Cosmological Fast Radio Bursts from Binary White Dwarf Mergers
  Recently, Thornton et al. reported the detection of four fast radio bursts
(FRBs). The dispersion measures indicate that the sources of these FRBs are at
cosmological distance. Given the large full sky event rate ~ 10^4 sky^-1
day^-1, the FRBs are a promising target for multi-messenger astronomy. Here we
propose double degenerate, binary white-dwarf (WD) mergers as the source of
FRBs, which are produced by coherent emission from the polar region of a
rapidly rotating, magnetized massive WD formed after the merger. The basic
characteristics of the FRBs, such as the energetics, emission duration and
event rate, can be consistently explained in this scenario. As a result, we
predict that some FRBs can accompany type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) or X-ray
debris disks. Simultaneous detection could test our scenario and probe the
progenitors of SNe Ia, and moreover would provide a novel constraint on the
cosmological parameters. We strongly encourage future SN and X-ray surveys that
follow up FRBs.
