FRB2018

FRB2018: Finding and understanding Fast Radio Bursts

Swinburne University of Technology,  VIC, Australia –  February  2018

The workshop covered a broad range of FRB instrumentation and science, but with a particular focus on directions over the coming ~5 years, as the number of detected FRBs expands rapidly and their localisation becomes commonplace. The key themes of the workshop:

  • Understanding FRB progenitors and their host environments. This requires:
  • Real-time detection and localisation with interferometers. Can we achieve these goals more effectively via:
  • Synergies between current facilities and/or identifying opportunities for existing facility upgrades?

Program

DAY ONE
Session I: Results from FRB Surveys Session Chair: Adam Deller
Ryan Shannon: The CRAFT survey for FRBs with ASKAP
Simon Johnston: Parkes FRBs
Chris Flynn: FRBs at UTMOST
Henning Hilmarsson: FRB searches at Effelsberg
Discussion 1: Future Upgrades to Existing Facilities (and how to fund them)
Breakout into two or more groups- Reconvene to deliver and debate summaries and note outcomes
Session II: Special snowflakes (lessons from individual FRBs) Session Chair: Samayra Straal
Laura Spitler: An Overview and Update from the Repeating FRB
Emily Petroff: A bright, low-DM FRB
Wael Farah: Microstructure revealed by the real-time detection of FRB170827
Discussion II: What is the value of a single FRB (with/without localisation, with/without polarisation, with/without voltages, wide- vs narrow-band…)
Breakout into two or more groups focusing on a single class eg non localised but with voltages
DAY TWO
Session III: Theory and the FRB population(s) Session Chair: Sarah Burke-Spolaor
Ramesh Bhat: Searching for FRBs at low frequency
Ron Ekers: Counting FRBs
Samayra Straal: Extrapolating local DM environments of young Galactic pulsars to FRBs
Klim Mikhailov: Catching super-giant pulses from nearby galaxies at low frequencies – rates and implications for FRBs
Stefan Oslowski: Are there two populations of FRB progenitors
Discussion 3: FRB populations
Breakout into two groups: pro-single population vs pro-multi populations
Session IV: New facilities and instrumentation #1 Session Chair: Keith Bannister
Shriharsh Tendulkar: The CHIME FRB project
Chris Bochenek: Fast Radio Bursts in the Local Universe
Vikram Ravi: The extremities of the FRB sample
Discussion 4: Collaboration vs competition: how can or should facilities work together? Session Chair: Matthew Bailes
Panel discussion
DAY THREE
Session VI: New facilities and instrumentation #2 Session Chair: Stefan Oslowski
Manisha Caleb: More Transients and Pulsars with MeerKAT
Liam Connor: Applying deep learning to fast transient detection
Charles Walker: LOFT-e (Localisation of Fast Transients with e-MERLIN
Clancy James: Sensitivity of CRAFT Fly’s Eye FRB searches with ASKAP
Mini-Session: Multi-wavelength and multi-messenger FRB studies Session Chair: Vikram Ravi
Seo-Won Chang: SkyMapper Transient program for Fast Radio Bursts
Jeff Cooke Targeting FRBs with Deeper, Wider, Faster
David Coward: LIGO search for gravitational wave counterparts to FRBs
Discussion: People power: who are we missing from the FRB field and how do we attract or cultivate them? Session chair: Laura Spitler
Panel discussion
Session VI: Localisation and follow up. Session chair: Shivani Bhandari
Sarah Burke-Spolaor: realFAST
Keith Bannister: ASKAP FRB searches – current status and future directions
Adam Deller: UTMOST-2D: a real-time FRB localiser
Discussion: What triggered proposals should we already have active by the time the next FRB is localised?
Discussion in groups (break out by wavelength: radio, X-ray, optical/NIR photometry/spectroscopy,
Workshop summary and close

Scientific Organising Committee:

Local Organisng Committee:

  • Stefan Oslowski
  • Sue Lester
  • Deb Gooley
  • Cherie Day
  • Wael Farah