ARCC@UWM: The Search for Pulsars

Pulsars are dense, evolved stars, called neutron stars, that rotate with an extremely reliable period and emit an intense beam of radiation that can be seen from Earth in radio frequencies, appearing similar to a lighthouse pulse. This unique signal allows for novel ways to observe the universe, the most exciting of which is the potential to detect previously undiscovered gravitational waves, giving further evidence to Einstein’s theory of relativity. We currently know of over 2000 pulsars, of which around 10% have frequencies of ~500 Hz and are known as millisecond pulsars. However, methods for using pulsars to detect gravitational waves become more sensitive with every additional millisecond pulsar, so active searches for new pulsars are very important. By remotely observing from UWM with two of the world’s largest radio telescopes, the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico and the Green Bank telescope in West Virginia, students discover, confirm, and study these incredible neutron stars while collaborating with scientists around the globe