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How do burst sources come to be in old star clusters and dead galaxies?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·Part of What produces most of the one-off fast radio bursts?·3 answers·0·0 following
Three answers, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

Two repeaters sit in old stellar populations, where young magnetars should not exist⁠[1]⁠[2].

Answers 3

Luminous X-ray binaries.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible

History

  1. Kirsten et al. puts forward: magnetars formed by mergers of neutron stars or white dwarfs, or by accretion-induced collapse of a white…
  2. Eftekhari et al. puts forward: luminous X-ray binaries.
  3. Eftekhari et al.: fRB 20240209A has a large offset and a host like those of short gamma-ray bursts.For: Magnetars formed by mergers of neutron stars or white dwarfs, or by accretion-induced collapse of a white…
  4. Asked on this site
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