Luminosity distribution of fast radio bursts from CHIME/FRB Catalog 1 by means of the updated Macquart relation

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are extremely strong radio flares lasting several micro- to milliseconds and come from unidentified objects at cosmological distances, most of which are only seen once. Based on recently published data in the CHIME/FRB Catalog 1 in the frequency bands 400-800 MHz, we analyze 125 apparently singular FRBs with low dispersion measure (DM) and find that the distribution of their luminosity follows a lognormal form according to statistical tests. In our luminosity measurement, the FRB distance is estimated by using the Macquart relation that was obtained for 8 localized FRBs, and we find it still applicable for 18 sources after adding the latest 10 new localized FRBs. In addition, we test the validity of the luminosity distribution up to the Macquart relation and find that the lognormal-form feature decreases as the uncertainty increases. Moreover, we compare the luminosity of these apparent nonrepeaters with that of the previously observed 10 repeating FRBs also at low DM, noting that they belong to different lognormal distributions with the mean luminosity of nonrepeaters being two times greater than that of repeaters. Therefore, from the two different lognormal distributions, different mechanisms for FRBs can be implied.

Automated summary

Based on the analysis of 125 FRBs with low dispersion measure, it is found that the luminosity distribution follows a lognormal form. The Macquart relation is still applicable for estimating distances of 18 sources. Nonrepeaters have an average luminosity two times greater than that of repeaters.