A Damped Millisecond Quasi-Periodic Structure in a Fast Radio Burst

Read the full article See related articles

Listed in

This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.
Log in to save this article

Abstract

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration transients of unknown origin, likely associated with compact astrophysical objects. We report a damped millisecond quasi-periodic structure in a non-repeat FRB 20190122C. The burst consists of eight closely spaced radio pulses separated by $\sim$1 ms, with pulse amplitudes exhibiting an exponential decay starting from the brightest component. Combined Gaussian fitting and time-series analysis reveal a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) at $\sim$1 kHz. The observed QPO is consistent with damped magnetospheric oscillations. Assuming an Alfvén wave origin, we estimate a surface magnetic field of $\sim 10^{12}$ G and a characteristic spin period of $\sim$1 s, favoring a low-field magnetar or young neutron star scenario. The absence of frequency drift and the presence of exponential damping disfavor a merger-driven origin. This is the first reported case of an exponentially decaying QPO in any FRB, marking a rare detection of coherent oscillatory behavior in FRBs.

Article activity feed