A Comprehensive Null Search for Prompt Radio Bursts Associated with 218 Gravitational Wave Events: The Strongest Constraints on Pre-Merger Fast Radio Burst Emission

A Comprehensive Null Search for Prompt Radio Bursts Associated with 218 Gravitational Wave Events: The Strongest Constraints on Pre-Merger Fast Radio Burst Emission | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Comprehensive Null Search for Prompt Radio Bursts Associated with 218 Gravitational Wave Events: The Strongest Constraints on Pre-Merger Fast Radio Burst Emission Satish Prajapati This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9595477/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Binary neutron star mergers are known to produce gravitational waves and panchromatic electromagnetic afterglow emission hours to days after coalescence. However, a fundamental question remains unanswered: do these mergers generate prompt radio bursts in the mil liseconds to seconds before merger? Such emission, if present, would manifest as fast radio bursts (FRBs) — millisecond-duration, extragalactic radio pulses with isotropic equivalent luminosities reaching 1042 erg s−1. Here we present the first comprehensive archival search for temporal and spatial coincidences between gravitational wave (GW) events and FRBs. We analyze the complete GWTC-4.0 catalog containing 218 confirmed GW detections from LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA (O1–O4 runs) and the public CHIME/FRB catalog containing 500 bursts detected between 2018 and 2025. Searching a ±10 second temporal window and requiring spatial consistency within 90% GW sky localizations, we identify 31 temporal co incidences but zero spatially coincident FRBs. Monte Carlo simulations (1,000 trials) permuting FRB arrival times while preserving sky positions yield a false alarm probability p =0.078 for observing zero spatial matches by chance, consistent with a null result at 95% confidence. From the 96 neutron-star-containing events (68 binary neutron stars and 28 neutron star–black hole mergers) at a mean luminosity distance of 275.3 Mpc, we derive a 95% confidence upper limit on prompt radio fluence of F < 0.15 Jy ms in the 400–800 MHz band. This is the strongest constraint to date on pre-merger FRB-like emission, represent ing a factor of approximately 70 improvement over the previous best limit. For context, the Galactic FRB 200428 — the only FRB definitively associated with a Galactic magnetar —would have a fluence of approximately 0.5 Jy ms when scaled to the mean distance of our EM-bright sample. Our upper limit is a factor of three below this value, ruling out the presence of FRB 200428-like bursts from typical binary neutron star mergers at the rates observed from Galactic magnetars. This null result places an upper bound of < 2% on the fraction of mergers producing detectable prompt radio emission at 95% confidence. We discuss the physical implications, compare with theoretical models of pre-merger magneto spheric interactions and crustal failures, outline the limitations of the current search, and provide a roadmap for future investigations with next-generation facilities including LIGO O5, DSA-2000, and the Square Kilometre Array. Astronomy Astrophysics and Cosmology Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9595477","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":633425241,"identity":"3fd149be-38d9-49d9-96d6-59dacaba0d1b","order_by":0,"name":"Satish Prajapati","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3801-1137","institution":"Government College of Engineering and Ceramic Technology, Kolkata, India","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Satish","middleName":"","lastName":"Prajapati","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-05-02 17:16:06","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":true,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9595477/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9595477/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108476439,"identity":"01c452d8-fbd4-43f8-9727-7bdda39aa6f7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-05 06:57:10","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":219794,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"MainManuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9595477/v1_covered_1fd0243a-f18b-4a5e-8696-822117729b1d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eA Comprehensive Null Search for Prompt Radio Bursts Associated with 218 Gravitational Wave Events: The Strongest Constraints on Pre-Merger Fast Radio Burst Emission\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Government College of Engineering and Ceramic Technology, Kolkata, West Bengal 700010, India","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9595477/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9595477/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eBinary neutron star mergers are known to produce gravitational waves and panchromatic electromagnetic afterglow emission hours to days after coalescence. However, a fundamental question remains unanswered: do these mergers generate prompt radio bursts in the mil liseconds to seconds before merger? Such emission, if present, would manifest as fast radio bursts (FRBs) — millisecond-duration, extragalactic radio pulses with isotropic equivalent luminosities reaching 1042 erg s−1. Here we present the first comprehensive archival search for temporal and spatial coincidences between gravitational wave (GW) events and FRBs. We analyze the complete GWTC-4.0 catalog containing 218 confirmed GW detections from LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA (O1–O4 runs) and the public CHIME/FRB catalog containing 500 bursts detected between 2018 and 2025. Searching a ±10 second temporal window and requiring spatial consistency within 90% GW sky localizations, we identify 31 temporal co incidences but zero spatially coincident FRBs. Monte Carlo simulations (1,000 trials) permuting FRB arrival times while preserving sky positions yield a false alarm probability p =0.078 for observing zero spatial matches by chance, consistent with a null result at 95% confidence. From the 96 neutron-star-containing events (68 binary neutron stars and 28 neutron star–black hole mergers) at a mean luminosity distance of 275.3 Mpc, we derive a 95% confidence upper limit on prompt radio fluence of F \u0026lt; 0.15 Jy ms in the 400–800 MHz band. This is the strongest constraint to date on pre-merger FRB-like emission, represent ing a factor of approximately 70 improvement over the previous best limit. For context, the Galactic FRB 200428 — the only FRB definitively associated with a Galactic magnetar —would have a fluence of approximately 0.5 Jy ms when scaled to the mean distance of our EM-bright sample. Our upper limit is a factor of three below this value, ruling out the presence of FRB 200428-like bursts from typical binary neutron star mergers at the rates observed from Galactic magnetars. This null result places an upper bound of \u0026lt; 2% on the fraction of mergers producing detectable prompt radio emission at 95% confidence. We discuss the physical implications, compare with theoretical models of pre-merger magneto spheric interactions and crustal failures, outline the limitations of the current search, and provide a roadmap for future investigations with next-generation facilities including LIGO O5, DSA-2000, and the Square Kilometre Array.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Comprehensive Null Search for Prompt Radio Bursts Associated with 218 Gravitational Wave Events: The Strongest Constraints on Pre-Merger Fast Radio Burst Emission","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-05-05 06:55:54","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9595477/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"3d1ffa34-6ee7-4e5c-a6a3-99f503a54ac5","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 5th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":67421117,"name":"Astronomy"},{"id":67421118,"name":"Astrophysics and Cosmology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-05T06:55:54+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-05-05 06:55:54","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9595477","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9595477","identity":"rs-9595477","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}