A search for the host galaxy of FRB171020

Understand

We report on a search for the host galaxy of FRB171020, the fast radio burst with the smallest recorded dispersion measure (DM $=114$ pc cm$^{-3}$) of our on-ongoing ASKAP survey.

• The low DM confines the burst location within a sufficiently small volume to rigorously constrain the identity of the host galaxy.
• We identify 16 candidate galaxies in the search volume and single out ESO 601-G036, a Sc galaxy at redshift $z=0.00867$, as the most likely host galaxy.
• UV and optical imaging and spectroscopy reveal this galaxy has a star-formation rate of approximately 0.1 M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ and oxygen abundance $12 + \log({\rm O/H}) = 8.3 \pm 0.2$, properties remarkably consistent with the galaxy hosting the repeating FRB121102.