Correlated Signatures of Plasma Lensing in Fast Radio Bursts
Abstract
Plasma lensing has been proposed to explain narrow spectra, multiple burst copies, frequency drifts, interference fringes, and polarization changes in fast radio bursts (FRBs). Because many of these features are not unique to lensing, a convincing identification requires several correlated observables to be reproduced by one lens model. We derive such relations for a one-dimensional Gaussian plasma lens near a fold caustic. We distinguish the phase separation of the merging images from their observable group-delay difference and identify three regimes: resolved burst copies, overlapping images with negligible mutual coherence, and coherent spectral interference. We connect the magnification, image delay, spectral-envelope width, fringe spacing, differential dispersion, time-frequency caustic curvature, and the brightness and ordering of the third image. We derive separate finite-source constraints from large fold magnification and from fringe visibility, and relate the wave-optics magnification scale to the plasma column of the lens. High-contrast fringes simultaneously constrain the source size and the mutual coherence of the two image fields, which limits the intrinsic coherence of the FRB radiation once the observed spectrum and instrumental bandpass are accounted for. We also derive the conditions for differential Faraday rotation in magnetized lenses. Finally, we show that clean lensing by a volume-filling turbulent screen requires fine tuning between rare strong fluctuations and caustic confusion, suggesting that sparse sheets, filaments, interfaces, or shocked clumps are more promising lensing structures.
Related
- Mapping large-scale structure without galaxy formation - combining fast radio bursts with CMB lensing
- Calibrating baryonic feedback with weak lensing and fast radio bursts
- Self lensing in BH-NS binaries as progenitors for periodically repeating Fast Radio Bursts
- Photon Acceleration in Magnetized Plasma: A Mechanism for Fast Radio Bursts
- The propagation-induced circular polarization of fast radio bursts in relativistic plasma
BibTeX
@misc{beniamini2026correlated,
title = {{Correlated Signatures of Plasma Lensing in Fast Radio Bursts}},
author = {Paz Beniamini and Pawan Kumar},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.31842},
eprint = {2609.31842},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.31842},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Correlated Signatures of Plasma Lensing in Fast Radio Bursts
AU - Paz Beniamini
AU - Pawan Kumar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/25
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.31842
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.31842
AB - Plasma lensing has been proposed to explain narrow spectra, multiple burst copies, frequency drifts, interference fringes, and polarization changes in fast radio bursts (FRBs). Because many of these features are not unique to lensing, a convincing identification requires several correlated observables to be reproduced by one lens model. We derive such relations for a one-dimensional Gaussian plasma lens near a fold caustic. We distinguish the phase separation of the merging images from their observable group-delay difference and identify three regimes: resolved burst copies, overlapping images with negligible mutual coherence, and coherent spectral interference. We connect the magnification, image delay, spectral-envelope width, fringe spacing, differential dispersion, time-frequency caustic curvature, and the brightness and ordering of the third image. We derive separate finite-source constraints from large fold magnification and from fringe visibility, and relate the wave-optics magnification scale to the plasma column of the lens. High-contrast fringes simultaneously constrain the source size and the mutual coherence of the two image fields, which limits the intrinsic coherence of the FRB radiation once the observed spectrum and instrumental bandpass are accounted for. We also derive the conditions for differential Faraday rotation in magnetized lenses. Finally, we show that clean lensing by a volume-filling turbulent screen requires fine tuning between rare strong fluctuations and caustic confusion, suggesting that sparse sheets, filaments, interfaces, or shocked clumps are more promising lensing structures.
ER -