FRB as Products of Accretion Disc Funnels

Abstract

The repeating FRB 121102, the only FRB with an accurately determined position, is associated with a variable persistent radio source consistent with a low luminosity active galactic nucleus. I suggest that FRB originate in the accretion disc funnels of intermediate mass black holes. Narrowly collimated radiation is emitted along the wandering instantaneous angular momentum axis of accreted matter. We observe this emission as a fast radio burst when it sweeps across the direction to the observer. This model constrains the mass of the black hole to values below those of galactic nuclei. It predicts, in contrast to neutron star (pulsar or SGR) models, that repeating FRB will not be periodic and will be co-located with persistent but variable radio sources resulting from the off-axis emission. The model is analogous, on smaller spatial, lower mass and accretion rate and shorter temporal scales, to AGN making double radio sources, with FRB corresponding to blazars in which the jets point toward us.