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Computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics

This thesis focuses on Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and presents computational techniques that can be used to understand these enigmatic events and the Universe around them. Chapter 1 provides a theoretical overview of FRBs; providing a foundation for the chapters that follow. Chapter 2 details current...

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Main Author: Platts, Emma
Other Authors: Weltman, Amanda
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics 2021
Subjects:
Applied Mathematics
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access_status_str Open Access
author Platts, Emma
author2 Weltman, Amanda
author_browse Platts, Emma
Weltman, Amanda
author_facet Weltman, Amanda
Platts, Emma
author_sort Platts, Emma
collection Thesis
description This thesis focuses on Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and presents computational techniques that can be used to understand these enigmatic events and the Universe around them. Chapter 1 provides a theoretical overview of FRBs; providing a foundation for the chapters that follow. Chapter 2 details current understandings by providing a review of FRB properties and progenitor theories. In Chapter 3, we implement non-parametric techniques to measure the elusive baryonic halo of the Milky Way. We show that even with a limited data set, FRBs and an appropriate set of statistical tools can provide reasonable constraints on the dispersion measure of the Milky Way halo. Further, we expect that a modest increase in data (from fewer than 100 FRB detections to over 1000) will significantly tighten constraints, demonstrating that the technique we present may offer a valuable complement to other analyses in the near future. In Chapter 4, we study the fine time-frequency structure of the most famous FRB: FRB 121102. Here, we use autocorrelation functions to maximise the structure of 11 pulses detected with the MeerKAT radio telescope. The study is motivated by the low time-resolution of MeerKAT data, which presents a challenge to more traditional techniques. The burst profiles that are unveiled offer unique insight into the local environment of the FRB, including a possible deviation from the expected cold plasma dispersion relationship. The pulse features and their possible physical mechanisms are critically discussed in a bid to uncover the nature and origin of these transients.
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id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/33921
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:34:25.395Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
publisherStr Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/33921 Computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics Platts, Emma Weltman, Amanda Shock, Jonathan Applied Mathematics This thesis focuses on Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and presents computational techniques that can be used to understand these enigmatic events and the Universe around them. Chapter 1 provides a theoretical overview of FRBs; providing a foundation for the chapters that follow. Chapter 2 details current understandings by providing a review of FRB properties and progenitor theories. In Chapter 3, we implement non-parametric techniques to measure the elusive baryonic halo of the Milky Way. We show that even with a limited data set, FRBs and an appropriate set of statistical tools can provide reasonable constraints on the dispersion measure of the Milky Way halo. Further, we expect that a modest increase in data (from fewer than 100 FRB detections to over 1000) will significantly tighten constraints, demonstrating that the technique we present may offer a valuable complement to other analyses in the near future. In Chapter 4, we study the fine time-frequency structure of the most famous FRB: FRB 121102. Here, we use autocorrelation functions to maximise the structure of 11 pulses detected with the MeerKAT radio telescope. The study is motivated by the low time-resolution of MeerKAT data, which presents a challenge to more traditional techniques. The burst profiles that are unveiled offer unique insight into the local environment of the FRB, including a possible deviation from the expected cold plasma dispersion relationship. The pulse features and their possible physical mechanisms are critically discussed in a bid to uncover the nature and origin of these transients. 2021-09-15T15:07:49Z 2021-09-15T15:07:49Z 2021 2021-09-15T02:30:15Z Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33921 eng application/pdf Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics Faculty of Science
spellingShingle Applied Mathematics
Platts, Emma
Computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics
thesis_degree_str Doctoral
title Computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics
title_full Computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics
title_fullStr Computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics
title_full_unstemmed Computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics
title_short Computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics
title_sort computational analysis techniques using fast radio bursts to probe astrophysics
topic Applied Mathematics
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33921
work_keys_str_mv AT plattsemma computationalanalysistechniquesusingfastradioburststoprobeastrophysics

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