Author
Lachlan Marnoch
Other affiliations: Australia Telescope National Facility, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Zhejiang University
Bio: Lachlan Marnoch is an academic researcher from Macquarie University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Galaxy & Physics. The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 18 publications receiving 813 citations. Previous affiliations of Lachlan Marnoch include Australia Telescope National Facility & Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
Topics: Galaxy, Physics, Fast radio burst, Star formation, Redshift
Papers
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TL;DR: In this paper, the dispersion of a sample of localized fast radio bursts was used to determine the electron column density along each line of sight and accounts for every ionized baryon.
Abstract: More than three-quarters of the baryonic content of the Universe resides in a highly diffuse state that is difficult to detect, with only a small fraction directly observed in galaxies and galaxy clusters1,2. Censuses of the nearby Universe have used absorption line spectroscopy3,4 to observe the ‘invisible’ baryons, but these measurements rely on large and uncertain corrections and are insensitive to most of the Universe’s volume and probably most of its mass. In particular, quasar spectroscopy is sensitive either to the very small amounts of hydrogen that exist in the atomic state, or to highly ionized and enriched gas4–6 in denser regions near galaxies7. Other techniques to observe these invisible baryons also have limitations; Sunyaev–Zel’dovich analyses8,9 can provide evidence from gas within filamentary structures, and studies of X-ray emission are most sensitive to gas near galaxy clusters9,10. Here we report a measurement of the baryon content of the Universe using the dispersion of a sample of localized fast radio bursts; this technique determines the electron column density along each line of sight and accounts for every ionized baryon11–13. We augment the sample of reported arcsecond-localized14–18 fast radio bursts with four new localizations in host galaxies that have measured redshifts of 0.291, 0.118, 0.378 and 0.522. This completes a sample sufficiently large to account for dispersion variations along the lines of sight and in the host-galaxy environments11, and we derive a cosmic baryon density of $${\varOmega }_{{\rm{b}}}={0.051}_{-0.025}^{+0.021}{h}_{70}^{-1}$$ (95 per cent confidence; h70 = H0/(70 km s−1 Mpc−1) and H0 is Hubble’s constant). This independent measurement is consistent with values derived from the cosmic microwave background and from Big Bang nucleosynthesis19,20. The baryon density determined along the lines of sight to localized fast radio bursts is consistent with that determined from the cosmic microwave background and required by Big Bang nucleosynthesis.
304 citations
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University of California, Santa Cruz1, Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe2, Curtin University3, University of Washington4, Swinburne University of Technology5, Australia Telescope National Facility6, Macquarie University7, North Carolina State University8, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology9, University of Sydney10, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso11
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reported the detection of a fast radio burst (FRB 181112), localized with arcsecond precision, that passes through the halo of a foreground galaxy.
Abstract: Present-day galaxies are surrounded by cool and enriched halo gas extending for 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), localized with arcsecond precision, that passes through the halo of a foreground galaxy. Analysis of the burst shows that 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.
179 citations
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TL;DR: The baryon density determined along the lines of sight to localized fast radio bursts is consistent with that determined from the cosmic microwave background and required by Big Bang nucleosynthesis.
Abstract: More than three quarters of the baryonic content of the Universe resides in a highly diffuse state that is difficult to observe, with only a small fraction directly observed in galaxies and galaxy clusters. Censuses of the nearby Universe have used absorption line spectroscopy to observe these invisible baryons, but these measurements rely on large and uncertain corrections and are insensitive to the majority of the volume, and likely mass. Specifically, quasar spectroscopy is sensitive either to only the very trace amounts of Hydrogen that exists in the atomic state, or highly ionized and enriched gas in denser regions near galaxies. Sunyaev-Zel'dovich analyses provide evidence of some of the gas in filamentary structures and studies of X-ray emission are most sensitive to gas near galaxy clusters. Here we report the direct measurement of the baryon content of the Universe using the dispersion of a sample of localized fast radio bursts (FRBs), thus utilizing an effect that measures the electron column density along each sight line and accounts for every ionised baryon. We augment the sample of published arcsecond-localized FRBs with a further four new localizations to host galaxies which have measured redshifts of 0.291, 0.118, 0.378 and 0.522, completing a sample sufficiently large to account for dispersion variations along the line of sight and in the host galaxy environment to derive a cosmic baryon density of $\Omega_{b} = 0.051_{-0.025}^{+0.021} \, h_{70}^{-1}$ (95% confidence). This independent measurement is consistent with Cosmic Microwave Background and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis values.
151 citations
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Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe1, University of California, Berkeley2, Curtin University3, University of Washington4, Swinburne University of Technology5, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation6, Macquarie University7, North Carolina State University8, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology9, University of Sydney10, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso11
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reported the detection of a fast radio burst (FRB 181112) with arcsecond precision, which passes through the halo of a foreground galaxy.
Abstract: 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.
144 citations
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University of Iceland1, University of California, Santa Cruz2, Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe3, University of Cape Town4, Northwestern University5, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso6, West Virginia University7, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation8, Swinburne University of Technology9, California Institute of Technology10, Curtin University11, University of Sydney12
141 citations
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1,288 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reported the detection of an extremely intense radio burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154 using the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) FRB project.
Abstract: Magnetars are highly magnetized young neutron stars that occasionally produce enormous bursts and flares of X-rays and gamma-rays. Of the approximately thirty magnetars currently known in our Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds, five have exhibited transient radio pulsations. Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration bursts of radio waves arriving from cosmological distances. Some have been seen to repeat. A leading model for repeating FRBs is that they are extragalactic magnetars, powered by their intense magnetic fields. However, a challenge to this model has been that FRBs must have radio luminosities many orders of magnitude larger than those seen from known Galactic magnetars. Here we report the detection of an extremely intense radio burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154 using the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) FRB project. The fluence of this two-component bright radio burst and the estimated distance to SGR 1935+2154 together imply a 400-800 MHz burst energy of $\sim 3 \times 10^{34}$ erg, which is three orders of magnitude brighter than those of any radio-emitting magnetar detected thus far. Such a burst coming from a nearby galaxy would be indistinguishable from a typical FRB. This event thus bridges a large fraction of the radio energy gap between the population of Galactic magnetars and FRBs, strongly supporting the notion that magnetars are the origin of at least some FRBs.
407 citations
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TL;DR: A millisecond-duration radio burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR-1935+2154 with a fluence of 1.5 ± 0.3 megajansky milliseconds was detected by the STARE2 radio array in the 1,281-1,468 megahertz band.
Abstract: Since their discovery in 20071, much effort has been devoted to uncovering the sources of the extragalactic, millisecond-duration fast radio bursts (FRBs)2. A class of neutron stars known as magnetars is a leading candidate source of FRBs3,4. Magnetars have surface magnetic fields in excess of 1014 gauss, the decay of which powers a range of high-energy phenomena5. Here we report observations of a millisecond-duration radio burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154, with a fluence of 1.5 ± 0.3 megajansky milliseconds. This event, FRB 200428 (ST 200428A), was detected on 28 April 2020 by the STARE2 radio array6 in the 1,281–1,468 megahertz band. The isotropic-equivalent energy released in FRB 200428 is 4 × 103 times greater than that of any radio pulse from the Crab pulsar—previously the source of the brightest Galactic radio bursts observed on similar timescales7. FRB 200428 is just 30 times less energetic than the weakest extragalactic FRB observed so far8, and is drawn from the same population as the observed FRB sample. The coincidence of FRB 200428 with an X-ray burst9–11 favours emission models that describe synchrotron masers or electromagnetic pulses powered by magnetar bursts and giant flares3,4,12,13. The discovery of FRB 200428 implies that active magnetars such as SGR 1935+2154 can produce FRBs at extragalactic distances. Observations of the fast radio burst FRB 200428 coinciding with X-rays from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154 indicate that active magnetars can produce fast radio bursts at extragalactic distances.
362 citations
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Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe1, ASTRON2, University of Amsterdam3, McGill University4, Max Planck Society5, California Institute of Technology6, West Virginia University7, University of Newcastle8, Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics9, National Radio Astronomy Observatory10, University of Toronto11, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics12, University of Waterloo13, University of British Columbia14, Ioffe Institute15, National Autonomous University of Mexico16, Chalmers University of Technology17, National Research Council18, Massachusetts Institute of Technology19
TL;DR: Only one repeating fast radio burst has been localized, to an irregular dwarf galaxy; now another is found to come from a star-forming region of a nearby spiral galaxy, suggesting that repeating FRBs may have a wide range of luminosities, and originate from diverse host galaxies and local environments.
Abstract: Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are brief, bright, extragalactic radio flashes1,2. Their physical origin remains unknown, but dozens of possible models have been postulated3. Some FRB sources exhibit repeat bursts4–7. Although over a hundred FRB sources have been discovered8, only four have been localized and associated with a host galaxy9–12, and just one of these four is known to emit repeating FRBs9. The properties of the host galaxies, and the local environments of FRBs, could provide important clues about their physical origins. The first known repeating FRB, however, was localized to a low-metallicity, irregular dwarf galaxy, and the apparently non-repeating sources were localized to higher-metallicity, massive elliptical or star-forming galaxies, suggesting that perhaps the repeating and apparently non-repeating sources could have distinct physical origins. Here we report the precise localization of a second repeating FRB source6, FRB 180916.J0158+65, to a star-forming region in a nearby (redshift 0.0337 ± 0.0002) massive spiral galaxy, whose properties and proximity distinguish it from all known hosts. The lack of both a comparably luminous persistent radio counterpart and a high Faraday rotation measure6 further distinguish the local environment of FRB 180916.J0158+65 from that of the single previously localized repeating FRB source, FRB 121102. This suggests that repeating FRBs may have a wide range of luminosities, and originate from diverse host galaxies and local environments. Only one repeating fast radio burst has been localized, to an irregular dwarf galaxy; now another is found to come from a star-forming region of a nearby spiral galaxy.
347 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper , the authors focus on the 5.0σ tension between the Planck CMB estimate of the Hubble constant H0 and the SH0ES collaboration measurements and discuss the importance of trying to fit a full array of data with a single model.
335 citations