27,592 research outputs found
End-to-end algorithm for hierarchical area searches for long-duration GW sources for GEO 600
We describe a hierarchical, highly parallel computer algorithm to perform
searches for unknown sources of continuous gravitational waves -- spinning
neutron stars in the Galaxy -- over wide areas of the sky and wide frequency
bandwidths. We optimize the algorithm for an observing period of 4 months and
an available computing power of 20 Gflops, in a search for neutron stars
resembling millisecond pulsars. We show that, if we restrict the search to the
galactic plane, the method will detect any star whose signal is stronger than
15 times the noise level of a detector over that search period. Since
on grounds of confidence the minimum identifiable signal should be about 10
times noise, our algorithm does only 50% worse than this and runs on a computer
with achievable processing speed.Comment: 7 pages, for proceedings of Jan 1999 Moriond meeting "Gravitational
Waves and Experimental Gravity
Enabling pulsar and fast transient searches using coherent dedispersion
We present an implementation of the coherent dedispersion algorithm capable
of dedispersing high-time-resolution radio observations to many different
dispersion measures (DMs). This approach allows the removal of the dispersive
effects of the interstellar medium and enables searches for pulsed emission
from pulsars and other millisecond-duration transients at low observing
frequencies and/or high DMs where time broadening of the signal due to
dispersive smearing would otherwise severely reduce the sensitivity. The
implementation, called 'cdmt', for Coherent Dispersion Measure Trials, exploits
the parallel processing capability of general-purpose graphics processing units
to accelerate the computations. We describe the coherent dedispersion algorithm
and detail how cdmt implements the algorithm to efficiently compute many
coherent DM trials. We present the concept of a semi-coherent dedispersion
search, where coherently dedispersed trials at coarsely separated DMs are
subsequently incoherently dedispersed at finer steps in DM. The software is
used in an ongoing LOFAR pilot survey to test the feasibility of performing
semi-coherent dedispersion searches for millisecond pulsars at 135MHz. This
pilot survey has led to the discovery of a radio millisecond pulsar -- the
first at these low frequencies. This is the first time that such a broad and
comprehensive search in DM-space has been done using coherent dedispersion, and
we argue that future low-frequency pulsar searches using this approach are both
scientifically compelling and feasible. Finally, we compare the performance of
cdmt with other available alternatives.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Astronomy and Computin
Precise optical timing of PSR J1023+0038, the first millisecond pulsar detected with Aqueye+ in Asiago
We report the first detection of an optical millisecond pulsar with the fast
photon counter Aqueye+ in Asiago. This is an independent confirmation of the
detection of millisecond pulsations from PSR J1023+0038 obtained with SiFAP at
the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. We observed the transitional millisecond
pulsar PSR J1023+0038 with Aqueye+ mounted at the Copernicus telescope in
January 2018. Highly significant pulsations were detected. The rotational
period is in agreement with the value extrapolated from the X-ray ephemeris,
while the time of passage at the ascending node is shifted by
s from the value predicted using the orbital period from the X-rays. An
independent optical timing solution is derived over a baseline of a few days,
that has an accuracy of in pulse phase ( s in time).
This level of precision is needed to derive an accurate coherent timing
solution for the pulsar and to search for possible phase shifts between the
optical and X-ray pulses using future simultaneous X-ray and optical
observations.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Society Letter
GMRT Discovery of A Millisecond Pulsar in a Very Eccentric Binary System
We report the discovery of the binary millisecond pulsar J0514-4002A, which
is the first known pulsar in the globular cluster NGC 1851 and the first pulsar
discovered using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). The pulsar has a
rotational period of 4.99 ms, an orbital period of 18.8 days, and the most
eccentric pulsar orbit yet measured (e = 0.89). The companion has a minimum
mass of 0.9 M_sun and its nature is presently unclear. After accreting matter
from a low-mass companion star which spun it up to a (few) millisecond spin
period, the pulsar eventually exchanged the low-mass star for its more massive
present companion. This is exactly the same process that could form a system
containing a millisecond pulsar and a black hole; the discovery of NGC 1851A
demonstrates that such systems might exist in the Universe, provided that
stellar mass black holes exist in globular clusters.Comment: 12 pages (referee format), 3 figures, accepted for publication in
Astrophysical Journal Letter
Searching for periodic sources with LIGO
We investigate the computational requirements for all-sky, all-frequency
searches for gravitational waves from spinning neutron stars, using archived
data from interferometric gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO. These
sources are expected to be weak, so the optimal strategy involves coherent
accumulaton of signal-to-noise using Fourier transforms of long stretches of
data (months to years). Earth-motion-induced Doppler shifts, and intrinsic
pulsar spindown, will reduce the narrow-band signal-to-noise by spreading power
across many frequency bins; therefore, it is necessary to correct for these
effects before performing the Fourier transform. The corrections can be
implemented by a parametrized model, in which one does a search over a discrete
set of parameter values. We define a metric on this parameter space, which can
be used to determine the optimal spacing between points in a search; the metric
is used to compute the number of independent parameter-space points Np that
must be searched, as a function of observation time T. The number Np(T) depends
on the maximum gravitational wave frequency and the minimum spindown age
tau=f/(df/dt) that the search can detect. The signal-to-noise ratio required,
in order to have 99% confidence of a detection, also depends on Np(T). We find
that for an all-sky, all-frequency search lasting T=10^7 s, this detection
threshhold is at a level of 4 to 5 times h(3/yr), where h(3/yr) is the
corresponding 99% confidence threshhold if one knows in advance the pulsar
position and spin period.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, 12 PostScript figures included using psfig.
Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Systems and methods for determining radio frequency interference
The presence, frequency and amplitude of radio frequency interference superimposed on communication links originating from a terrestrial region and including a relay in a geostationary spacecraft are determined by pointing a narrow beam antenna on the satellite at the terrestrial region. The level of noise radiated from the region to the antenna is measured at a terrestrial station that is usually remote from the region. Calibrating radio signals having a plurality of predetermined EIRP's (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) and frequencies in the spectrum are transmitted from the region through the spacecraft narrow beam antenna back to the station. At the station, the levels of the received calibrating signals are separately measured for each of the frequency bands and EIRP's
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