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Abstract We present deep James Webb Space Telescope near-infrared imaging to search for a quiescent or transient counterpart to FRB 20250316A, which was precisely localized with the CHIME Outriggers array to an area of 11 × 13 pc in the outer regions of NGC 4141 atd≈ 40 Mpc. Our F150W2 image reveals a faint source near the center of the fast radio burst (FRB) localization region (“NIR-1”;M_F150W2≈ −2.5 mag; probability of chance coincidence ≈0.36), the only source within ≈2.7σ. We find that it is too faint to be a globular cluster, a young star cluster, a red supergiant star, or a giant star near the tip of the red giant branch (RGB). It is instead consistent with a red giant near the RGB “clump” or a massive (≳20M_⊙) main-sequence star, although the latter explanation is less likely. The source is too bright to be a supernova (SN) remnant, Crab-like pulsar wind nebula, or isolated magnetar. Alternatively, NIR-1 may represent transient emission, namely a dust echo from an energetic outburst associated with the FRB, in which case we would expect it to fade in future observations. We explore the stellar population near the FRB and find that it is composed of a mix of young massive stars (∼10–100 Myr) in a nearby Hiiregion that extends to the location of FRB 20250316A and old evolved stars (≳Gyr). The overlap with a young stellar population, containing stars of up to ≈20M_⊙, may implicate a neutron star/magnetar produced in the core collapse of a massive star as the source of FRB 20250316A. 

Abstract The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst (CHIME/FRB) Project has a new very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) Outrigger at the Green Bank Observatory (GBO), which forms a 3300 km baseline with CHIME operating at 400–800 MHz. Using 100 ms long full-array baseband “snapshots” collected commensally during FRB and pulsar triggers, we perform a shallow, wide-area VLBI survey covering a significant fraction of the northern sky targeted at the positions of compact sources from the Radio Fundamental Catalog. In addition, our survey contains calibrators detected from two 1 s long trial baseband snapshots for a deeper survey with CHIME and GBO. In this paper, we present the largest catalogue of compact calibrators suitable for 30 mas scale VLBI observations at subgigahertz frequencies to date. Our catalogue consists of 200 total calibrators in the Northern Hemisphere that are compact on 30 mas scales with fluxes above 100 mJy. This calibrator grid will enable the precise localization of hundreds of FRBs a year with CHIME/FRB Outriggers. 

Abstract We present the first catalog of fast radio burst (FRB) host galaxies from CHIME/FRB Outriggers, selected uniformly in the radio and the optical by localizing 81 new bursts to 2″ × ∼ 60″ accuracy using CHIME and the k’niʔatn k’l ⌣ stk’masqt Outrigger station, located 66 km from CHIME. Of the 81 localized bursts, we use the probabilistic association of transients to their hosts algorithm to securely identify 21 new FRB host galaxies, and compile spectroscopic redshifts for 19 systems, 15 of which are newly obtained via spectroscopic observations. The most nearby source is FRB 20231229A, at a distance of 90 Mpc. One burst in our sample is from a previously reported repeating source in a galaxy merger (FRB 20190303A). Three new FRB host galaxies (FRBs 20230203A, 20230703A, and 20231206A) are found toward X-ray and optically selected galaxy clusters, potentially doubling the sample of known galaxy cluster FRBs. A search for radio counterparts reveals that FRB 20231128A is associated with a luminous persistent radio source (PRS) candidate with high significance (P_cc ∼ 10⁻²). If its compactness is confirmed, it would be the nearest known compact PRS atz= 0.1079. Our catalog significantly increases the statistics of the Macquart relation at low redshifts (z < 0.2). In the near future, the completed CHIME/FRB Outriggers array will produce hundreds of FRBs localized with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). This will significantly expand the known sample and pave the way for future telescopes relying on VLBI for FRB localization. 

Abstract We present the first results of the holographic beam-mapping program for the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME). We describe the implementation of a holographic technique as adapted for CHIME, and introduce the processing pipeline which prepares the raw holographic timestreams for analysis of beam features. We use data from six bright sources across the full 400–800 MHz observing band of CHIME to provide measurements of the copolar and cross-polar beam response in both amplitude and phase for all 1024 dual-polarized feeds in the array. In addition, we present comparisons with independent probes of the CHIME beam, which indicate the presence of polarized beam leakage. Holographic measurements of the beam have already been applied in science with CHIME, e.g., in estimating the detection significance of far-sidelobe fast radio bursts, and in validating the beam models used for CHIME’s first detections of 21 cm emission (in cross-correlation with measurements of large-scale structure from galaxy surveys and the Lyαforest). Measurements presented in this paper, and future holographic results, will provide a unique data set to characterize the CHIME beam and improve the experiment’s prospects for a detection of the baryon acoustic oscillation signal. 

Abstract Precise localizations of a small number of repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) have enabled multiwavelength follow-up observations revealing diverse local environments. However, the 2%–3% of FRB sources that are observed to repeat may not be representative of the full population. Here we use the VLBI capabilities of the full CHIME Outrigger array for the first time to localize a nearby (40 Mpc), bright (kJy), and apparently one-off FRB source, FRB 20250316A, to its environment on 13 pc scales. We use optical and radio observations to place deep constraints on associated transient emission and the properties of its local environment. We place a 5σupper limit ofL_{9.9 GHz} < 2.1 × 10²⁵erg s⁻¹Hz⁻¹on spatially coincident radio emission, a factor of 100 lower than any known compact persistent radio source associated with an FRB. Our Keck Cosmic Webb Imager observations allow us to characterize the gas density, metallicity, nature of gas ionization, dust extinction, and star formation rate through emission line fluxes. We leverage the exceptional brightness and proximity of this source to place deep constraints on the repetition of FRB 20250316A and find that it is inconsistent with all well-studied repeaters given the nondetection of bursts at lower spectral energies. We explore the implications of a measured offset of 190 ± 20 pc from the center of the nearest star formation region in the context of progenitor channels. FRB 20250316A marks the beginning of an era of routine localizations for one-off FRBs on tens of milliarcseconds scales, enabling large-scale studies of their local environments. 

Abstract We report 10 fast radio bursts (FRBs) detected in the far sidelobe region (i.e., ≥5° off-meridian) of the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) from August 28 2018 to August 31 2021. We localize the bursts by fitting their spectra with a model of the CHIME/FRB synthesized beam response. We find that the far sidelobe events have on average ∼500 times greater fluxes than events detected in CHIME’s main lobe. We show that the sidelobe sample is therefore statistically ∼20 times closer than the main lobe sample. We find promising host galaxy candidates (P_cc< 1%) for two of the FRBs, 20190112B and 20210310B, at distances of 38 and 16 Mpc, respectively. CHIME/FRB did not observe repetition of similar brightness from the uniform sample of 10 sidelobe FRBs in a total exposure time of 35,580 hr. Under the assumption of Poisson-distributed bursts, we infer that the mean repetition interval above the detection threshold of the far sidelobe events is longer than 11,880 hr, which is at least 2380 times larger than the interval from known CHIME/FRB detected repeating sources, with some caveats, notably that very narrowband events could have been missed. Our results from these far sidelobe events suggest one of two scenarios: either (1) all FRBs repeat and the repetition intervals span a wide range, with high-rate repeaters being a rare sub-population, or (2) non-repeating FRBs are a distinct population different from known repeaters. 

Abstract We report the detection of 21 cm emission at an average redshift $\overline{z}=2.3$in the cross-correlation of data from the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) with measurements of the Lyαforest from eBOSS. Data collected by CHIME over 88 days in the 400–500 MHz frequency band (1.8 <z< 2.5) are formed into maps of the sky and high-pass delay filtered to suppress the foreground power, corresponding to removing cosmological scales withk_∥≲ 0.13 Mpc⁻¹at the average redshift. Line-of-sight spectra to the eBOSS background quasar locations are extracted from the CHIME maps and combined with the Lyαforest flux transmission spectra to estimate the 21 cm–Lyαcross-correlation function. Fitting a simulation-derived template function to this measurement results in a 9σdetection significance. The coherent accumulation of the signal through cross-correlation is sufficient to enable a detection despite excess variance from foreground residuals ∼6–10 times brighter than the expected thermal noise level in the correlation function. These results are the highest-redshift measurement of 21 cm emission to date, and they set the stage for future 21 cm intensity mapping analyses atz> 1.8. 

Abstract Localizing fast radio bursts (FRBs) to their host galaxies is an essential step to better understanding their origins and using them as cosmic probes. The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME)/FRB Outriggers program aims to add very long baseline interferometry localization capabilities to CHIME, such that FRBs may be localized to tens of milliarcsecond precision at the time of their discovery, more than sufficient for host galaxy identification. The first-built outrigger telescope is theOutrigger (KKO), located 66 km west of CHIME. Cross-correlating KKO with CHIME can achieve arcsecond precision along the baseline axis while avoiding the worst effects of the ionosphere. Since the CHIME–KKO baseline is mostly east/west, this improvement is mostly in right ascension. This paper presents measurements of KKO’s performance throughout its commissioning phase, as well as a summary of its design and function. We demonstrate KKO’s capabilities as a standalone instrument by producing full-sky images, mapping the angular and frequency structure of the primary beam, and measuring feed positions. To demonstrate the localization capabilities of the CHIME–KKO baseline, we collected five separate observations each, for a set of 20 bright pulsars, and aimed to measure their positions to within 5″. All of these pulses were successfully localized to within this specification. The next two outriggers are expected to be commissioned in 2024 and will enable subarcsecond localizations for approximately hundreds of FRBs each year.