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dc.contributor.authorRafiei-Ravandi, Masoud
dc.date.accessioned2021-08-23 17:31:02 (GMT)
dc.date.available2021-08-23 17:31:02 (GMT)
dc.date.issued2021-08-23
dc.date.submitted2021-08-18
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10012/17231
dc.description.abstractExplaining the nature of extragalactic fast radio bursts (FRBs) has puzzled astrophysicists since 2007. In this thesis, we introduce the CHIME/FRB instrument, an FRB search engine that could solve this puzzle through FRB population studies. We explore CHIME/FRB science results, with an emphasis on the FRB-galaxy correlation. First, we formulate a framework for characterizing FRBs (e.g. by constraining their redshift and host dispersion measure distributions) through angular cross-correlations with large-scale structure. Using this machinery we model, forecast and simulate the FRB-galaxy correlation for two distinct FRB models. Then, we apply this technique to real data, using the first CHIME/FRB catalog along with five photometric redshift catalogs of galaxies. Computing the FRB-galaxy cross power spectrum, we find a statistically significant (p-value ~ 10⁻⁴, accounting for look-elsewhere factors) cross-correlation between CHIME FRBs and galaxies in the redshift range 0.3 ≲ z ≲ 􏰂0.5. The strength and angular scale of the cross-correlation are consistent with an order-one fraction of CHIME FRBs being in this redshift range, and in the same dark matter halos as the survey galaxies. Finally, we find statistical evidence for a subpopulation of FRBs with large host dispersion measure (host DM ~ 400 pc/cm³) at z ~ 0.4. We show that such large host DMs could be explained by a small population of FRBs near the centers (r ≲ 100 kpc) of large (M ~ 10¹⁴ M⊙) halos.en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity of Waterlooen
dc.subjectcosmologyen
dc.subjecthigh energy astrophysicsen
dc.titleProbing the large-scale clustering of fast radio bursts with CHIME/FRBen
dc.typeDoctoral Thesisen
dc.pendingfalse
uws-etd.degree.departmentPhysics and Astronomyen
uws-etd.degree.disciplinePhysicsen
uws-etd.degree.grantorUniversity of Waterlooen
uws-etd.degreeDoctor of Philosophyen
uws-etd.embargo.terms0en
uws.contributor.advisorSmith, Kendrick
uws.contributor.advisorBroderick, Avery
uws.contributor.affiliation1Faculty of Scienceen
uws.published.cityWaterlooen
uws.published.countryCanadaen
uws.published.provinceOntarioen
uws.typeOfResourceTexten
uws.peerReviewStatusUnrevieweden
uws.scholarLevelGraduateen


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