Limit on the population of repeating fast radio bursts from the ASKAP/CRAFT lat50 survey

Abstract

A method is presented to limit the volumetric density of repeating fast radio bursts based on the number (or lack) of repeating bursts identified in a survey. The method incorporates the instantaneous sensitivity of the instrument, its beam pattern, and the dwell time per pointing, as well as the energy and timing distribution of repeat bursts. Applied to the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder's (ASKAP's) Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients (CRAFT) `lat50' survey, the presence of an FRB similar to FRB 121102 is excluded within a volume of $1.9\cdot 10^6$ Mpc${}^3$ at 95% confidence level (C.L.). Assuming a burst energy cut-off at $10^{42}$ erg, the 95% C.L. upper limit on the population density of repeating FRBs in the current epoch is $27$ Gpc${}^{-3}$, assuming isotropic (unbeamed) emission. This number is much lower than expected from even rare scenarios such as magnetar formation in gamma-ray bursts. Furthermore, the maximally allowed population under-predicts the observed number of single bursts in the survey. Comparisons with the observed dispersion measure distribution favours a larger population of less rapidly repeating objects, or the existence of a second population of non-repeating FRBs. In any scenario, FRB 121102 must be an atypical object.

19 pages, 16 figures, 6 tables

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Cited by in corpus (11)

• The host galaxies and progenitors of Fast Radio Bursts localized with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder
• The Physics of Fast Radio Bursts
• On the FRB luminosity function -- II. Event rate density
• The prevalence of repeating fast radio bursts
• On the energy and redshift distributions of fast radio bursts
• Cosmology-insensitive estimate of IGM baryon mass fraction from five localized fast radio bursts
• No redshift evolution of non-repeating fast radio-burst rates
• Commensal discovery of four Fast Radio Bursts during Parkes Pulsar Timing Array observations
• A Southern sky search for repeating Fast Radio Bursts using the Australian SKA Pathfinder
• Observing superluminous supernovae and long gamma ray bursts as potential birthplaces of repeating fast radio bursts
• Fast radio burst repeaters produced via Kozai-Lidov feeding of neutron stars in binary systems