Program: GN-2016A-FT-5

Title:A possible multi-wavelength counterpart of the first repeating Fast Radio Burst source
PI:Shriharsh Tendulkar
Co-I(s): Paul Scholz, Victoria Kaspi, Jason Hessels, Cees Bassa

Abstract

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are bright, millisecond timescale radio bursts occuring randomly over the sky. We know little about the source of these bursts or whether they are galactic or extra-galactic in origin. Follow-up Arecibo observations of FRB 121102 have detected repeated bursts for the first time, ruling out a number of cataclysmic FRB models. Within the positional uncertainty of the radio burst position, we find one X-ray source, which coincides with a faint optical object (i' = 22.1 mag). Though it is unclear if the X-ray source is related to the FRB, it is presently our best lead to understand these mysterious events. Here, we request optical spectroscopy of the optical object to ascertain its properties.

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