FRB event rate counts I --- Interpreting the Observations

Abstract

The fluence distribution of the Fast Radio Burst (FRB) population (the "source counts" distribution, $N(>F)\propto F^{\alpha }$), is a crucial diagnostic of its distance distribution, and hence the progenitor evolutionary history. We critically reanalyse current estimates of the FRB source counts distribution. We demonstrate that the Lorimer burst (FRB 010724) is subject to discovery bias, and should be excluded from all statistical studies of the population. We re-examine the evidence for flat, $\alpha >-1$, source counts estimates based on the ratio of single-beam to multiple-beam detections with the Parkes multi-beam receiver, and show that current data implies only a very weak constraint of $\alpha \lesssim -1.3$. A maximum likelihood analysis applied to the portion of the Parkes FRB population detected above the observational completeness fluence of 2 Jy ms yields $\alpha =-2.6_{-1.3}^{+0.7}$. Uncertainties in the location of each FRB within the Parkes beam render estimates of the Parkes event rate uncertain in both normalising survey area and the estimated post-beam-corrected completeness fluence; this uncertainty needs to be accounted for when comparing the event rate against event rates measured at other telescopes.

accepted MNRAS, v2 corrects minor typographical errors

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Cited by in corpus (23)

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• Luminosity-duration relations and luminosity functions of repeating and non-repeating fast radio bursts
• Limit on the population of repeating fast radio bursts from the ASKAP/CRAFT lat50 survey
• Synthesizing the repeating FRB population using frbpoppy
• The Fast Radio Burst Dispersion Measure Distribution
• Synthesizing the intrinsic FRB population using frbpoppy
• ALFABURST: A commensal search for Fast Radio Bursts with Arecibo
• Energy function, formation rate and low-metallicity environment of fast radio bursts
• Estimating fast transient detection pipeline efficiencies at UTMOST via real-time injection of mock FRBs
• Fast Radio Burst Tomography of the Unseen Universe
• Comparative Analysis of the Observational Properties of Fast Radio Bursts at the Frequencies of 111 and 1400 MHz
• The Low Frequency Perspective on Fast Radio Bursts
• When Outliers Are Different
• Hints of a universal width-energy relation for classified fast radio bursts
• Comparison of the Parkes and FAST FRB DM Distribution
• A Matched Survey for the Enigmatic Low Radio Frequency Transient ILT J225347+862146