A FRB in a Globular Cluster: Why Is This Neutron Star Different From (Almost) All Other Neutron Stars?

TL;DR

The paper discusses a unique repeating FRB in a globular cluster, proposing a neutron star-white dwarf binary interaction as a potential source, highlighting the rarity and special conditions needed for FRB production.

Contribution

It introduces a model involving a neutron star and a white dwarf binary in a globular cluster as a source of repeating FRBs, differing from typical models based on common objects.

Findings

FRB in a globular cluster suggests a rare neutron star binary origin.

Magnetic interactions in neutron star-white dwarf systems could produce FRB emissions.

Double neutron star binaries are unlikely to be long-lived FRB sources.

Abstract

Most Fast Radio Burst (FRB) models are built from comparatively common astronomical objects: neutron stars, black holes and supernova remnants. Yet FRB sources are rare, and most of these objects, found in the Galaxy, do not make FRB. Special and rare circumstances may be required for these common objects to be sources of FRB. The recent discovery of a repeating FRB in a globular cluster belonging to the galaxy M81 suggests a model involving a neutron star and a close binary companion, likely a white dwarf; both neutron stars and close binaries are superabundant in globular clusters. Magnetic interaction is a plausible, though unproven, mechanism of acceleration of relativistic particles that may radiate coherently as FRB. Double neutron star binaries cannot be the observed long-lived repeating FRB sources, but might make much shorter lived sources, and perhaps non-repeating FRB.