Periodic activity from a fast radio burst source

Title	Periodic activity from a fast radio burst source
Authors	The CHIME/FRB Collaboration*
Magazine	Nature
Date	06/17/2020
DOI	10.1038/s41586-020-2398-2
Introduction	Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are intense, brief radio signals originating from distant extragalactic sources, with their precise origin remaining a mystery. While some FRB sources produce multiple bursts, this characteristic precludes catastrophic events as their sole explanation. Previous efforts to identify periodicity in recurring burst timings, spanning milliseconds to days, have generally shown these bursts to occur irregularly, often grouped but lacking a consistent pattern. This study presents observations of a 16.35 ± 0.15 day periodicity (or a potential higher-frequency variant) from the repeating FRB 180916.J0158+65, as recorded by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst Project. Across 38 bursts documented between 16/09/2018 and 04/02/2020 UTC, it was noted that all bursts fall within a five-day phase window, with half of them appearing within a narrower 0.6-day phase window. These findings point towards a mechanism that periodically modulates the burst emission itself or involves external amplification or absorption, thereby challenging theories that rely purely on random processes.
Quote	The CHIME/FRB Collaboration*. Periodic activity from a fast radio burst source. Nature 2020, 582, 351-355. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2398-2
Industry	Research & Laboratory , Space

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