arXiv subjects

Tomoki Wada

Publications and source records attributed to Tomoki Wada.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Statistical inference of fast radio burst environments using galaxy number density

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are bright, millisecond-duration radio transients of unknown origin. They are categorized as repeaters and non-repeaters, possibly indicating distinct progenitor types. However, validating this distinction is difficult because of the limited number of localized FRBs. Large-scale galactic environments can provide insight into the nature of the host galaxies of FRBs and their progenitors. High-number-density regions are typically associated with old galaxies, whereas low-number-density regions are linked to young star-forming or less massive quiescent galaxies. In this study, we use galaxy number density to statistically assess the environments of 19 repeaters and 253 non-repeaters from CHIME Catalog 1, using galaxies from the WISE x PS1 catalog. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test showed no significant difference between the two populations ($p_{\rm KS} = 0.673$). This result indicates that the statistical significance of the difference could depend on small-number statistics, highlighting the necessity of future FRB samples. Intriguingly, a comparison of FRBs with random galaxy fields suggests that FRBs may preferentially occur in underdense galactic environments, with a median $p$-value ($p_{\rm KS}$) of $2.84 \times 10^{-2}$ compared to random galaxy apertures.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Constraints on the Physical Association between ICECAT1 Neutrinos and Fast Radio Bursts Using the Second CHIME/FRB Catalogue

We present a search for neutrino counterparts to fast radio bursts (FRBs) using temporal and spatial cross-matching between the Second CHIME/FRB catalogue and the IceCube high-energy alert-track catalogue ICECAT1. Because current FRB--neutrino models do not provide a unique consensus on emission ordering, our primary significance test adopts a two-sided, order-agnostic temporal hypothesis. The analysis accounts for declination-dependent CHIME/FRB exposure and the look-elsewhere effect across multiple trials. No statistically significant FRB--neutrino association is found. The most significant pair is FRB\,20190630C--IC\,190629A, with a post-trial probability of $p=0.076$ ($1.43\sigma$), consistent with a chance coincidence. Within our statistical framework, a detectable physical association would require a time offset shorter than $\sim256$~s at $3\sigma$ or $\sim63$~ms at $5\sigma$. Using a population-level stacking analysis, we derive 90\% upper limits on the neutrino-to-radio luminosity ratio of FRBs, $\xi \lesssim 10^{8}-10^{11}$ for neutrino power-law spectral indices $\gamma=1.0-3.0$. These limits improve upon previous constraints by approximately two orders of magnitude and represent the most stringent bounds from FRB--neutrino coincidence searches to date. Although the current limits remain above the predictions of most magnetar-based models, they begin to constrain scenarios involving exceptionally efficient hadronic energy dissipation.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Unveiling Hidden Clustering: An Unsupervised Machine Learning Study of Repeating FRB 20220912A

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients of extragalactic origin. Classifying repeating FRBs is essential for understanding their emission mechanisms, but remains challenging due to their short durations, high variability, and increasing data volume. Traditional methods often rely on subjective criteria and struggle with high-dimensional data. In this study, we apply an unsupervised machine learning framework that combines Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) and Hierarchical Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (HDBSCAN) to eight observed parameters from FRB 20220912A. Our analysis reveals three distinct clusters of bursts with varying spectral and fluence properties. Comparisons with clustering studies on other repeaters show that some of our clusters share similar features with sources such as FRB 20201124A and FRB 121102, suggesting possible common emission mechanisms. We also provide qualitative interpretations for each cluster, highlighting the spectral diversity within a single source. Notably, one cluster shows broadband emission and high fluence, which are typically seen in non-repeating FRBs. This raises the possibility that some non-repeaters may be misclassified repeaters due to observational limitations. Our results demonstrate the utility of machine learning in uncovering intrinsic diversity in FRB emission and provide a foundation for future classification studies.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Spectral Shapes of Pair Annihilation Line Emission in Magnetar Giant Flares

We investigate the gamma-ray spectrum in the MeV range arising from electron-positron pair annihilation in fireballs associated with magnetar giant flares (MGFs), motivated by the recent observation of a MeV gamma-ray line feature in a bright gamma-ray burst, GRB~221009A. We develop an analytic model of line emission, demonstrating that relativistic beaming results in a broadened, power-law spectral feature with photon index -1. We then perform Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations incorporating electron-positron pair production, annihilation, and Compton scattering. The dependence of the emergent spectrum on the baryon loading is also examined, showing that a baryon-poor fireball is more favorable for the detection of MeV gamma rays. We further assess the detectability of the line component. The simulation results indicate that a power-law MeV component from the initial spike of a Galactic MGFs could be observed with current instruments, such as Fermi/GBM, and will be well within the reach of upcoming MeV gamma-ray satellites, which are expected to detect O(100) photons from such events.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Vacuum Polarization Effects in Baryon-Loaded Magnetar Bursts and Implications for X-ray Polarization

Magnetars provide natural laboratories for strong-field quantum electrodynamics processes, such as vacuum polarization, which gives rise to vacuum resonance together with the plasma response. We develop a general framework to describe vacuum resonance in a three-component plasma consisting of ions, electrons, and positrons, as expected in baryon-loaded magnetar bursts. By introducing a parametrization of the plasma composition, we establish the general criterion for the occurrence of vacuum resonance in such plasmas. Our analysis encompasses both Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein-like adiabatic mode conversion and nonadiabatic eigenmode transition, highlighting their dependence on the plasma composition. Applying this framework to baryon-loaded fireballs in magnetar bursts, we estimate the characteristic X-ray polarization signatures. Detection of these polarizations will provide observational signatures of vacuum polarization as well as baryon loading in magnetar fireballs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

On Acceleration of Highest-Energy Cosmic Rays in a Novel Scenario of Magnetar Transients

Transient phenomena in magnetars have been considered as possible acceleration sites of ultrahigh-energy cosmic-rays (CRs), whose energy reaches ~200 EeV, such as the Amaterasu particle. However, the process of CR acceleration and the trigger mechanism of magnetar transients remains unclear. A recently suggested scenario for the activity predicts that the magnetar's rotation axis suddenly flips due to the `Dzhanibekov effect,' resulting in a sudden rise of the Euler force. The material in the outer layer plastically flows due to the force and finally fractures in this scenario. We study the possibilities of ion acceleration along with this scenario. If the degenerate electrons burst open from the fractured region like a balloon burst, the pair plasma formation can be ignited inside the crust. We find that such pair plasma can emit photons similar to the observed bursts from magnetars. We also find that the electron stream at the beginning of the burst phenomenon possibly induces a strong electric field for a moment, resulting in the acceleration of ~1 ZeV ion within a timescale of ~1 ps. The nuclear spallation reactions limit this timescale, and therefore, high-energy CR `neutrons' from the parenteral nuclei become proper observational predictions of this scenario: their arrival time and direction will be correlated with the bursting photon emissions of the host magnetars. The nuclear spallation of ~ZeV nuclei is preferred to explain $\gtrsim$10 PeV neutrino events observed by IceCube and KM3Net.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Radiative Acceleration and X-ray Spectrum of Outflowing Pure Electron-Positron Pair Fireball in Magnetar Bursts

An X-ray short burst associated with a Galactic fast radio burst was observed in 2020, distinguished by its X-ray cut-off energy significantly exceeding that of other X-ray short bursts. X-ray photons of these short bursts are believed to originate from fireballs within the magnetospheres of magnetars. If a fireball forms near a magnetic pole, it expands along the magnetic field lines, subsequently emitting photons and generating plasma outflows that may account for the observed radio bursts. We numerically study the radiative acceleration and X-ray spectrum of such outflowing fireballs consisting of pure electron-positron pairs and radiation, employing spherically symmetric relativistic radiation hydrodynamics calculations with the effects of strong magnetic fields. Using Monte-Carlo scheme in the radiation calculation, we consistently incorporate both the acceleration of the fluid by radiation and the scattering of radiation by the fluid, both of which are enhanced by the cyclotron resonant scattering. Our calculation reveals that cyclotron resonant scattering accelerates the plasma outflow significantly and broadens the X-ray spectrum. The plasma outflow is accelerated up to ultra-relativistic velocities, with Lorentz factors exceeding 100. The calculated X-ray spectrum broadened due to the scattering is similar to the observed X-ray spectrum in the Galactic fast radio burst.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

The Dzhanibekov Effect as a Possible Source of Magnetar Activity

Magnetars, which are neutron stars with strong magnetic fields, exhibit occasional bursting activities. The shape of a magnetar is not perfectly spherical due to the Lorentz force exerted by its strong magnetic fields and is described as a triaxial body. We study the unstable free precession in a triaxial magnetar; one of the principal axes undergoes an upside-down flip. This flip is known as the Dzhanibekov effect. We find that during the flip, the Euler force can suddenly disturb the force balance on the surface layer of the magnetar, potentially leading to plastic flow of the layer. This, in turn, may trigger different forms of magnetar activity, such as the emission of the bursts and/or of gravitational waves.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Expanding Fireball in Magnetar Bursts and Fast Radio Bursts

A fireball of radiation plasma created near the surface of a neutron star (NS) expands under its own pressure along magnetic field lines, and produces photon emission and relativistic matter outflow. We comprehensively classify the expanding fireball evolution into five cases and obtain the photospheric luminosity and the kinetic energy of the outflow, taking into account key processes; lateral diffusion of photons escaping from a magnetic flux tube, effects of strong magnetic field, baryon loading from the NS surface, and radiative acceleration via cyclotron resonant scattering, some of which have not been considered in the context of gamma-ray bursts. Applying our model to magnetar bursts with fast radio bursts (FRBs), in particular the X-ray short bursts from SGR 1935+2154 associated with the Galactic FRB 20200428A, we show that the burst radiation can accelerate the outflow to high Lorentz factor with sufficient energy to power FRBs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

A Redox-based Ion-Gating Reservoir, Utilizing Double Reservoir States in Drain and Gate Nonlinear Responses

We have demonstrated physical reservoir computing with a redox-based ion-gating reservoir (redox-IGR) comprising LixWO3 thin film and lithium ion conducting glass ceramic (LICGC). The subject redox-IGR successfully solved a second-order nonlinear dynamic equation by utilizing voltage pulse driven ion-gating in a LixWO3 channel to enable reservoir computing. Under the normal conditions, in which only the drain current (ID) is used for the reservoir states, the lowest prediction error is 7.39x10-4. Performance was enhanced by the addition of IG to the reservoir states, resulting in a significant lowering of the prediction error to 5.06x10-4, which is noticeably lower than other types of physical reservoirs reported to date. A second-order nonlinear autoregressive moving average (NARMA2) task, a typical benchmark of reservoir computing, was also performed with the IGR and good performance was achieved, with an NMSE of 0.163. A short-term memory task was performed to investigate an enhancement mechanism resulting from the IG addition. An increase in memory capacity, from 1.87 without IG to 2.73 with IG, was observed in the forgetting curves, indicating that enhancement of both high dimensionality and memory capacity are attributed to the origin of the performance improvement.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Binary comb models for FRB 121102

The first repeating fast radio burst source, FRB 121102, is observed to emit bursts periodically. We show that FRB 121102 can be interpreted as an interacting neutron star binary system with an orbital period of 159 days. We develop a binary comb model by introducing an eccentricity in the orbit. Besides the original funnel mode of the binary comb model, which was applied to FRB 180916.J0158+65 by Ioka and Zhang 2020, we also identify two new modes of the binary comb model, i.e. the tau-crossing mode and the inverse funnel mode, and apply them to interpret FRB 121102. These new developments expand the applicable parameter space, allowing the companion star to be a massive star, a massive black hole, or a supermassive black hole, with the latter two having larger parameter spaces. These models are also consistent with other observations, such as the persistent bright radio counterpart associated with the source. We also argue that the observed frequency dependence of the active window does not disfavor the binary comb model, in contrast to recent claims, and propose two possible scenarios to interpret the data.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Analytic properties of electromagnetic field of binary compact stars and electromagnetic precursors to gravitational waves

We analytically study the properties of the electromagnetic field in vacuum around close binary compact stars containing at least one neutron star. We show that the orbital motion of the neutron star induces high multipole modes of the electromagnetic field just before the merger. These modes are superimposed to form a spiral arm configuration and its edge is found to be a likely site for magnetic reconnection. These modes also enhance the total Poynting flux from neutron star binaries by a factor of 2--4. We also indicate that the electric field induced by the orbital motion lead to a magnetosphere around binaries and estimate its plasma density, which has a different parameter dependence than Goldreich-Julian density. With these properties, we discuss possible electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events, and identify radio precursors, such as fast radio bursts, as the most promising observational targets.

astro-ph.HE↗