A novel approach for identifying host galaxies of nearby FRBs

TL;DR

This study investigates whether certain RRATs with high dispersion measures could be nearby FRBs by searching for host galaxies, but finds no associations, suggesting a low probability of nearby FRB hosts within this volume.

Contribution

The paper introduces a method to identify potential nearby FRB host galaxies by analyzing RRATs with high dispersion measures and reports the first search results.

Findings

No host galaxies found for six RRATs near maximum Galactic DM.

Results suggest low likelihood of nearby FRB hosts within the surveyed volume.

Proposes future follow-up observations for local host galaxy identification.

Abstract

We report on a search for host galaxies of a subset of Rotating Radio Transients (RRATs) that possess a dispersion measure (DM) near or above the maximum Galactic value in their direction. These RRATs could have an extragalactic origin and therefore be Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). The sizes of related galaxies on the sky at such short distances are comparable to the beam size of a single-dish telescope (for example, the $7.0'$ radius of the Parkes beam). Hence the association, if found, could be more definitive as compared to finding host galaxies for more distant FRBs. We did not find any host galaxy associated with six RRATs near the maximum Galactic DM. This result is consistent with the fact that the probability of finding an FRB host galaxy within this volume is also very small. We propose that future follow-up observations of such RRATs be carried out in searching for local host galaxies as well as the sources of FRBs.