A polarized fast radio burst at low Galactic latitude
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Date
2017Author
Petroff, E.
Abdalla, H.
Barnard, M.
Böttcher, M.
Davids, I.D.
Garrigoux, T.
Ivascenko, A.
Krüger, P.P.
Pekeur, N.W.
Seyffert, A.S.
Spanier, F.
Sushch, I.
Van der Walt, D.J.
Van Rensburg, C.
Venter, C.
Wadiasingh, Z.
H.E.S.S. Collaboration
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We report on the discovery of a new fast radio burst (FRB), FRB 150215, with the Parkes
radio telescope on 2015 February 15. The burst was detected in real time with a dispersion
measure (DM) of 1105.6 ± 0.8 pc cm−3, a pulse duration of 2.8+1.2
−0.5 ms, and a measured peak
flux density assuming that the burst was at beam centre of 0.7+0.2
−0.1 Jy. The FRB originated at a
Galactic longitude and latitude of 24.66◦, 5.28◦ and 25◦ away from the Galactic Center. The
burst was found to be 43 ± 5 per cent linearly polarized with a rotation measure (RM) in the
range −9 < RM < 12 radm−2 (95 per cent confidence level), consistent with zero. The burst
was followed up with 11 telescopes to search for radio, optical, X-ray, γ -ray and neutrino
emission. Neither transient nor variable emission was found to be associated with the burst
and no repeat pulses have been observed in 17.25 h of observing. The sightline to the burst is
close to the Galactic plane and the observed physical properties of FRB 150215 demonstrate
the existence of sight lines of anomalously low RM for a given electron column density. The
Galactic RM foreground may approach a null value due to magnetic field reversals along
the line of sight, a decreased total electron column density from the Milky Way, or some
combination of these effects. A lower Galactic DM contribution might explain why this burst
was detectable whereas previous searches at low latitude have had lower detection rates than
those out of the plane
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http://hdl.handle.net/10394/25577https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx1098
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/469/4/4465/3807087/A-polarized-fast-radio-burst-at-low-Galactic