Baryonification III: An accurate analytical model for the dispersion measure probability density function of fast radio bursts

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Torkamani, MohammadReza, Reischke, Robert, Kovač, Michael, Nicola, Andrina, Bucko, Jozef, Refregier, Alexandre, Giri, Sambit K., Schneider, Aurel, Hagstotz, Steffen
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866910178786410496
author Torkamani, MohammadReza
Reischke, Robert
Kovač, Michael
Nicola, Andrina
Bucko, Jozef
Refregier, Alexandre
Giri, Sambit K.
Schneider, Aurel
Hagstotz, Steffen
author_facet Torkamani, MohammadReza
Reischke, Robert
Kovač, Michael
Nicola, Andrina
Bucko, Jozef
Refregier, Alexandre
Giri, Sambit K.
Schneider, Aurel
Hagstotz, Steffen
contents We develop an analytical framework to predict the one-point probability distribution function (PDF) of dispersion measures (DMs) for fast radio bursts (FRBs) within the baryonification (BFC) model. BFC provides a computationally efficient alternative to expensive hydrodynamical simulations for modelling baryonic effects on cosmological scales. By applying the halo mass function and halo bias, we convolve contributions from individual halos across a range of masses and redshifts to derive the large-scale structure contribution to the DM PDF. We validate our analytical predictions against consistency-check simulations and compare them with the IllustrisTNG hydrodynamical simulation over the redshift range $ z = 0$ to $z = 5$, demonstrating excellent agreement. We demonstrate that our model produces consistent results when fitting gas profiles and predicting the PDF, and vice versa. We show that the BFC parameters controlling the gas profile, particularly the halo mass scale ($M_\mathrm{c}$), mass-dependent slope ($μ$), and outer truncation ($δ$), are the primary drivers of the PDF shape. Additionally, we investigate the validity of the log-normal approximation commonly used for DM distributions, finding that it provides a sufficient description for a few hundred FRBs. Our work provides a self-consistent model that links gas density profiles to integrated DM statistics, enabling future constraints on baryonic feedback processes from FRB observations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_18784
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Baryonification III: An accurate analytical model for the dispersion measure probability density function of fast radio bursts
Torkamani, MohammadReza
Reischke, Robert
Kovač, Michael
Nicola, Andrina
Bucko, Jozef
Refregier, Alexandre
Giri, Sambit K.
Schneider, Aurel
Hagstotz, Steffen
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
We develop an analytical framework to predict the one-point probability distribution function (PDF) of dispersion measures (DMs) for fast radio bursts (FRBs) within the baryonification (BFC) model. BFC provides a computationally efficient alternative to expensive hydrodynamical simulations for modelling baryonic effects on cosmological scales. By applying the halo mass function and halo bias, we convolve contributions from individual halos across a range of masses and redshifts to derive the large-scale structure contribution to the DM PDF. We validate our analytical predictions against consistency-check simulations and compare them with the IllustrisTNG hydrodynamical simulation over the redshift range $ z = 0$ to $z = 5$, demonstrating excellent agreement. We demonstrate that our model produces consistent results when fitting gas profiles and predicting the PDF, and vice versa. We show that the BFC parameters controlling the gas profile, particularly the halo mass scale ($M_\mathrm{c}$), mass-dependent slope ($μ$), and outer truncation ($δ$), are the primary drivers of the PDF shape. Additionally, we investigate the validity of the log-normal approximation commonly used for DM distributions, finding that it provides a sufficient description for a few hundred FRBs. Our work provides a self-consistent model that links gas density profiles to integrated DM statistics, enabling future constraints on baryonic feedback processes from FRB observations.
title Baryonification III: An accurate analytical model for the dispersion measure probability density function of fast radio bursts
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.18784