Speaker
Description
Radio astronomy is currently exploring an intriguing new phase space that probes the
dynamic Universe on timescales of milliseconds. Recent development of sensitive, high time
resolution instruments has enabled the discovery of millisecond duration fast radio bursts
(FRBs). The FRB class encompasses a number of single pulses, each unique in its own way, hindering a consensus for their origin. The key to demystifying FRBs lies in discovering many of them in realtime in order to identity commonalities. Despite rigorous follow-up at radio and other wavelengths, with the exception of the FRB discovered by the Arecibo telescope, none of the other FRBs have been seen to repeat suggesting the possibility of there existing two independent classes of FRBs with two classes of possible progenitors. In my talk I will present an overview of the FRB population and their implications for Fermi and the future prospects of the field.
