Simulations of relativistic plasma processes in neutron star magnetospheres relevant for fast radio bursts

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are mysterious, bright, millisecond duration radio bursts of cosmological origin. Although we have not yet figured out the progenitors of FRBs, recent detection of FRB-like bursts from a galactic magnetar coincident with its X-ray bursts lends support that magnetars may be responsible for producing at least some of the FRBs. The FRBs and X-ray bursts from the galactic magnetar may be triggered by a magnetar quake that launches Alfven waves into the magnetosphere, an extremely magnetized relativistic plasma environment surrounding the magnetar. We have carried out detailed, systematic numerical simulations of the Alfven wave dynamics that are relevant for FRB production, including Alfven waves becoming nonlinear and breaking out from the magnetosphere, as well as charge starvation of the Alfven waves. In this talk, I will present results from our first-principles simulations, and discuss the implications for FRB production.