Confronting the Magnetar Interpretation of Fast Radio Bursts Through Their Host Galaxy Demographics

TL;DR

This study tests the magnetar origin hypothesis for fast radio bursts by comparing predicted host galaxy demographics and offsets with observations, finding inconsistencies in star-formation rate distributions.

Contribution

It introduces a simple model linking magnetar hosts to star-formation rates and demonstrates its inconsistency with observed FRB host galaxy data.

Findings

Observed SFR distribution inconsistent with the magnetar model

Offset distribution aligns with the model but limited by sample size

Magnetars may not be the sole FRB progenitors

Abstract

We explore the prompt magnetar progenitor scenario in the context of fast radio burst (FRB) host galaxies demographics and offset distributions. Magnetars are neutron stars with strong magnetic fields on the order of $10^{15}$ G with a short decay lifetime of less than $10^4$ years. Due to their extremely short lifetimes, magnetars should follow the demographics of galaxies according to their current star-formation rate (SFR). Moreover, we hypothesize that magnetars should follow the SFR profile within galaxies, which we assume to follow an exponential profile. We construct a simple model for the host galaxies of magnetars assuming these events track SFR in all galaxies and compare it to observed properties from a sample of \nsecure\ secure FRB hosts. We find the distribution of observed SFRs is inconsistent with the model at $>95\%$ c.l. The offset distribution is consistent with this scenario; however, this could be due to the limited sample size and the seeing limited estimates for the effective radii of the FRB host galaxies. Despite the recent association of an FRB with a magnetar in the Milky Way, magnetars may not be the only source of FRBs in the universe, yet any other successful model must account for the demographics of the FRB host in SFR and their observed galactocentric offsets.