A Search for Fast Radio Bursts with the GBNCC Pulsar Survey

P. Chawla; V. M. Kaspi; A. Josephy; K. M. Rajwade; D. R. Lorimer; A. M. Archibald; M. E. Decesar; J. W.T. Hessels; D. L. Kaplan; C. Karako-Argaman; V. I. Kondratiev; L. Levin; R. S. Lynch; M. A. McLaughlin; S. M. Ransom; M. S.E. Roberts; I. H. Stairs; K. Stovall; J. K. Swiggum; J. Van Leeuwen

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa7d57

A Search for Fast Radio Bursts with the GBNCC Pulsar Survey

P. Chawla, V. M. Kaspi, A. Josephy, K. M. Rajwade, D. R. Lorimer, A. M. Archibald, M. E. Decesar, J. W.T. Hessels, D. L. Kaplan, C. Karako-Argaman, V. I. Kondratiev, L. Levin, R. S. Lynch, M. A. McLaughlin, S. M. Ransom, M. S.E. Roberts, I. H. Stairs, K. Stovall, J. K. Swiggum, J. Van Leeuwen

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We report on a search for fast radio bursts (FRBs) with the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap (GBNCC) Pulsar Survey at 350 MHz. Pointings amounting to a total on-sky time of 61 days were searched to a dispersion measure (DM) of 3000 pc cm^-3, while the rest (23 days; 29% of the total time) were searched to a DM of 500 pc cm^-3. No FRBs were detected in the pointings observed through 2016 May. We estimate a 95% confidence upper limit on the FRB rate of FRBs sky^-1 day^-1 above a peak flux density of 0.63 Jy at 350 MHz for an intrinsic pulse width of 5 ms. We place constraints on the spectral index α by running simulations for different astrophysical scenarios and cumulative flux density distributions. The nondetection with GBNCC is consistent with the 1.4 GHz rate reported for the Parkes surveys for α > +0.35 in the absence of scattering and free-free absorption and α > -0.3 in the presence of scattering, for a Euclidean flux distribution. The constraints imply that FRBs exhibit either a flat spectrum or a spectral turnover at frequencies above 400 MHz. These constraints also allow estimation of the number of bursts that can be detected with current and upcoming surveys. We predict that CHIME may detect anywhere from several to ∼50 FRBs per day (depending on model assumptions), making it well suited for interesting constraints on spectral index, the log N-log S slope, and pulse profile evolution across its bandwidth (400-800 MHz).

Original language	English (US)
Article number	140
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	844
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa7d57
State	Published - Aug 1 2017

Keywords

methods: data analysis
methods: statistical
pulsars: general
surveys

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/1538-4357/aa7d57

Cite this

Chawla, P., Kaspi, V. M., Josephy, A., Rajwade, K. M., Lorimer, D. R., Archibald, A. M., Decesar, M. E., Hessels, J. W. T., Kaplan, D. L., Karako-Argaman, C., Kondratiev, V. I., Levin, L., Lynch, R. S., McLaughlin, M. A., Ransom, S. M., Roberts, M. S. E., Stairs, I. H., Stovall, K., Swiggum, J. K., & Leeuwen, J. V. (2017). A Search for Fast Radio Bursts with the GBNCC Pulsar Survey. Astrophysical Journal, 844(2), Article 140. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa7d57

Chawla, P, Kaspi, VM, Josephy, A, Rajwade, KM, Lorimer, DR, Archibald, AM, Decesar, ME, Hessels, JWT, Kaplan, DL, Karako-Argaman, C, Kondratiev, VI, Levin, L, Lynch, RS, McLaughlin, MA, Ransom, SM, Roberts, MSE, Stairs, IH, Stovall, K, Swiggum, JK & Leeuwen, JV 2017, 'A Search for Fast Radio Bursts with the GBNCC Pulsar Survey', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 844, no. 2, 140. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa7d57

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title = "A Search for Fast Radio Bursts with the GBNCC Pulsar Survey",

abstract = "We report on a search for fast radio bursts (FRBs) with the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap (GBNCC) Pulsar Survey at 350 MHz. Pointings amounting to a total on-sky time of 61 days were searched to a dispersion measure (DM) of 3000 pc cm-3, while the rest (23 days; 29% of the total time) were searched to a DM of 500 pc cm-3. No FRBs were detected in the pointings observed through 2016 May. We estimate a 95% confidence upper limit on the FRB rate of FRBs sky-1 day-1 above a peak flux density of 0.63 Jy at 350 MHz for an intrinsic pulse width of 5 ms. We place constraints on the spectral index α by running simulations for different astrophysical scenarios and cumulative flux density distributions. The nondetection with GBNCC is consistent with the 1.4 GHz rate reported for the Parkes surveys for α > +0.35 in the absence of scattering and free-free absorption and α > -0.3 in the presence of scattering, for a Euclidean flux distribution. The constraints imply that FRBs exhibit either a flat spectrum or a spectral turnover at frequencies above 400 MHz. These constraints also allow estimation of the number of bursts that can be detected with current and upcoming surveys. We predict that CHIME may detect anywhere from several to ∼50 FRBs per day (depending on model assumptions), making it well suited for interesting constraints on spectral index, the log N-log S slope, and pulse profile evolution across its bandwidth (400-800 MHz).",

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T1 - A Search for Fast Radio Bursts with the GBNCC Pulsar Survey

AU - Chawla, P.

AU - Kaspi, V. M.

AU - Josephy, A.

AU - Rajwade, K. M.

AU - Lorimer, D. R.

AU - Archibald, A. M.

AU - Decesar, M. E.

AU - Hessels, J. W.T.

AU - Kaplan, D. L.

AU - Karako-Argaman, C.

AU - Kondratiev, V. I.

AU - Levin, L.

AU - Lynch, R. S.

AU - McLaughlin, M. A.

AU - Ransom, S. M.

AU - Roberts, M. S.E.

AU - Stairs, I. H.

AU - Stovall, K.

AU - Swiggum, J. K.

AU - Leeuwen, J. Van

PY - 2017/8/1

Y1 - 2017/8/1

N2 - We report on a search for fast radio bursts (FRBs) with the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap (GBNCC) Pulsar Survey at 350 MHz. Pointings amounting to a total on-sky time of 61 days were searched to a dispersion measure (DM) of 3000 pc cm-3, while the rest (23 days; 29% of the total time) were searched to a DM of 500 pc cm-3. No FRBs were detected in the pointings observed through 2016 May. We estimate a 95% confidence upper limit on the FRB rate of FRBs sky-1 day-1 above a peak flux density of 0.63 Jy at 350 MHz for an intrinsic pulse width of 5 ms. We place constraints on the spectral index α by running simulations for different astrophysical scenarios and cumulative flux density distributions. The nondetection with GBNCC is consistent with the 1.4 GHz rate reported for the Parkes surveys for α > +0.35 in the absence of scattering and free-free absorption and α > -0.3 in the presence of scattering, for a Euclidean flux distribution. The constraints imply that FRBs exhibit either a flat spectrum or a spectral turnover at frequencies above 400 MHz. These constraints also allow estimation of the number of bursts that can be detected with current and upcoming surveys. We predict that CHIME may detect anywhere from several to ∼50 FRBs per day (depending on model assumptions), making it well suited for interesting constraints on spectral index, the log N-log S slope, and pulse profile evolution across its bandwidth (400-800 MHz).

AB - We report on a search for fast radio bursts (FRBs) with the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap (GBNCC) Pulsar Survey at 350 MHz. Pointings amounting to a total on-sky time of 61 days were searched to a dispersion measure (DM) of 3000 pc cm-3, while the rest (23 days; 29% of the total time) were searched to a DM of 500 pc cm-3. No FRBs were detected in the pointings observed through 2016 May. We estimate a 95% confidence upper limit on the FRB rate of FRBs sky-1 day-1 above a peak flux density of 0.63 Jy at 350 MHz for an intrinsic pulse width of 5 ms. We place constraints on the spectral index α by running simulations for different astrophysical scenarios and cumulative flux density distributions. The nondetection with GBNCC is consistent with the 1.4 GHz rate reported for the Parkes surveys for α > +0.35 in the absence of scattering and free-free absorption and α > -0.3 in the presence of scattering, for a Euclidean flux distribution. The constraints imply that FRBs exhibit either a flat spectrum or a spectral turnover at frequencies above 400 MHz. These constraints also allow estimation of the number of bursts that can be detected with current and upcoming surveys. We predict that CHIME may detect anywhere from several to ∼50 FRBs per day (depending on model assumptions), making it well suited for interesting constraints on spectral index, the log N-log S slope, and pulse profile evolution across its bandwidth (400-800 MHz).

KW - methods: data analysis

KW - methods: statistical

KW - pulsars: general

KW - surveys

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JO - Astrophysical Journal

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A Search for Fast Radio Bursts with the GBNCC Pulsar Survey

Abstract

Keywords

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