This meeting marks the remarkable discovery and the first decade of study of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). We do not yet know what causes these enigmatic and extreme transient radio sources, and they pose many challenges for observers and theorists alike. FRBs appear to be at cosmological distances and show great promise as probes of exotic physical processes at their source, compact objects, and the ionized and magnetized plasma along the line of sight. The meeting aims to allow an essential convergence of data and theory at a time when FRB research is rapidly gaining momentum. The goals of the meeting are to: (i) identify and develop the most promising theories for the origins of FRBs based on the most recent observations; (ii) discuss how they can be used as astrophysical probes and tests of general relativity; (iii) advance progress on FRB discoveries via the exchange of technical expertise; (iv) organize and coordinate multi-wavelength follow-up strategies. Because of the many exciting developments in this field, FRBs are attracting a growing community of researchers with diverse backgrounds: including relativistic astrophysicists, machine learning and “big data” analysts, cosmologists, radio and time-domain astronomers, and engineers. We anticipate that this Aspen meeting will facilitate new collaborations and lead to further accelerated progress in this field.

The Aspen Center for Physics is committed to a significant participation of women and under-represented groups in all of its programs.

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