The magnetic field and turbulence of the cosmic web measured using a brilliant fast radio burst

V. Ravi; R. M. Shannon; M. Bailes; K. Bannister; S. Bhandari; N. D.R. Bhat; S. Burke-Spolaor; M. Caleb; C. Flynn; A. Jameson; S. Johnston; E. F. Keane; M. Kerr; C. Tiburzi; A. V. Tuntsov; H. K. Vedantham

doi:10.1126/science.aaf6807

The magnetic field and turbulence of the cosmic web measured using a brilliant fast radio burst

V. Ravi^*, R. M. Shannon, M. Bailes, K. Bannister, S. Bhandari, N. D.R. Bhat, S. Burke-Spolaor, M. Caleb, C. Flynn, A. Jameson, S. Johnston, E. F. Keane, M. Kerr, C. Tiburzi, A. V. Tuntsov, H. K. Vedantham

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

175 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration events thought to originate beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Uncertainty surrounding the burst sources, and their propagation through intervening plasma, has limited their use as cosmological probes. We report on a mildly dispersed (dispersion measure 266.5 ± 0.1 parsecs per cubic centimeter), exceptionally intense (120 ± 30 janskys), linearly polarized, scintillating burst (FRB 150807) that we directly localize to 9 square arc minutes. On the basis of a low Faraday rotation (12.0 ± 0.7 radians per square meter), we infer negligible magnetization in the circum-burst plasma and constrain the net magnetization of the cosmic web along this sightline to <21 nanogauss, parallel to the line-of-sight. The burst scintillation suggests weak turbulence in the ionized intergalactic medium.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1249-1252
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	354
Issue number	6317
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf6807
Publication status	Published - 9 Dec 2016

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Ravi, V., Shannon, R. M., Bailes, M., Bannister, K., Bhandari, S., Bhat, N. D. R., Burke-Spolaor, S., Caleb, M., Flynn, C., Jameson, A., Johnston, S., Keane, E. F., Kerr, M., Tiburzi, C., Tuntsov, A. V., & Vedantham, H. K. (2016). The magnetic field and turbulence of the cosmic web measured using a brilliant fast radio burst. Science, 354(6317), 1249-1252. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf6807

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title = "The magnetic field and turbulence of the cosmic web measured using a brilliant fast radio burst",

abstract = "Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration events thought to originate beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Uncertainty surrounding the burst sources, and their propagation through intervening plasma, has limited their use as cosmological probes. We report on a mildly dispersed (dispersion measure 266.5 ± 0.1 parsecs per cubic centimeter), exceptionally intense (120 ± 30 janskys), linearly polarized, scintillating burst (FRB 150807) that we directly localize to 9 square arc minutes. On the basis of a low Faraday rotation (12.0 ± 0.7 radians per square meter), we infer negligible magnetization in the circum-burst plasma and constrain the net magnetization of the cosmic web along this sightline to <21 nanogauss, parallel to the line-of-sight. The burst scintillation suggests weak turbulence in the ionized intergalactic medium.",

author = "V. Ravi and Shannon, {R. M.} and M. Bailes and K. Bannister and S. Bhandari and Bhat, {N. D.R.} and S. Burke-Spolaor and M. Caleb and C. Flynn and A. Jameson and S. Johnston and Keane, {E. F.} and M. Kerr and C. Tiburzi and Tuntsov, {A. V.} and Vedantham, {H. K.}",

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doi = "10.1126/science.aaf6807",

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Ravi, V, Shannon, RM, Bailes, M, Bannister, K, Bhandari, S, Bhat, NDR, Burke-Spolaor, S, Caleb, M, Flynn, C, Jameson, A, Johnston, S, Keane, EF, Kerr, M, Tiburzi, C, Tuntsov, AV & Vedantham, HK 2016, 'The magnetic field and turbulence of the cosmic web measured using a brilliant fast radio burst', Science, vol. 354, no. 6317, pp. 1249-1252. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf6807

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T1 - The magnetic field and turbulence of the cosmic web measured using a brilliant fast radio burst

AU - Ravi, V.

AU - Shannon, R. M.

AU - Bailes, M.

AU - Bannister, K.

AU - Bhandari, S.

AU - Bhat, N. D.R.

AU - Burke-Spolaor, S.

AU - Caleb, M.

AU - Flynn, C.

AU - Jameson, A.

AU - Johnston, S.

AU - Keane, E. F.

AU - Kerr, M.

AU - Tiburzi, C.

AU - Tuntsov, A. V.

AU - Vedantham, H. K.

PY - 2016/12/9

Y1 - 2016/12/9

N2 - Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration events thought to originate beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Uncertainty surrounding the burst sources, and their propagation through intervening plasma, has limited their use as cosmological probes. We report on a mildly dispersed (dispersion measure 266.5 ± 0.1 parsecs per cubic centimeter), exceptionally intense (120 ± 30 janskys), linearly polarized, scintillating burst (FRB 150807) that we directly localize to 9 square arc minutes. On the basis of a low Faraday rotation (12.0 ± 0.7 radians per square meter), we infer negligible magnetization in the circum-burst plasma and constrain the net magnetization of the cosmic web along this sightline to <21 nanogauss, parallel to the line-of-sight. The burst scintillation suggests weak turbulence in the ionized intergalactic medium.

AB - Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration events thought to originate beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Uncertainty surrounding the burst sources, and their propagation through intervening plasma, has limited their use as cosmological probes. We report on a mildly dispersed (dispersion measure 266.5 ± 0.1 parsecs per cubic centimeter), exceptionally intense (120 ± 30 janskys), linearly polarized, scintillating burst (FRB 150807) that we directly localize to 9 square arc minutes. On the basis of a low Faraday rotation (12.0 ± 0.7 radians per square meter), we infer negligible magnetization in the circum-burst plasma and constrain the net magnetization of the cosmic web along this sightline to <21 nanogauss, parallel to the line-of-sight. The burst scintillation suggests weak turbulence in the ionized intergalactic medium.

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VL - 354

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JO - Science

JF - Science

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ER -

The magnetic field and turbulence of the cosmic web measured using a brilliant fast radio burst

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