The Physical Mechanisms of Fast Radio Bursts

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in understanding the physical mechanisms behind fast radio bursts, highlighting the role of magnetar engines and the debate over different radiation models.

Contribution

It synthesizes recent observational and theoretical developments, emphasizing the potential of magnetar engines as the primary source of fast radio bursts.

Findings

Galactic FRB associated with a soft gamma-ray repeater supports magnetar origin.

Two main radiation models involve magnetospheres or relativistic shocks.

Magnetar engines can produce all observed fast radio bursts.

Abstract

Fast radio bursts are mysterious millisecond-duration transients prevalent in the radio sky. Rapid accumulation of data in recent years has facilitated an understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms of these events. Knowledge gained from the neighboring fields of gamma-ray bursts and radio pulsars also offered insight. Here I review developments in this fast-moving field.Two generic categories of radiation model invoking either magnetospheres of compact objects (neutron stars or black holes) or relativistic shocks launched from such objects have been much debated. The recent detection of a Galactic fast radio burst in association with a soft gamma-ray repeater suggests that magnetar engines can produce at least some, and probably all, fast radio bursts. Other engines that could produce fast radio bursts are not required, but are also not impossible.