The repeating fast radio burst FRB 121102: a long time ago in a galaxy far-far away

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• Jason Hessels (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy and University of Amsterdam)
• Thursday 19 January 2017, 16:00-17:00
• Sackler Lecture Theatre, IoA (tea at 3:30 pm).

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Simon Hodgkin.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio flashes, whose large dispersion measures suggest that they originate at extragalactic distances in extremely energetic environments. Using the 305-m Arecibo telescope, we have discovered that FRB 121102 sporadically produces repeat bursts. This immediately rules out the various cataclysmic models – at least for this particular FRB - and has enabled deep, multi-wavelength follow-up observations. In these follow-up observations we have localized the source to sub-arcsecond precision and have unambiguously identified its host: a dwarf galaxy at z = 0.19. We have also associated FRB 121102 with a compact, persistent radio source apparently offset from the host galaxy’s optical center of light. I will present our latest understanding of FRB 121102 and its relevance for interpreting the FRB phenomenon in general.

This talk is part of the Institute of Astronomy Colloquia series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Cambridge Astronomy Talks
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• Cosmology, Astrophysics and General Relativity
• Institute of Astronomy Colloquia
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• Sackler Lecture Theatre, IoA (tea at 3:30 pm)

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