# What produces most of the one-off fast radio bursts? · Fast radio bursts and the origin of the one-off bursts > Five answers have been proposed. Magnetars or other neutron stars formed late, by mergers of neutron stars or white dwarfs or by the collapse… leads… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/questions/QST0CVCMB5213XT/what-produces-most-of-the-one-off-fast-radio-bursts Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:57:23+00:00 --- **0** # What produces most of the one-off fast radio bursts? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·5 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: magnetars or other neutron stars formed late, by mergers of neutron stars or white dwarfs or by the collapse…** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Five answers have been proposed. Magnetars or other neutron stars formed late, by mergers of neutron stars or white dwarfs or by the collapse… leads, with evidence 2 for, 1 against: partly supported by its tests. Four are still possible. Of the two narrower questions under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters Most catalogued sources have been seen only once⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM1W62AJ7/the-second-chime-frb-catalog-of-fast-radio-bursts). The Galactic magnetar burst proved that magnetars can make FRB-like bursts⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM0WY7W89/a-bright-millisecond-duration-radio-burst-from-a-galactic), but repeaters in old stellar populations⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM2VE02T4/a-repeating-fast-radio-burst-source-in-a-globular-cluster)⁠[[4]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM51R7G8W/the-massive-and-quiescent-elliptical-host-galaxy-of-the) and population studies⁠[[5]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM6105K31/constraints-on-fast-radio-burst-population-from-the-first) show that young magnetars cannot be the whole answer. Which engines make the one-offs decides what FRBs tell us about stellar death and compact objects. ## Answers 5 [**Magnetars or other neutron stars formed late, by mergers of neutron stars or white dwarfs or by the collapse…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/answers/ANS0CVCMDV016SX/magnetars-or-other-neutron-stars-formed-late-by-mergers-of) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 2 for, 1 against Most likely [**Young magnetars born in core-collapse supernovae of massive stars.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/answers/ANS0CVCMCC44013/young-magnetars-born-in-core-collapse-supernovae-of-massive) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 3 for, 2 against Most likely [**Accreting compact binaries, such as luminous X-ray binaries, rather than isolated magnetars.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/answers/ANS0CVCMFHP7PRT/accreting-compact-binaries-such-as-luminous-x-ray-binaries) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: 1 for Still possible [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/answers/ANS0CVCMG1A74BP/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**Truly single events that destroy or transform their source, such as compact-object mergers or collapses.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/answers/ANS0CVCMET8031G/truly-single-events-that-destroy-or-transform-their-source) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible ## History 1. 2007[Lorimer et al. puts forward: truly single events that destroy or transform their source, such as compact-object mergers or collapses.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCKYYE0TS8/a-bright-millisecond-radio-burst-of-extragalactic-origin) 1. 2007[Lorimer et al.: the first burst did not repeat in 90 hours, and its discoverers proposed a singular event such as a supernova…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCKYYE0TS8/a-bright-millisecond-radio-burst-of-extragalactic-origin)For: Truly single events that destroy or transform their source, such as compact-object mergers or collapses. 1. 2016[Spitler et al. puts forward: young magnetars born in core-collapse supernovae of massive stars.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCKZE21K58/a-repeating-fast-radio-burst) 1. 2016[Spitler et al.: repeaters prove that at least some sources survive their bursts.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCKZE21K58/a-repeating-fast-radio-burst)Against: Truly single events that destroy or transform their source, such as compact-object mergers or collapses. 1. 2020[Bochenek et al.: a Galactic magnetar produced a burst within a factor of about 40 of the weakest extragalactic FRB energies.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM14R24B3/a-fast-radio-burst-associated-with-a-galactic-magnetar)For: Young magnetars born in core-collapse supernovae of massive stars. 1. 2020[CHIME/FRB Collaboration et al.: a 16.35-day activity cycle in FRB 180916.J0158+65 suggests orbital or precessional modulation.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM0DA5B6X/periodic-activity-from-a-fast-radio-burst-source)For: Accreting compact binaries, such as luminous X-ray binaries, rather than isolated magnetars. 1. 2025[Eftekhari et al. puts forward: accreting compact binaries, such as luminous X-ray binaries, rather than isolated magnetars.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM51R7G8W/the-massive-and-quiescent-elliptical-host-galaxy-of-the) 1. 2025[Zhou et al.: the redshift distribution of Catalog 1 bursts is significantly delayed relative to star formation.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM6105K31/constraints-on-fast-radio-burst-population-from-the-first)Against: Young magnetars born in core-collapse supernovae of massive stars. 1. 2025[An et al.: fRB 20250316A has no persistent radio source to limits three orders of magnitude below active repeaters,…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM59J59FZ/a-deep-vla-search-for-a-persistent-radio-counterpart-to-the)Against: Young magnetars born in core-collapse supernovae of massive stars. 1. 2025[Nimmo et al.: scintillation and a pulsar-like polarisation swing place the emission of one-off FRB 20221022A in a…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM4AA591W/magnetospheric-origin-of-a-fast-radio-burst-constrained)For: Young magnetars born in core-collapse supernovae of massive stars. 1. 2025[Eftekhari et al.: both of these old-population sources are repeaters, so their bearing on one-off bursts is indirect.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM51R7G8W/the-massive-and-quiescent-elliptical-host-galaxy-of-the)Against: Magnetars or other neutron stars formed late, by mergers of neutron stars or white dwarfs or by the collapse… 1. 2025[Eftekhari et al.: fRB 20240209A lies in a quiescent elliptical galaxy with a stellar age of about 11 billion years.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVCM51R7G8W/the-massive-and-quiescent-elliptical-host-galaxy-of-the)For: Magnetars or other neutron stars formed late, by mergers of neutron stars or white dwarfs or by the collapse… 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/questions/QST0CVCMB5213XT/what-produces-most-of-the-one-off-fast-radio-bursts%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/questions/QST0CVCMB5213XT/what-produces-most-of-the-one-off-fast-radio-bursts%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/questions/QST0CVCMB5213XT/what-produces-most-of-the-one-off-fast-radio-bursts%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/questions/QST0CVCMB5213XT/what-produces-most-of-the-one-off-fast-radio-bursts%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/questions/QST0CVCMB5213XT/what-produces-most-of-the-one-off-fast-radio-bursts%23add-source) Where it fits Fast radio bursts and the origin of the one-off bursts **What produces most of the one-off fast radio bursts?** Key question · you're here [How do burst sources come to be in old star clusters and dead galaxies?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/questions/QST0CVCMC4A44GR/how-do-burst-sources-come-to-be-in-old-star-clusters-and)Open · 3 answers, inconclusive [Is the radio emission made in the neutron star's magnetosphere or in shocks far from it?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/fast-radio-bursts/questions/QST0CVCMBCW2KQH/is-the-radio-emission-made-in-the-neutron-stars)Most likely · coherent emission within or just beyond a neutron-star magnetosphere [ Ask a question under this one ]