Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userThe analysis of the largest sample of multi-frequency pulsar scatter time estimates
93
0
0.0
(
0
)
Added by
Wojciech Lewandowski
Publication date
2015
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
We present our results of pulse broadening time estimates and the study of the frequency scaling of this quantity for 60 pulsars based on actual multi-frequency scattering estimates. This research was based on our own measurements, performed on the observational data and the profiles from various pulsar profile databases, as well as the scatter time measurements that were found in the literature. We were able to construct a database of over 60 pulsars with true multi-frequency $alpha$ measurements, which allowed us to revise the previously proposed relations between the scatter time spectral slope and the dispersion measure (DM). We found that the deviations from theoretical predictions of the value of $alpha$ appear for pulsars regardless of their DM, however the DM-averaged value of the scaling index is almost constant except for pulsars with very high DMs. Based on the obtained slopes we were also able to estimate the amount of scattering at the standard frequency of 1 GHz. We found that while the estimated standardized pulse broadening time increases with DM the relation seems to be much flatter than it was previously proposed, which suggests higher values of the scatter time for mid-DM pulsars, and lower values of expected pulse broadening for highly dispersed sources.
rate research
Read More
The double pulsar PSR J0737-3039A/B displays short, 30 s eclipses that arise around conjunction when the radio waves emitted by pulsar A are absorbed as they propagate through the magnetosphere of its companion pulsar B. These eclipses offer a unique opportunity to probe directly the magnetospheric structure and the plasma properties of pulsar B. We have performed a comprehensive analysis of the eclipse phenomenology using multi-frequency radio observations obtained with the Green Bank Telescope. We have characterized the periodic flux modulations previously discovered at 820 MHz by McLaughlin et al., and investigated the radio frequency dependence of the duration and depth of the eclipses. Based on their weak radio frequency evolution, we conclude that the plasma in pulsar Bs magnetosphere requires a large multiplicity factor (~ 10^5). We also found that, as expected, flux modulations are present at all radio frequencies in which eclipses can be detected. Their complex behavior is consistent with the confinement of the absorbing plasma in the dipolar magnetic field of pulsar B as suggested by Lyutikov & Thompson and such a geometric connection explains that the observed periodicity is harmonically related to pulsar Bs spin frequency. We observe that the eclipses require a sharp transition region beyond which the plasma density drops off abruptly. Such a region defines a plasmasphere which would be well inside the magnetospheric boundary of an undisturbed pulsar. It is also two times smaller than the expected standoff radius calculated using the balance of the wind pressure from pulsar A and the nominally estimated magnetic pressure of pulsar B.
We present multi-frequency scatter broadening evolution of 29 pulsars observed with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and Long Wavelength Array (LWA). We conducted new observations using LOFAR Low Band Antennae (LBA) as well as utilized the archival data from LOFAR and LWA. This study has increased the total of all multi-frequency or wide-band scattering measurements up to a dispersion measure (DM) of 150~pc,cm$^{-3}$ by 60%. The scatter broadening timescale ($tau_{sc}$) measurements at different frequencies are often combined by scaling them to a common reference frequency of 1,GHz. Using our data, we show that the $tau_{sc}$--DM variations are best fitted for reference frequencies close to 200--300,MHz, and scaling to higher or lower frequencies results in significantly more scatter in data. We suggest that this effect might indicate a frequency dependence of the scatter broadening scaling index ($alpha$). However, a selection bias due to our chosen observing frequencies can not be ruled out with the current data set. Our data did not favour any particular model of the DM -- $tau_{sc}$ relations, and we do not see a statistically significant break at the low DM range in this relation. The turbulence spectral index ($beta$) is found to be steeper than that is expected from a Kolmogorov spectrum. This indicates that the local ISM turbulence may have a low wave-number cutoff or presence of large scale inhomogeneities in the line of sight to some of the reported pulsars.
We have observed a large glitch in the Crab pulsar (PSR B0531+21). The glitch occurred around MJD 58064 (2017 November 8) when the pulsar underwent an increase in the rotation rate of $Delta u = 1.530 times 10^{-5}$ Hz, corresponding to a fractional increase of $Delta u / u = 0.516 times 10^{-6}$ making this event the largest glitch ever observed in this source. Due to our high-cadence and long-dwell time observations of the Crab pulsar we are able to partially resolve a fraction of the total spin-up of the star. This delayed spin-up occurred over a timescale of $sim$1.7 days and is similar to the behaviour seen in the 1989 and 1996 large Crab pulsar glitches. The spin-down rate also increased at the glitch epoch by $Delta dot{ u} / dot{ u} = 7 times 10^{-3}$. In addition to being the largest such event observed in the Crab, the glitch occurred after the longest period of glitch inactivity since at least 1984 and we discuss a possible relationship between glitch size and waiting time. No changes to the shape of the pulse profile were observed near the glitch epoch at 610 MHz or 1520 MHz, nor did we identify any changes in the X-ray flux from the pulsar. The long-term recovery from the glitch continues to progress as $dot{ u}$ slowly rises towards pre-glitch values. In line with other large Crab glitches, we expect there to be a persistent change to $dot{ u}$. We continue to monitor the long-term recovery with frequent, high quality observations.
Some radio pulsars show clear drifting subpulses, in which subpulses are seen to drift in pulse longitude in a systematic pattern. Here we examine how the drifting subpulses of PSR B0809+74 evolve with time and observing frequency. We show that the s
ubpulse period (P3) is constant on timescales of days, months and years, and between 14-5100 MHz. Despite this, the shapes of the driftbands change radically with frequency. Previous studies have concluded that, while the subpulses appear to move through the pulse window approximately linearly at low frequencies (< 500 MHz), a discrete step of 180 degrees in subpulse phase is observed at higher frequencies (> 820 MHz) near to the peak of the average pulse profile. We use LOFAR, GMRT, GBT, WSRT and Effelsberg 100-m data to explore the frequency-dependence of this phase step. We show that the size of the subpulse phase step increases gradually, and is observable even at low frequencies. We attribute the subpulse phase step to the presence of two separate driftbands, whose relative arrival times vary with frequency - one driftband arriving 30 pulses earlier at 20 MHz than it does at 1380 MHz, whilst the other arrives simultaneously at all frequencies. The drifting pattern which is observed here cannot be explained by either the rotating carousel model or the surface oscillation model, and could provide new insight into the physical processes happening within the pulsar magnetosphere.
We report on spectroscopic observations covering most of the 475 BL Lacs in the 2nd Fermi LAT catalog of AGN. Including archival measurements (correcting several erroneous literature values) we now have spectroscopic redshifts for 44% of the BL Lacs. We establish firm lower redshift limits via intervening absorption systems and statistical lower limits via searches for host galaxies for an additional 51% of the sample leaving only 5% of the BL Lacs unconstrained. The new redshifts raise the median spectroscopic z from 0.23 to 0.33 and include redshifts as large as z=2.471. Spectroscopic redshift minima from intervening absorbers have ~ z= 0.70, showing a substantial fraction at large z and arguing against strong negative evolution. We find that detected BL Lac hosts are bright ellipticals with black hole masses M_bullet ~ 10^{8.5-9}, substantially larger than the mean of optical AGN and LAT Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar samples. A slow increase in M_bullet with z may be due to selection bias. We find that the power-law dominance of the optical spectrum extends to extreme values, but this does not strongly correlate with the gamma-ray properties, suggesting that strong beaming is the primary cause of the range in continuum dominance.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
