ISSN: 3142-9033
ISSN: 3142-9033
Author(s): Amit Rao
Abstract: Fast radio bursts (FRBs) were initially studied as enigmatic millisecond-duration radio transients originating at cosmological distances. While determining their physical origins remains an important area of investigation, the scientific significance of FRBs has expanded substantially during the past decade. Increasingly, researchers utilize FRBs not merely as objects of study but as probes of the intervening universe. The dispersion measures of FRBs provide direct information regarding free electrons encountered along their propagation paths, allowing astronomers to investigate diffuse baryonic matter that is otherwise difficult to observe. This review examines the evolution of FRB research from a focus on progenitor identification toward cosmological applications. Attention is given to the role of FRBs in addressing the missing baryon problem, probing the cosmic web, and investigating intergalactic environments. Current limitations and future prospects are discussed. The literature suggests that FRBs are emerging as powerful cosmological instruments whose greatest scientific value may derive from what they reveal about the universe through which they travel.
Keywords: Fast radio bursts; Cosmology; Cosmic web; Intergalactic medium; Missing baryons; Large-scale structure
Article: e011008
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