GBT24A-428

Going low with a high-activity repeating FRB source

Abstract

FRB 20240114A is a new `hyper-active' repeating FRB source discovered by the CHIME/FRB Collaboration. We recently detected a bright (fluence ~300 Jy ms) burst with the Westerbork RT-1 25-m telescope at 350 MHz, underlining the source's high-activity and brightness. Here we request (up to) 4 hrs of DDT GBT observations at 350 MHz using VEGAS in voltage recording mode. If GBT detects bursts with a comparable fluence to the one we observed with Westerbork RT-1, their S/N will be very high (> 100). Our primary scientific aim is to use the voltage data to detect subtle propagation effects and potential plasma lensing in the local environment of FRB 20240114A. This will allow us to compare this apparently hyper-active repeater with the handful of sources that are known to be in an extreme magneto-ionic environment. Voltage data provides full flexibility in dissecting the polarimetric, spectral, and temporal properties of the bursts as well as the opportunity to cross-correlate the burst components to find evidence for lensing and echoes. Since these effects are all much more pronounced at low frequencies, the combination of an active repeater, a high-sensitivity telescope, and an excellent low-frequency receiver will provide a unique data set.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Jason Hessels *	Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy; Amsterdam, Universiteit van
Ryan Lynch	Green Bank Observatory
Omar Ould Boukattine	Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Akshatha Gopinath	Amsterdam, Universiteit van

* indicates the PI