# A "Cosmic Comb" Model of Fast Radio Bursts

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a unified 'Cosmic Comb' model where a pulsar's magnetosphere is suddenly disturbed by a nearby plasma stream, explaining the diverse observed properties of fast radio bursts (FRBs) and their potential counterparts.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel model that unifies various FRB observations by linking them to pulsar magnetosphere interactions with different astrophysical plasma streams.

## Key findings

- The model explains diverse FRB phenomena with a single mechanism.
- It predicts possible counterparts like AGN flares and GRBs associated with FRBs.
- Some FRBs may have no detectable bright counterparts.

## Abstract

Recent observations of fast radio bursts (FRBs) indicate a perplexing, inconsistent picture. We propose a unified scenario to interpret diverse FRBs observed. A regular pulsar, otherwise unnoticeable at a cosmological distance, may produce a bright FRB if its magnetosphere is suddenly "combed" by a nearby, strong plasma stream towards the anti-stream direction. If the Earth is to the night side of the stream, the combed magnetic sheath would sweep across the direction of Earth and make a detectable FRB. The stream could be an AGN flare, a GRB or supernova blastwave, a tidal disruption event, or even a stellar flare. Since it is the energy {\em flux} received by the pulsar rather than the luminosity of the stream origin that defines the properties of the FRB, this model predicts a variety of counterparts of FRBs, including a possible connection between FRB 150418 and an AGN flare, a possible connection between FRB 131104 and a weak GRB, a steady radio nebula associated with the repeating FRB 121102, and probably no bright counterparts for some FRBs.