Testing the Hypothesis of a Compact-binary-coalescence Origin of Fast Radio Bursts Using a Multimessenger Approach

Abstract

Abstract In the literature, compact binary coalescences (CBCs) have been proposed as one of the main scenarios to explain the origin of some non-repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs). The large discrepancy between the FRB and CBC event rate densities suggests that their associations, if any, should only apply at most for a small fraction of FRBs. Through a Bayesian estimation method, we show how a statistical analysis of the coincident associations of FRBs with CBC gravitational wave (GW) events may test the hypothesis of these associations. We show that during the operation period of the advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (aLIGO), the detection of ∼100 (∼1000) GW-less FRBs with dispersion measure (DM) values smaller than 500 pc cm−3 could reach the constraint that less than 10% (or 1%) FRBs are related to binary black hole (BBH) mergers. The same number of FRBs with DM values smaller than 100 pc cm−3 is required to reach the same constraint for binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. With the upgrade of GW detectors, the same constraints for BBH and BNS mergers can be reached with fewer FRBs or looser requirements for the DM values. It is also possible to pose constraints on the fraction of each type of CBCs that are able to produce observable FRBs based on the event density of FRBs and CBCs. This would further constrain the dimensionless charge of black holes (BHs) in binary BH systems.