Abstract
We present observations from the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System/Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager at Gemini South of five fast radio burst (FRB) host galaxies of FRBs with subarcsecond localizations. We examine and quantify the spatial distributions and locations of the FRBs with respect to their host galaxy light distributions, finding a median host-normalized offset of 2.09 half-light radii (r e ) and the trend that these FRBs occur in fainter regions of their host galaxies. When combined with the FRB host galaxy sample from Mannings et al., we find that FRBs are statistically distinct from Ca-rich transients in terms of light at the source location and from SGRBs and LGRBs in terms of host-normalized offset. We further find that most FRBs are in regions of elevated local stellar mass surface densities in comparison to the mean global values of their hosts. This, along with the finding that the FRB locations trace the distribution of stellar mass, points toward a possible similarity of the environments of CCSNe and FRBs. We also find that four out of five FRB hosts exhibit distinct spiral arm features, and the bursts originating from such hosts tend to appear on or close to their host’s spiral structure, with a median distance of 0.53 ± 0.27 kpc. With many well-localized FRB detections looming on the horizon, we will be able to better characterize the properties of FRB environments relative to their host galaxies and other transient classes. Such insights may only require us to double the number of FRBs with subarcsecond localizations.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | 64 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
Volume | 973 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1 2024 |
Funding
Based on observations obtained at the international Gemini Observatory, a program of NSF's NOIRLab, which is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation on behalf of the Gemini Observatory partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), National Research Council (Canada), Agencia Nacional de Investigaci\u00F3n y Desarrollo (Chile), Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovaci\u00F3n (Argentina), Minist\u00E9rio da Ci\u00EAncia, Tecnologia, Inova\u00E7\u00F5es e Comunica\u00E7\u00F5es (Brazil), and Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (Republic of Korea). M.N.W. and R.A.J. gratefully acknowledge support from NSF grant AST-2206492 and from the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association. Authors M.N.W., A.G.M., J.X.P., S.S, R.A.J., and N.T., as members of the Fast and Fortunate for FRB Follow-up team, acknowledge support from NSF grants AST-1911140, AST-1910471, and AST-2206490. A.T.D. acknowledges support through Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP220102305. C.D.K. acknowledges partial support from a CIERA postdoctoral fellowship. M.G. is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council\u2019s Discovery Projects funding scheme (DP210102103).
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science