Collaborative Research: The Definitive Follow-up Campaign for Fast Radio Bursts

NSF Award Search · 01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $177,881 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are transient pulses of radio emission lasting only milliseconds. They are known to be coming from galaxies outside our own and are now a highly intense area of astrophysical pursuit, with over a thousand FRBs detected to date. A research team between the University of California Santa Cruz, Northwestern University and the Maria Mitchell Observatory (MMO) forms the core of the Fast and Fortunate for FRB Follow-up (F4) team, which has been funded by the NSF since 2019 to observe FRBs and associate them with their host galaxies. This has enabled the team to start to use FRB signals to probe the universe and to make a new census of the baryons (subatomic particles, mostly protons and neutrons) in a highly diffuse state outside of galaxies throughout the universe. This current NSF award extends this work to allow F4 to increase its observational impact by an order of magnitude through follow-up observations of two new surveys of precisely localized FRBs, allowing them to study cosmology, baryon distribution and identify FRB progenitors. This award will also support students in a postbaccalaureate 'Bridge' program hosted at the MMO for attracting and retaining talented and traditionally underrepresented students, with a long-term goal of increasing their participation and leadership in STEM fields. All of the investigators will engage in the many outreach activities of the MMO. During the period of this grant, the F4 team will acquire, analyze, a

Key facts

NSF award ID
2534995
Awardee
CAL POLY HUMBOLDT SPONSORED PROGRAMS FOUNDATION (CA)
SAM.gov UEI
K1S8M8RU4FK7
PI
Regina Jorgenson
Primary program
01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS, OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY
Estimated total
$177,881
Funds obligated
$129,033
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 09/30/2027