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FRB 20220610A is a high-redshift fast radio burst (FRB) that has not been observed to repeat. Here, we present rest-frame UV and optical Hubble Space Telescope observations of the field of FRB 20220610A. The imaging reveals seven extended sources, one of which we identify as the most likely host galaxy with a spectroscopic redshift of z = 1.017. We spectroscopically confirm three additional sources to be at the same redshift and identify the system as a compact galaxy group with possible signs of interaction among group members. We determine the host of FRB 20220610A to be a star-forming galaxy with a stellar mass of ≈109.7 M ⊙, mass-weighted age of ≈2.6 Gyr, and star formation rate (integrated over the last 100 Myr) of ≈1.7 M ⊙ yr−1. These host properties are commensurate with the star-forming field galaxy population at z ∼ 1 and trace their properties analogously to the population of low-z FRB hosts. Based on estimates of the total stellar mass of the galaxy group, we calculate a fiducial contribution to the observed dispersion measure from the intragroup medium of ≈90-182 pc cm−3 (rest frame). This leaves a significant excess of 515 − 272 + 122 pc cm−3 (in the observer frame); further observation will be required to determine the origin of this excess. Given the low occurrence rates of galaxies in compact groups, the discovery of an FRB in one demonstrates a rare, novel environment in which FRBs can occur. As such groups may represent ongoing or future mergers that can trigger star formation, this supports a young stellar progenitor relative to star formation.

Identification and follow-up observations of the host galaxies of fast radio bursts (FRBs) not only help us understand the environments in which the FRB progenitors reside, but also provide a unique way of probing the cosmological parameters using the dispersion measures (DMs) of FRBs and distances to their origin. A fundamental requirement is an accurate distance measurement to the FRB host galaxy, but for some sources viewed through the Galactic plane, optical/near-infrared spectroscopic redshifts are extremely difficult to obtain due to dust extinction. Here we report the first radio-based spectroscopic redshift measurement for an FRB host galaxy, through detection of its neutral hydrogen (H i) 21 cm emission using MeerKAT observations. We obtain an H i-based redshift of z = 0.0357 ± 0.0001 for the host galaxy of FRB 20230718A, an apparently nonrepeating FRB detected in the Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients survey and localized at a Galactic latitude of -0.°367. Our observations also reveal that the FRB host galaxy is interacting with a nearby companion, which is evident from the detection of an H i bridge connecting the two galaxies. A subsequent optical spectroscopic observation confirmed an FRB host galaxy redshift of 0.0359 ± 0.0004. This result demonstrates the value of H i to obtain redshifts of FRBs at low Galactic latitudes and redshifts. Such nearby FRBs whose DMs are dominated by the Milky Way can be used to characterize these components and thus better calibrate the remaining cosmological contribution to dispersion for more distant FRBs that provide a strong lever arm to examine the Macquart relation between cosmological DM and redshift.

Identification and follow up observations of the host galaxies of fast radio bursts (FRBs) not only help us understand the environments in which the FRB progenitors reside, but also provide a unique way of probing the cosmological parameters using the dispersion measures of FRBs and distances to their origin. A fundamental requirement is an accurate distance measurement to the FRB host galaxy, but for some sources viewed through the Galactic plane, optical/NIR spectroscopic redshifts are extremely difficult to obtain due to dust extinction. Here we report the first radio-based spectroscopic redshift measurement for an FRB host galaxy, through detection of its neutral hydrogen (HI) 21-cm emission using MeerKAT observations. We obtain an HI-based redshift of z = 0.0357 for the host galaxy of FRB 20230718A, an apparently non-repeating FRB detected in the CRAFT survey and localized at a Galactic latitude of -0.367 deg. Our observations also reveal that the FRB host galaxy is interacting with a nearby companion, which is evident from the detection of an HI bridge connecting the two galaxies. A subsequent optical spectroscopic observation confirmed an FRB host galaxy redshift of 0.0359 +- 0.0004. This result demonstrates the value of HI to obtain redshifts of FRBs at low Galactic latitudes and redshifts. Such nearby FRBs whose dispersion measures are dominated by the Milky Way can be used to characterise these components and thus better calibrate the remaining cosmological contribution to dispersion for more distant FRBs that provide a strong lever arm to examine the Macquart relation between cosmological DM and redshift., Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. Accepted to ApJ Letters

We present a comprehensive catalog of observations and stellar population properties for 23 highly secure host galaxies of fast radio bursts (FRBs). Our sample comprises 6 repeating FRBs and 17 apparent nonrepeaters. We present 82 new photometric and 8 new spectroscopic observations of these hosts. Using stellar population synthesis modeling and employing nonparametric star formation histories (SFHs), we find that FRB hosts have a median stellar mass of ≈109.9 M ⊙, mass-weighted age ≈5.1 Gyr, and ongoing star formation rate ≈1.3 M ⊙ yr-1 but span wide ranges in all properties. Classifying the hosts by degree of star formation, we find that 87% (20 of 23 hosts) are star-forming, two are transitioning, and one is quiescent. The majority trace the star-forming main sequence of galaxies, but at least three FRBs in our sample originate in less-active environments (two nonrepeaters and one repeater). Across all modeled properties, we find no statistically significant distinction between the hosts of repeaters and nonrepeaters. However, the hosts of repeating FRBs generally extend to lower stellar masses, and the hosts of nonrepeaters arise in more optically luminous galaxies. While four of the galaxies with the clearest and most prolonged rises in their SFHs all host repeating FRBs, demonstrating heightened star formation activity in the last 2100 Myr, one nonrepeating host shows this SFH as well. Our results support progenitor models with short delay channels (i.e., magnetars formed via core-collapse supernova) for most FRBs, but the presence of some FRBs in less-active environments suggests a fraction form through more delayed channels.

We present the discovery of an as yet nonrepeating fast radio burst (FRB), FRB 20210117A, with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), as a part of the Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients Survey. The subarcsecond localization of the burst led to the identification of its host galaxy at z = 0.214(1). This redshift is much lower than what would be expected for a source dispersion measure (DM) of 729 pc cm−3, given typical contributions from the intergalactic medium and the host galaxy. Optical observations reveal the host to be a dwarf galaxy with little ongoing star formation—very different to the dwarf host galaxies of the known repeating FRBs 20121102A and 20190520B. We find an excess DM contribution from the host and attribute it to the FRB’s local environment. We do not find any radio emission from the FRB site or host galaxy. The low magnetized environment and the lack of a persistent radio source indicate that the FRB source is older than those found in other dwarf host galaxies, establishing the diversity of FRB sources in dwarf galaxy environments. We find our observations to be fully consistent with the “hypernebula” model, where the FRB is powered by an accretion jet from a hyperaccreting black hole. Finally, our high time resolution analysis reveals burst characteristics similar to those seen in repeating FRBs. We encourage follow-up observations of FRB 20210117A to establish any repeating nature.

The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope has started to localize fast radio bursts (FRBs) to arcsecond accuracy from the detection of a single pulse, allowing their host galaxies to be reliably identified. We discuss the global properties of the host galaxies of the first four FRBs localized by ASKAP, which lie in the redshift range 0.11 < z < 0.48. All four are massive galaxies (log(M ∗/Mo&dot;) ∼ 9.4-10.4) with modest star formation rates of up to 2 M o&dot; yr-1 - very different to the host galaxy of the first repeating FRB 121102, which is a dwarf galaxy with a high specific star formation rate. The FRBs localized by ASKAP typically lie in the outskirts of their host galaxies, which appears to rule out FRB progenitor models that invoke active galactic nuclei or free-floating cosmic strings. The stellar population seen in these host galaxies also disfavors models in which all FRBs arise from young magnetars produced by superluminous supernovae, as proposed for the progenitor of FRB 121102. A range of other progenitor models (including compact-object mergers and magnetars arising from normal core-collapse supernovae) remain plausible.

We present observations and detailed characterizations of five new host galaxies of fast radio bursts (FRBs) discovered with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and localized to ≲1″. Combining these galaxies with FRB hosts from the literature, we introduce criteria based on the probability of chance coincidence to define a subsample of 10 highly confident associations (at z = 0.03-0.52), 3 of which correspond to known repeating FRBs. Overall, the FRB-host galaxies exhibit a broad, continuous range of color (M u - M r = 0.9-2.0), stellar mass (M ∗ = 108 - 6 × 1010 M o˙), and star formation rate (SFR = 0.05-10 M o˙ yr-1) spanning the full parameter space occupied by z < 0.5 galaxies. However, they do not track the color-magnitude, SFR-M ∗, nor BPT diagrams of field galaxies surveyed at similar redshifts. There is an excess of "green valley"galaxies and an excess of emission-line ratios indicative of a harder radiation field than that generated by star formation alone. From the observed stellar mass distribution, we rule out the hypothesis that FRBs strictly track stellar mass in galaxies (>99% c.l.). We measure a median offset of 3.3 kpc from the FRB to the estimated center of the host galaxies and compare the host-burst offset distribution and other properties with the distributions of long- and short-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs and SGRBs), core-collapse supernovae (CC-SNe), and SNe Ia. This analysis rules out galaxies hosting LGRBs (faint, star-forming galaxies) as common hosts for FRBs (>95% c.l.). Other transient channels (SGRBs, CC-, and SNe Ia) have host-galaxy properties and offsets consistent with the FRB distributions. All of the data and derived quantities are made publicly available on a dedicated website and repository.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are brief radio emissions from distant astronomical sources. Some are known to repeat, but most are single bursts. Nonrepeating FRB observations have had insufficient positional accuracy to localize them to an individual host galaxy. We report the interferometric localization of the single-pulse FRB 180924 to a position 4 kiloparsecs from the center of a luminous galaxy at redshift 0.3214. The burst has not been observed to repeat. The properties of the burst and its host are markedly different from those of the only other accurately localized FRB source. The integrated electron column density along the line of sight closely matches models of the intergalactic medium, indicating that some FRBs are clean probes of the baryonic component of the cosmic web.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are brief radio emissions from distant astronomical sources. Some are known to repeat, but most are single bursts. Nonrepeating FRB observations have had insufficient positional accuracy to localize them to an individual host galaxy. We report the interferometric localization of the single-pulse FRB 180924 to a position 4 kiloparsecs from the center of a luminous galaxy at redshift 0.3214. The burst has not been observed to repeat. The properties of the burst and its host are markedly different from those of the only other accurately localized FRB source. The integrated electron column density along the line of sight closely matches models of the intergalactic medium, indicating that some FRBs are clean probes of the baryonic component of the cosmic web.

Present-day galaxies are surrounded by cool and enriched halo gas extending for hundreds of kiloparsecs. This halo gas is thought to be the dominant reservoir of material available to fuel future star formation, but direct constraints on its mass and physical properties have been difficult to obtain. 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.