The long unexplored fast optical sky is now accessible thanks to new large ground-based telescopes and new generation instruments. Studying it may lead to new discoveries, but it is also challenging due to optical pollution.
In this talk, I will present our preliminary results obtained from an automated search and characterisation of mysterious Fast (millisecond) Optical Bursts (FOBs) in over...
The physical origin of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) is still unknown. Many models consider magnetars as possible FRB sources, supported by the observational association of FRBs with the galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154. Magnetars are also thought to be the source of the power of a fraction of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), opening the possibility that the two extreme phenomena have a common...
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Neutron star (NS) mergers, detected via gravitational wave (GW) signals by LIGO and Virgo, create extreme magnetized environments, providing optimal conditions for coherent radio emission observable as a fast radio burst (FRB). The temporal and spatial coincidences between GW events and FRBs offer a unique opportunity to directly identify FRB progenitors, test models of magnetar formation, and...
Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are a recently discovered class of GHz-band astrophysical transients with an unknown origin. Exploring their potential gamma-ray and gravitational wave (GW) counterparts is crucial for constraining their emission mechanisms. We present a search for GW signals from FRBs, focusing on the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154, using the GEO600 detector, setting the strictest...
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INAF has always been involved in the development of activities for astronomy outreach and education. The purpose is to exploit innovative teaching approaches to foster the development of scientific and critical thinking, which are fundamental skills in our society.
“Hunting for FRBs” is one of the activities developed so far that represents these aspects. This educational workshop aims to...
The first Italian workshop on FRBs aims to bring together the national scientific community interested in these enigmatic phenomena, fostering collaborations and new research projects. An essential aspect of the initiative’s success is effective communication, which helps engage both the scientific community and the broader public. This contribution will explore targeted communication...
Illustrerò la struttura e l'utilizzo del database che raccoglie i dati delle galassie che ospitano FRB.
INAF manages three single-dish radio telescopes: SRT, Medicina, Noto. The science of pulsars and Fast Radio Bursts constitutes key projects in radio astronomy. SRT already plays a key role in various projects, such as the EPTA, which uses radio pulsar data to search for gravitational waves. Currently-available instrumentation at SRT severely limits its possible scientific return. At Medicina...
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Repeating FRBs are ideal targets for multi-wavelength observational campaigns aiming at potential counterparts. We are monitoring FRB 20220912A, one of the most active repeaters, using the fast optical photon counters Aqueye+ and Iqueye at the Asiago Observatory. We are trying to characterize foreground/background events by analyzing archival Aqueye+ data taken on other fields. To this purpose...
One key aspect required to understand the origin of FRBs is to know the type of environment they are emitted in. Thus, not only the host galaxy of an FRB is of importance, but also the precise location within that host need to be determined to solve the FRB-puzzle. Such accurate measurements are only possible with Very Long Baseline Interferometry. I will review the cases of FRBs localised...
High-time-resolution detectors are playing a crucial role in advancing our understanding of fast transient events enabling precise measurements of their properties. SiFAP2, a state-of-the-art high-speed optical photometer permanently mounted at the 3.6m INAF Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) paved the way for significant breakthroughs in optical observations, especially on neutron stars. This...
he radio emission from magnetars is poorly understood and characterized observationally, in particular for what concerns single pulses and sporadic events.
The interest in it was boosted by the recent detection of an extremely bright ms radio signal from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154, which occurred almost simultaneously with a typical magnetar short burst of X-rays.
As of now, this...
The discovery of fast radio bursts (FRBs) was a serendipitous process, much like the detection of the first pulsar by S. J. Bell. Since the first FRB was identified in 2007, both hardware and software technologies for detecting these enigmatic transients have advanced dramatically, enabling the discovery of increasingly exotic events. In this talk, I will review the current state of FRB...
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The first Chinese X-ray mission, Insight Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT), carries on board three collimator-based instruments, which altogether cover the range 1-250 keV. In addition, the High-Energy (HE) instrument works as an open-sky monitor in the 0.2-3 MeV. In this talk I report two main contributions of Insight-HXMT: a) thanks to the unique combination of large effective...
Although FRBs are frequent events, the precise localization has only been achieved in a limited number of cases. However, this number has doubled in the past year. In this talk, we will present key properties of a sample of galaxies hosting these events, compiled from existing publications. Over 100 FRB host galaxies have been identified so far, with redshifts measured for most of them. The...
The Northern Cross is a T-shaped radio interferometer located at the Medicina station, near Bologna, operating at 408 MHz. It has been undergoing a significant refurbishment/restoration over the last few years, allowing observations of fast radio bursts (FRBs, a project named "Northern Cross FRB project"). In this talk I will review the status of the project (past and current observing...
Deep investigation of the environment where the bursts occur is the most promising way to shed light on these mysterious phenomena. Observations of a handful of events indicated different progenitor channels, yielding to distinct location, local environment and host galaxy properties. The recent discovery of a persistent radio source associated with FRB 20201124A and 20240114A supports the...
