FRB 20250316A: A Brilliant and Nearby One-off Fast Radio Burst Localized to 13 pc Precision
Journal article, 2025
Precise localizations of a small number of repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) have enabled multiwavelength follow-up observations revealing diverse local environments. However, the 2%-3% of FRB sources that are observed to repeat may not be representative of the full population. Here we use the VLBI capabilities of the full CHIME Outrigger array for the first time to localize a nearby (40 Mpc), bright (kJy), and apparently one-off FRB source, FRB 20250316A, to its environment on 13 pc scales. We use optical and radio observations to place deep constraints on associated transient emission and the properties of its local environment. We place a 5σ upper limit of L9.9 GHz < 2.1 × 1025 erg s−1 Hz−1 on spatially coincident radio emission, a factor of 100 lower than any known compact persistent radio source associated with an FRB. Our Keck Cosmic Webb Imager observations allow us to characterize the gas density, metallicity, nature of gas ionization, dust extinction, and star formation rate through emission line fluxes. We leverage the exceptional brightness and proximity of this source to place deep constraints on the repetition of FRB 20250316A and find that it is inconsistent with all well-studied repeaters given the nondetection of bursts at lower spectral energies. We explore the implications of a measured offset of 190 ± 20 pc from the center of the nearest star formation region in the context of progenitor channels. FRB 20250316A marks the beginning of an era of routine localizations for one-off FRBs on tens of milliarcseconds scales, enabling large-scale studies of their local environments.
Author
Thomas C. Abbott
McGill University
Daniel Amouyal
McGill University
B. Andersen
McGill University
Shion E. Andrew
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
K. Bandura
West Virginia University
M. Bhardwaj
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
Kalyani Bhopi
West Virginia University
Yash Bhusare
National Centre for Radio Astrophysics India
C. Brar
National Research Council Canada
Alice Cai
Northwestern University
T. Cassanelli
University of Chile (UCH)
S. Chatterjee
Cornell University
J. F. Cliche
McGill University
Amanda M. Cook
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
McGill University
Alice P. Curtin
McGill University
Evan Davies-Velie
McGill University
M. Dobbs
McGill University
Fengqiu Adam Dong
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Yuxin Dong
Northwestern University
Gwendolyn Eadie
University of Toronto
Tarraneh Eftekhari
Northwestern University
Wen Fai Fong
Northwestern University
E. Fonseca
West Virginia University
B. Gaensler
University of Toronto
University of California
Nina Gusinskaia
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
J. W. T. Hessels
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
McGill University
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
Danté M. Hewitt
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
Jeff Huang
McGill University
Naman Jain
McGill University
Ronniy C. Joseph
McGill University
Lordrick Kahinga
University of California
V. M. Kaspi
McGill University
Afrasiyab Khan
McGill University
Bikash Kharel
West Virginia University
Adam E. Lanman
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Magnus L’Argent
McGill University
Mattias Lazda
University of Toronto
C. Leung
University of California
Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science
Robert Main
McGill University
Lluis Mas-Ribas
University of California
Kiyoshi W. Masui
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Kyle McGregor
McGill University
R. Mckinven
McGill University
J. Mena-Parra
University of Toronto
D. Michilli
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
Nicole Mulyk
McGill University
Mason Ng
McGill University
K. Nimmo
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Ayush Pandhi
University of Toronto
Swarali Shivraj Patil
West Virginia University
A. B. Pearlman
McGill University
U. L. Pen
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
University of Toronto
Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
Academia Sinica
Z. Pleunis
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
J. Xavier Prochaska
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
University of Tokyo
University of California
M. Rafiei-Ravandi
McGill University
S. M. Ransom
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Gurman Sachdeva
University of Toronto
Mawson W. Sammons
McGill University
Ketan R. Sand
McGill University
P. Scholz
University of Toronto
York University
Vishwangi Shah
McGill University
K. Shin
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
S. R. Siegel
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
McGill University
Sunil Simha
University of Chicago
Northwestern University
K. M. Smith
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Ingrid Stairs
University of British Columbia (UBC)
David C. Stenning
Simon Fraser University
H. Wang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Thomas Boles
Coddenham Observatory
I. Cognard
Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay
University of Orléans
T. J. Dijkema
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Alexei V. Filippenko
University of California
M. P. Gawroński
Nicolaus Copernicus University (SGMK)
W. Herrmann
Astropeiler Stockert e.V.
Charles D. Kilpatrick
Northwestern University
Franz Kirsten
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Shawn Knabel
University of California
O. S. Ould-Boukattine
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy
Hadrien Paugnat
University of California
W. Puchalska
Nicolaus Copernicus University (SGMK)
William Sheu
University of California
Aswin Suresh
Northwestern University
Aaron Tohuvavohu
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Tommaso Treu
University of California
Wei Kang Zheng
University of California
Astrophysical Journal Letters
2041-8205 (ISSN) 2041-8213 (eISSN)
Vol. 989 2 L48Onsala space observatory infrastructure
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2017-00648), 2018-01-01 -- 2021-12-31.
Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Cosmology
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
DOI
10.3847/2041-8213/adf62f