Astrophysics & Particle Physics-APPC 2026

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are short, bright pulses of radio waves from extragalactic sources. These FRBs only last milliseconds but release a huge quantity of energy in the radio regime and are one of the most enigmatic transient objects in astrophysics.FRBs can be either repeating or non-repeating. Repeating FRBs give off many bursts from the same source, whereas non-repeating FRBs show up as single events. Observational evidence indicates that most FRBs are associated with magnetars, neutron stars possessing very strong magnetic fields, though other explanations, such as exotic astrophysical processes, are being studied.The dispersion measure of an FRB—how radio waves slow down at various frequencies—can be used to infer the distance and density of the intergalactic medium, and as such, FRBs are valuable tools for investigating the structure and evolution of the universe.Detection and monitoring of FRBs require the use of sensitive radio telescopes and arrays, such as CHIME, ASKAP, and the Very Large Array.

Multi-wavelength follow-up observations, such as optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations, offer complementary information on the FRB environments and possible progenitors.FRBs play a significant role in understanding high-energy astrophysical phenomena, extreme magnetism, and matter behavior at high intensities. They also provide information about cosmic magnetism, galaxy morphology, and intergalactic electron density, as probes of the universe on large scales.Studies of FRBs are growing very quickly with surveys discovering new bursts and probing their properties, repetition behavior, and host galaxies. By investigating FRBs, astronomers hope to discover their origins, emission processes, and contribution to the high-energy universe, linking observational astronomy, theoretical modeling, and multi-messenger astrophysics.Fast Radio Bursts represent a frontier in astrophysics, linking the extremes of energy phenomena, cosmological distances, and transient behavior, providing a glimpse into the universe's most energetic and mysterious processes.