697 research outputs found
A broadband radio study of the average profile and giant pulses from PSR B1821-24A
We present the results of wide-band (720-2400 MHz) study of PSR B1821-24A
(J1824-2452A, M28A), an energetic millisecond pulsar visible in radio, X-rays
and gamma-rays. In radio, the pulsar has a complex average profile which spans
>85% of the spin period and exhibits strong evolution with observing frequency.
For the first time we measure phase-resolved polarization properties and
spectral indices of radio emission throughout almost all of the on-pulse
window. We combine this knowledge with the high-energy information to compare
M28A to other known gamma-ray millisecond pulsars and to speculate that M28A's
radio emission originates in multiple regions within its magnetosphere (i.e.
both in the slot or outer gaps near the light cylinder and at lower altitudes
above the polar cap). M28A is one of the handful of pulsars which are known to
emit Giant Pulses (GPs) -- short, bright radio pulses of unknown nature. We
report a drop in the linear polarization of the average profile in both windows
of GP generation and also a `W'-shaped absorption feature (resembling a double
notch), partly overlapping with one of the GP windows. The GPs themselves have
broadband spectra consisting of multiple patches with fractional spectral width
() of about 0.07. Although our time resolution was not
sufficient to resolve the GP structure on the microsecond scale, we argue that
GPs from this pulsar most closely resemble the GPs from the main pulse of the
Crab pulsar, which consist of a series of narrowband nanoshots.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, accepted to Ap
Green Bank Telescope Observations of the Eclipse of Pulsar "A" in the Double Pulsar Binary PSR J0737-3039
We report on the first Green Bank Telescope observations at 427, 820 and 1400
MHz of the newly discovered, highly inclined and relativistic double pulsar
binary. We focus on the brief eclipse of PSR J0737-3039A, the faster pulsar,
when it passes behind PSR J0737-3039B. We measure a frequency-averaged eclipse
duration of 26.6 +/- 0.6 s, or 0.00301 +/- 0.00008 in orbital phase. The
eclipse duration is found to be significantly dependent on radio frequency,
with eclipses longer at lower frequencies. Specifically, eclipse duration is
well fit by a linear function having slope (-4.52 +/- 0.03) x 10^{-7}
orbits/MHz. We also detect significant asymmetry in the eclipse. Eclipse
ingress takes 3.51 +/- 0.99 times longer than egress, independent of radio
frequency. Additionally, the eclipse lasts (40 +/- 7) x 10^{-5} in orbital
phase longer after conjunction, also independent of frequency. We detect
significant emission from the pulsar on short time scales during eclipse in
some orbits. We discuss these results in the context of a model in which the
eclipsing material is a shock-heated plasma layer within the slower PSR
J0737-3039B's light cylinder, where the relativistic pressure of the faster
pulsar's wind confines the magnetosphere of the slower pulsar.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure
Assessing the Role of Spin Noise in the Precision Timing of Millisecond Pulsars
We investigate rotational spin noise (referred to as timing noise) in
non-accreting pulsars: millisecond pulsars, canonical pulsars, and magnetars.
Particular attention is placed on quantifying the strength and non-stationarity
of timing noise in millisecond pulsars because the long-term stability of these
objects is required to detect nanohertz gravitational radiation. We show that a
single scaling law is sufficient to characterize timing noise in millisecond
and canonical pulsars while the same scaling law underestimates the levels of
timing noise in magnetars. The scaling law, along with a detailed study of the
millisecond pulsar B1937+21, leads us to conclude that timing noise is latent
in most millisecond pulsars and will be measurable in many objects when better
arrival time estimates are obtained over long data spans. The sensitivity of a
pulsar timing array to gravitational radiation is strongly affected by any
timing noise. We conclude that detection of proposed gravitational wave
backgrounds will require the analysis of more objects than previously suggested
over data spans that depend on the spectra of both the gravitational wave
background and of the timing noise. It is imperative to find additional
millisecond pulsars in current and future surveys in order to reduce the
effects of timing noise.Comment: 16 pages and 6 figures. ApJ, accepte
Minimum Requirements for Detecting a Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background Using Pulsars
We assess the detectability of a nanohertz gravitational wave (GW) background
with respect to additive red and white noise in the timing of millisecond
pulsars. We develop detection criteria based on the cross-correlation function
summed over pulsar pairs in a pulsar timing array. The distribution of
correlation amplitudes is found to be non-Gaussian and highly skewed, which
significantly influences detection and false-alarm probabilities. When only
white noise and GWs contribute, our detection results are consistent with those
found by others. Red noise, however, drastically alters the results. We discuss
methods to meet the challenge of GW detection ("climbing mount significance")
by distinguishing between GW-dominated and red or white-noise limited regimes.
We characterize detection regimes by evaluating the number of millisecond
pulsars that must be monitored in a high-cadence, 5-year timing program for a
GW background spectrum with yr.
Unless a sample of 20 super-stable millisecond pulsars can be found --- those
with timing residuals from red-noise contributions ns
--- a much larger timing program on MSPs will be needed. For
other values of , the constraint is . Identification of suitable MSPs itself requires
an aggressive survey campaign followed by characterization of the level of spin
noise in the timing residuals of each object. The search and timing programs
will likely require substantial fractions of time on new array telescopes in
the southern hemisphere as well as on existing ones.Comment: Submitted to the Astrophysical Journa
DSPSR: Digital Signal Processing Software for Pulsar Astronomy
DSPSR is a high-performance, open-source, object-oriented, digital signal
processing software library and application suite for use in radio pulsar
astronomy. Written primarily in C++, the library implements an extensive range
of modular algorithms that can optionally exploit both multiple-core processors
and general-purpose graphics processing units. After over a decade of research
and development, DSPSR is now stable and in widespread use in the community.
This paper presents a detailed description of its functionality, justification
of major design decisions, analysis of phase-coherent dispersion removal
algorithms, and demonstration of performance on some contemporary
microprocessor architectures.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, to be published in PAS
An Exploration of the Search Behaviors of Children When Using an Online Library Catalog
Children between the ages of 9 and 13, sometimes called âtweens,â are increasingly required to be fluent in the use of technology, especially in the classroom. Often referred to as âdigital natives,â these children are developmentally geared toward social interaction and beginning to transfer their earlier reliance on the adults in their world to their wider peer group. This study explores the elements that influence tweensâ information-seeking behaviors by examining their use of an online library catalog. Using qualitative research methods â Zoom-recorded think-aloud sessions and retrospective interviews â this study engaged a group of 10 tweens in conversations about use of the library catalog, as well as their search behaviors and search influencers in order to address the following research questions: 1) What strategies do pre-teens (children between 9 and 13) employ when using the libraryâs online public access catalog? 2) Is there a relationship between the strategies used and any digital technology training or classwork they may have had in school or in other settings? 3) Is there a relationship between strategies used and other human influences, such as caregivers, teachers, or peers? Results indicate that these children become information seekers at a young age â many before they can entirely remember the process â but that they do so with little direct instruction. In exploring the challenges they face â as well as their successes â this study provides insights into potential opportunities for teachers and librarians to assist children in becoming effective and discerning searchers in the library and in the broader world.Master of Science in Library Scienc
Practical Methods for Continuous Gravitational Wave Detection using Pulsar Timing Data
Gravitational Waves (GWs) are tiny ripples in the fabric of space-time
predicted by Einstein's General Relativity. Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are
well poised to detect low frequency ( -- Hz) GWs in the near
future. There has been a significant amount of research into the detection of a
stochastic background of GWs from supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs).
Recent work has shown that single continuous sources standing out above the
background may be detectable by PTAs operating at a sensitivity sufficient to
detect the stochastic background. The most likely sources of continuous GWs in
the pulsar timing frequency band are extremely massive and/or nearby SMBHBs. In
this paper we present detection strategies including various forms of matched
filtering and power spectral summing. We determine the efficacy and
computational cost of such strategies. It is shown that it is computationally
infeasible to use an optimal matched filter including the poorly constrained
pulsar distances with a grid based method. We show that an Earth-term-matched
filter constructed using only the correlated signal terms is both
computationally viable and highly sensitive to GW signals. This technique is
only a factor of two less sensitive than the computationally unrealizable
optimal matched filter and a factor of two more sensitive than a power spectral
summing technique. We further show that a pairwise matched filter, taking the
pulsar distances into account is comparable to the optimal matched filter for
the single template case and comparable to the Earth-term-matched filter for
many search templates. Finally, using simulated data optimal quality, we place
a theoretical minimum detectable strain amplitude of from
continuous GWs at frequencies on the order .Comment: submitted to Ap
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