Self-trapping as the possible beaming mechanism for FRB

TL;DR

This paper proposes that self-trapping, a nonlinear phenomenon, could explain the rare and powerful nature of Fast Radio Bursts by providing a beaming mechanism that accounts for their extreme luminosity and rarity.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that self-trapping may serve as a beaming mechanism, offering a new explanation for the rarity and intensity of FRB events.

Findings

Self-trapping can produce highly focused radio emission.

Rare occurrence of self-trapping explains FRB rarity.

Coupling with a powerful initial emission accounts for FRB strength.

Abstract

Mysterious Fast Radio Bursts (FRB), still eluding a rational explanation, are astronomical radio flashes with durations of milliseconds. They are thought to be of an extragalactic origin, with luminosities orders of magnitude larger than any known short timescale radio transients. Numerous models have been proposed in order to explain these powerful and brief outbursts but none of them is commonly accepted, it is not clear which of these scenarios might account for real FRB. The crucial question that remains unanswered is: what makes FRB so exceptionally powerful and so exceptionally rare?! If the bursts are related with something happening with a star-scale object and its immediate neighborhood, why all detected FRB events take place in very distant galaxies and not in our own galaxy!? In this paper we argue that the non-linear phenomenon - self-trapping - which may provide efficient but rarely occurring beaming of radio emission towards an observer, coupled with another, also rare but powerful phenomenon providing the initial radio emission, may account for the ultra-rare appearance of FRB.