Camera, a core facility of our all-wavelength and all-messenger Deeper, Wider, Faster programme. We used continuous 20s exposures to systematically probe timescales down to 1.17 minutes at magnitude limits $g > 23$ (AB), detecting hundreds of transient and variable sources. Nine candidates passed our strict criteria on duration and non-stellarity, all of which could be classified as flare stars based on deep multi-band imaging. Searches for fast radio burst and gamma-ray counterparts during simultaneous multi-facility observations yielded no counterparts to the optical transients. Also, no long-term variability was detected with pre-imaging and follow-up observations using the SkyMapper optical telescope. We place upper limits for minute-timescale fast optical transient rates for a range of depths and timescales. Finally, we demonstrate that optical $g$-band light curve behaviour alone cannot discriminate between confirmed extragalactic fast transients such as prompt GRB flashes and Galactic stellar flares.

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arXiv2019

Faint Repetitions from a Bright Fast Radio Burst Source

We report the detection of repeat bursts from the source of FRB 171019, one of the brightest fast radio bursts (FRBs) detected in the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) fly's eye survey. Two bursts from the source were detected with the Green Bank Telescope in observations centered at 820 MHz. The repetitions are a factor of $\sim 590$ fainter than the ASKAP-discovered burst. All three bursts from this source show no evidence of scattering and have consistent pulse widths. The pulse spectra show modulation that could be evidence for either steep spectra or patchy emission. The two repetitions were the only ones found in an observing campaign for this FRB totaling 1000 hr, which also included ASKAP and the 64-m Parkes radio telescope, over a range of frequencies (720$-$2000 MHz) at epochs spanning two years. The inferred scaling of repetition rate with fluence of this source agrees with the other repeating source, FRB 121102. The detection of faint pulses from FRB 171019 shows that at least some FRBs selected from bright samples will repeat if follow-up observations are conducted with more sensitive telescopes.

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arXiv2019

The low density and magnetization of a massive galaxy halo exposed by a fast radio burst

Present-day galaxies are surrounded by cool and enriched halo gas extending to hundreds of kiloparsecs. This halo gas is thought to be the dominant reservoir of material available to fuel future star formation, but direct constraints on its mass and physical properties have been difficult to obtain. We report the detection of a fast radio burst (FRB 181112) with arcsecond precision, which passes through the halo of a foreground galaxy. Analysis of the burst shows the halo gas has low net magnetization and turbulence. Our results imply predominantly diffuse gas in massive galactic halos, even those hosting active supermassive black holes, contrary to some previous results.

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arXiv2019

A fast radio burst in the direction of the Virgo cluster

The rate of fast radio bursts (FRBs) in the direction of nearby galaxy clusters is expected to be higher than the mean cosmological rate if intrinsically faint FRBs are numerous. In this paper, we describe a targeted search for faint FRBs near the core of the Virgo cluster using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder telescope. During 300 hr of observations, we discovered one burst, FRB 180417, with dispersion measure DM $=474.8$ cm$^{-3}$pc. The FRB was promptly followed up by several radio telescopes for 27 h, but no repeat bursts were detected. An optical follow-up of FRB 180417 using the PROMPT5 telescope revealed no new sources down to an $R$-band magnitude of 20.1. We argue that FRB 180417 is likely behind the Virgo cluster as the Galactic and intracluster DM contribution are small compared to the DM of the FRB, and there are no galaxies in the line of sight. The non-detection of FRBs from Virgo constrains the faint-end slope, $α<1.52$ (at 68\% confidence limit), and the minimum luminosity, $L_{\rm min}\gtrsim 2\times 10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (at 68\% confidence limit), of the FRB luminosity function assuming cosmic FRB rate of $10^4$ FRBs sky$^{-1}$ day$^{-1}$ with flux above 1 Jy located out to redshift of 1. Further FRB surveys of galaxy clusters with high-sensitivity instruments will tighten the constraints on the faint end of the luminosity function and, thus, are strongly encouraged.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

A Survey of the Galactic Plane for Dispersed Pulses with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder

We report the results from a survey of the Galactic plane for dispersed single pulses using the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP). We searched for rare bright dispersed radio pulses comprising 160 pointings covering 4800 deg$^2$ of the Galactic plane within |b| $< 7 °$, each pointing with an exposure time of 10 hours. We detected one fast radio burst, FRB 180430, and single pulses from 11 pulsars. No rotating radio transients were detected. We detected FRB 180430 in the Galactic plane in the anticentre direction with a fluence of 216$\pm5$Jy ms a dispersion measure (DM) of 264.1 pc cm-3. We estimate the extragalactic DM of the object to be less than 86.7 $ \text{pc} \ \text{cm}^{-3} $ depending on the electron density model. One model suggests that this FRB may be a giant pulse within our galaxy; we discuss how this may not correctly represent the line-of-sight DM. Based on the single detection of FRB 180430 in 3.47 $\times 10^{4}$ deg$^2$ h we derive a FRB event rate in the Galactic plane at the 20 Jy ms threshold to be in the range 2-140 per sky per day at 95% confidence. Despite the necessarily large uncertainties from this single detection, this is consistent with the current ASKAP all-sky detection rate.

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