FRB Strength Distribution Challenges the Cosmological Principle

TL;DR

This paper challenges the assumption of a uniform distribution of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) across the universe, suggesting they may be concentrated locally or affected by cosmological factors, which questions the Cosmological Principle.

Contribution

It introduces a new metric to analyze FRB flux distributions and demonstrates statistically significant deviations from homogeneity using current data.

Findings

Rejects homogeneous Euclidean distribution hypothesis with 98% confidence.

Suggests FRB distribution may be influenced by local structures or cosmological effects.

Highlights potential conflict with the Cosmological Principle.

Abstract

The distribution of FRB fluxes and fluences is characterized by a few very bright events and a deficiency of fainter events compared to expectations for a homogeneous space-filling distribution. I define a metric to quantify this, and apply it to the 17 presently known Parkes FRB, products of a comparatively homogeneous search. With 98\% confidence we reject the hypothesis of a homogeneous distribution in Euclidean space. Possible explanations include a reduction of fainter events by cosmological redshifts or evolution or a cosmologically local concentration of events. The former is opposed by the small value of the one known FRB redshift. The latter contradicts the Cosmological Principle, but may be explained if the brighter FRB originate in the Local Supercluster.