Work

Photon Acceleration in Magnetized Plasma: A Mechanism for Fast Radio Bursts

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: We propose a mechanism for fast radio bursts based on photon acceleration by relativistic shocks propagating through highly magnetized electron--positron plasmas, as expected in magnetar magnetospheres. Density modulations at the shock front create relativistically moving refractive-index perturbations that transform low-frequency electromagnetic precursors into amplified high-frequency radiation. We show that the predicted frequencies, durations, and energetics of the resulting fast radio bursts are consistent with the magnetic-field strengths, shock Lorentz factors, and characteristic spatial scales expected in magnetar magnetospheres.

Source: arXiv (Cornell University)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2607.08464

Authors: Bulanov, Sergei V., Grittani, Gabriele Maria, Lamac, Marcel, Valenta, Petr, Bulanov, Stepan S., Esirkepov, Timur Zh., Gregori, Gianluca, Russell, Brandon K., Thomas, Alexander G. R., Vanthieghem, Arno

Institutions: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines, Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC (Czech Republic), University of Oxford, Princeton University, University of Michigan, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Université

Language: English

Topic: Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Science Foundation

Award: High-Intensity Tunable Light by Frequency Upshifting in Plasma Waves

OpenAlex ID: W7167920498

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