The low density and magnetization of a massive galaxy halo exposed by a fast radio burst

We report the detection of a fast radio burst (FRB 181112), localized with arcsecond precision, that passes through the halo of a foreground galaxy. Analysis of the burst shows that the halo gas has low net magnetization and turbulence. Our results imply predominantly diffuse gas in massive galactic halos, even those hosting active supermassive black holes, contrary to some previous results.

Source: ScienceNOW - October 9, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Prochaska, J. X., Macquart, J.-P., McQuinn, M., Simha, S., Shannon, R. M., Day, C. K., Marnoch, L., Ryder, S., Deller, A., Bannister, K. W., Bhandari, S., Bordoloi, R., Bunton, J., Cho, H., Flynn, C., Mahony, E. K., Phillips, C., Qiu, H., Tejos, N. Tags: Astronomy reports Source Type: news