Quark-Novae in the outskirts of galaxies: An explanation of the Fast Radio Burst phenomenon

TL;DR

This paper proposes that Quark-Nova explosions in galaxy outskirts can produce fast radio bursts through plasma instabilities, explaining observed properties and repeating behaviors of FRBs.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model linking Quark-Nova ejecta to FRB generation via plasma instabilities, accounting for observed FRB characteristics and repeatability.

Findings

Model reproduces FRB durations and frequency drifts.

Explains repeating and non-repeating FRBs.

Accounts for observed coincidences with SGRs.

Abstract

We show that old isolated neutron stars in groups and clusters of galaxies experiencing a Quark-Nova phase (QN: an explosive transition to a quark star) may be the source of FRBs. Each of the millions of fragments of the ultra-relativistic QN ejecta provides a collisionless plasma for which the ambient medium (galactic/halo, the intra-group/intra-cluster medium) acts as a relativistic plasma beam. The Buneman and the Weibel instabilities, successively induced by the beam in the fragment, generate particle bunching and observed coherent emission at GHz frequency with a corresponding fluence in the Jy ms range. The duration, frequency drift and the rate are in agreement with observed properties of FRBs. Repeats (on timescales of minutes to months) are due to seeing multiple fragments each beaming at a different direction and coming in at different times. Single (non-repeating) FRBs, occur when only emission from the primary fragment is within the detector's sensitivity. Key properties of FRB 121102 (its years of activity) and of FRB 180916.J0158+65 (its 16 day period) are recovered. The spatial and temporal coincidence between SGR 1935+2154 and FRB 200428 finds an explanation in our model. We give testable predictions.