A HyperFlash and ÉCLAT view of the local environment and energetics of the repeating FRB 20240619D

Time-variable propagation effects provide a window into the local plasma environments of repeating fast radio burst (FRB) sources. Here we report high-cadence observations of FRB 20240619D, as part of the HyperFlash and ÉCLAT programmes. We observed for 500 h and detected 217 bursts, including 10 bursts with high fluence (⁠>25 Jy ms) and implied energy. We track burst-to-burst variations in dispersion measure (DM) and rotation measure (RM), from which we constrain the parallel magnetic field strength in the source’s local environment: 0.27 ± 0.13 mG. Apparent DM variations between sub-bursts in a single bright event are interpreted as coming from plasma lensing or variable emission height. We also identify two distinct scintillation screens along the line of sight, one associated with the Milky Way and the other likely located in the FRB’s host galaxy or local environment. Together, these (time-variable) propagation effects reveal that FRB 20240619D is embedded in a dense, turbulent and highly magnetised plasma. The source’s environment is more dynamic than that measured for many other (repeating) FRB sources, but less extreme compared to several repeaters that are associated with a compact, persistent radio source. FRB 20240619D’s cumulative burst fluence distribution shows a power-law break, with a flat tail at high energies. Along with previous studies, this emphasises a common feature in the burst energy distribution of hyperactive repeaters. Using the break in the burst fluence distribution, we estimate a source redshift of z + 0.042 - 0.240. We discuss FRB 20240619D’s nature in the context of similar studies of other repeating FRBs.