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Joint Astrophysics ColloquiumJoint Astrophysics SeminarPulsar surveys and timing at AreciboPaulo FreireArecibo ObservatoryIn this talk, two pilot pulsar surveys are described. The first is the Intermediate Latitude survey, made at Arecibo between 1989 and 1991 at a radio frequency of 430 MHz. This survey covered 130 square degrees between the Galactic latitudes of 7 and 20 degrees and found 9 new pulsars, one of them, PSR J2016+1947, is a recycled pulsar in a binary system with a white dwarf companion, the orbital period if this binary is 635 days. We discuss these results and their significance for the understanding of the pulsar population.The second survey described is a pilot 327-MHz drift scan survey, which started in April at Arecibo. The aim of this survey is to demonstrate that at this lower frequency we can find, per unit time, three times as many pulsars as a 430-MHz drift scan survey. Finally, we present the ongoing timing of four recycled pulsars: J0407+16, J2016+1947, J1738+0333 and J1741+1354. These timing projects are likely to introduce fundamental constraints on alternative theories of gravitation.
Monday, June 16th 2003, 14:30
Ernest Rutherford Physics Building, room 305 |