A $τ-$DM relation for FRB hosts?

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Mas-Ribas, Lluis, James, Clancy W.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Mas-Ribas, Lluis
James, Clancy W.
author_facet Mas-Ribas, Lluis
James, Clancy W.
contents It has been proposed that measurements of scattering times ($τ$) from fast radio bursts (FRB) may be used to infer the FRB host dispersion measure (DM) and its redshift. This approach relies on the existence of a correlation between $τ$ and DM within FRB hosts such as that observed for Galactic pulsars. We assess the measurability of a $τ- $DM$_{\rm host}$ relation through simulated observations of FRBs within the ASKAP/CRAFT survey, taking into account instrumental effects. We show that even when the FRB hosts intrinsically follow the $τ- $DM relation measured for pulsars, this correlation cannot be inferred from FRB observations; this limitation arises mostly from the large variance around the average cosmic DM value given by the Macquart relation, the variance within the $τ- $DM relation itself, and observational biases against large $τ$ values. We argue that theoretical relations have little utility as priors on redshift, e.g., for purposes of galaxy identification, and that the recent lack of an observed correlation between scattering and DM in the ASKAP/CRAFT survey is not unexpected, even if our understanding of a $τ- $DM$_{\rm host}$ relation is correct.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_13317
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A $τ-$DM relation for FRB hosts?
Mas-Ribas, Lluis
James, Clancy W.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
It has been proposed that measurements of scattering times ($τ$) from fast radio bursts (FRB) may be used to infer the FRB host dispersion measure (DM) and its redshift. This approach relies on the existence of a correlation between $τ$ and DM within FRB hosts such as that observed for Galactic pulsars. We assess the measurability of a $τ- $DM$_{\rm host}$ relation through simulated observations of FRBs within the ASKAP/CRAFT survey, taking into account instrumental effects. We show that even when the FRB hosts intrinsically follow the $τ- $DM relation measured for pulsars, this correlation cannot be inferred from FRB observations; this limitation arises mostly from the large variance around the average cosmic DM value given by the Macquart relation, the variance within the $τ- $DM relation itself, and observational biases against large $τ$ values. We argue that theoretical relations have little utility as priors on redshift, e.g., for purposes of galaxy identification, and that the recent lack of an observed correlation between scattering and DM in the ASKAP/CRAFT survey is not unexpected, even if our understanding of a $τ- $DM$_{\rm host}$ relation is correct.
title A $τ-$DM relation for FRB hosts?
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.13317