基于DBBC＋Mark5B记录系统的脉冲星观测

2009年11月,云南天文台射电天文研究团组采用40m射电望远镜以及基于DBBC（Digital Base Band Conveter）和Mark5B的VLBI记录系统对PSRJ08354510和PSRJ0332＋5434进行了观测。观测选用S波段右旋圆极化信号,起始频率为2206．99MHz,总带宽为32MHz。对数据进行相干消色散和平均后,得到PSRJ0332＋5434的单脉冲图像和两颗脉冲星的平均脉冲轮廓。由平均轮廓的展宽随时间的变化关系,对脉冲星的视周期作了一定修正后,得到信噪比更高的平均轮廓图。最后对轮廓的信噪比随时间的变化作了初步分析,由此可了解整个系统在观测时的稳定性。     

上海天文台25 m射电望远镜首次单天线脉冲星观测

介绍上海天文台25 m射电望远镜首次单天线脉冲星观测。2010年4月23日,使用上海天文台位于佘山观测基地的25 m射电望远镜对脉冲星J0332+5434在L波段进行了观测,此次观测使用VLBI终端进行数据采集记录,通过对观测数据进行非相干消色散和周期折叠,成功获得目标源的平均轮廓。此次观测的成功,表明该天线具备开展单天线脉冲星观测的条件,并为上海天文台建设中的65 m天线的天文观测提供了参考,为将来自主研发脉冲星终端进行了技术储备。     

毫秒脉冲星PSR J1022+1001轮廓稳定性的研究

脉冲星具有非常稳定的累积脉冲轮廓,特别是毫秒脉冲星.前人研究发现一些脉冲星的累积脉冲轮廓会呈现出不稳定性.研究了毫秒脉冲星PSR J1022+1001累积脉冲轮廓的稳定性问题,该脉冲轮廓有两个峰,发现其峰值比随时间有明显的变化.通过分析,认为该毫秒脉冲星累积脉冲轮廓的不稳定性主要是由于脉冲轮廓随观测频率变化,同时星际闪烁造成不同频率上流量密度变化.研究还发现,也有少部分累积脉冲轮廓的变化可能是脉冲星内禀或其他因素所引起的.     

毫秒脉冲星计时观测进展

在评述国际上毫秒脉冲星长期计时观测成果的基础上，比较了由毫秒脉冲星自转定义的脉冲星时PT与原子时AT的长期稳定度。毫秒脉冲星PSR B1855 09 15yr的长期稳定度优于原子时TAI—USNO，而接近原子时TAI—PTB；其短期稳定度主要受到计时观测误差的限制。毫秒脉冲星PSR J0437-47 1yr以上的稳定度明显优于上述两原子时系统。毫秒脉冲星PSR B193T 21和PSR J1713 07的长期稳定度受到低频噪声影响，但仍能对综合脉冲星时PTens的建立与保持作出贡献。另外，介绍和评述了国际上脉冲星计时阵的现状及发展。随着脉冲星计时阵的实旅，在脉冲星时间标准研究、原子时误差、太阳系历表误差研究和引力波探测方面将会取得重要成果；展望了国际上平方公里望远镜(SKA)在毫秒脉冲星计时观测方面的发展前景。     

PSR J0835-4510单脉冲的观测研究

利用中国科学院国家授时中心昊平观测站40m射电望远镜, 在L波段对Vela脉冲星(PSR J0835-4510)进行了单个脉冲观测研究. 在56min的观测数据中, 共观测到38040个单脉冲. 探测到观测时间内辐射的所有单脉冲信号, 其中单脉冲的半峰线宽(half-maximum line width, $W_{50     

基于泊松模型的X射线脉冲星信号的最大似然TOA估计

讨论了X射线脉冲星光子到达的周期平稳Poisson模型和到达时刻(Time of arrival,TOA)估计问题.在此基础上,得到了脉冲到达时刻的最大似然估计和克拉美-罗限(Cramer-Rao boundary,CRB),并推导了低信噪比情况下的似然函数近似表达和克拉美-罗限.利用解析的脉冲轮廓,对PSR B1821-24的TOA估计进行了Monte Carlo仿真,讨论了不同观测时间和信噪比下的估计误差,给出了相应的信噪比门限.研究表明:该分析方法能够有效估计X射线脉冲星的TOA定时精度,有利于评估其在各种应用中的性能.     

Crab脉冲星巨脉冲辐射等待时间分布的非稳态泊松模拟

利用中国科学院新疆天文台南山观测站26m射电望远镜, 在中心频率1556MHz, 对Crab脉冲星(PSR B0531+21)进行了长达12.6h的连续观测, 观测带宽为512MHz, 时间分辨率为32μs, 研究了巨脉冲辐射的等待时间分布特征. 观测共探测到2097个信噪比大于10的巨脉冲, 对应的流量密度大于100Jy. 巨脉冲的爆发率表现为高度的间歇性, 在较短的时间内具有较高的爆发率, 在相对长的宁静期内巨脉冲的爆发率较低, 尤其是中间脉冲相位内的巨脉冲爆发. 相邻两个巨脉冲的等待时间分布表现为幂律分布特征, 可以用一个非稳态的泊松过程进行模拟, 这表明巨脉冲的爆发是一种独立的随机事件. 此外, 主脉冲和中间脉冲相位上的巨脉冲具有不同的等待时间分布特征, 这意味着脉冲星不同磁极的巨脉冲辐射机制可能是不同的. 这些观测结果对于理解脉冲星的射电辐射机制具有重要意义.     

利用南山数据对PSR B0329+54的长时标轮廓稳定性的研究

利用新疆天文台25 m射电望远镜2003—2009年对PSR B0329+54长达453 h的观测数据,研究了这颗源在1540 MHz上正常模式和反常模式的轮廓稳定性时标.通过不同时间的积分脉冲轮廓与参考轮廓交叉相关系数分析,发现随积分时间的增加,两种模式的轮廓先是以较快的速度趋于稳定,在积分时间增加到约(4±1) min时,轮廓趋稳速率放缓,当积分时间达到(140±60) min (正常模式)或达到(65±15) min (反常模式)时,轮廓趋稳速度再次变快.相关系数的结果显示两种模式的轮廓在绝大多数积分时标上都不是完全随机的涨落.如果以发生轮廓趋稳速率从快到慢转变所需的积分时间作为轮廓稳定时标的判据,两种模式的稳定时标均大约为5 min.轮廓中不同成分强度比例的涨落随积分时间的变化关系各不相同,由此可以推断3个成分强度涨落性质有差异.造成轮廓趋稳行为在不同时标上有明显差异的原因有观测噪声和星际闪烁等.     

脉冲星时间尺度及其TOA预报初步分析

在简述国际天文学会(IAU)定义的几种不同时间尺度的基础上,重点讨论脉冲星计时观测中时间坐标相对论转换问题。脉冲星计时观测资料分析应该参考地球时TT,并将TT转换为质心坐标时TCB或质心力学时TDB。基于IAU重新定义的TDB,讨论和比较了时间坐标转换的解析算法和利用太阳系天体历表的数值积分算法。分析了TCB和TDB对脉冲星自转参数测量的影响。最后,以毫秒脉冲星PSR B1855+09的计时模型为例,初步分析了脉冲星脉冲到达时间的预报问题。     

PSR B1237+25的强脉冲辐射特性的观测与研究

强脉冲是一种特殊的单脉冲辐射,表现为较强的射电爆发.利用新疆天文台南山25 m射电望远镜研究了PSR B1237+25的强脉冲辐射特性.发现探测到的793个强脉冲出现在积分轮廓的所有辐射成分中,峰值流量密度是平均脉冲的10.2至82.5倍.用对数正态分布对强脉冲的峰值流量密度比、信噪比和脉冲宽度的分布进行了拟合.在1540 MHz频率下首次发现PSR B1237+25有新的、微弱的辐射成分.新发现的最内锥辐射属于部分锥,前导成分非常微弱,因此很难被探测到.对3层锥结构进行的详细研究发现新成分非常靠近核区,辐射区高度以约300 km为步长逐步升高,中心锥和外锥辐射可能来自同一套磁力线.     

Characteristics of the supernova remnant G351.7+0.8 and a distance argument against its association with PSR J1721−3532

New images of the supernova remnant (SNR) G351.7+0.8 are presented based on 21-cm H  i -line emission and continuum emission data from the Southern Galactic Plane Survey. SNR G351.7+0.8 has a flux density of 8.4 ± 0.7 Jy at 1420 MHz. Its spectral index is 0.52 ± 0.25 ( S = v ^−α) between 1420 and 843 MHz, typical of adiabatically expanding shell-like remnants. H  i observations show structures possibly associated with the SNR in the radial velocity range of −10 to −18 km s⁻¹, and suggest a distance of 13.2 kpc and a radius of 30.7 pc. The estimated Sedov age for G351.7+0.8 is less than  6.8×10⁴ yr  . A young radio pulsar PSR J1721−3532 lies close to SNR G351.7+0.8 on the sky. The new distance and age of G351.7+0.8 and recent proper motion measurements of the pulsar strongly argue against an association between SNR G351.7+0.8 and PSR J1721−3532. There is an unidentified, faint X-ray point source 1RXS J172055.3−353937 which is close to G351.7+0.8. This may be a neutron star potentially associated with G351.7+0.8.     

Drifting sub-pulses in two newly discovered pulsars

We have detected the rare phenomenon of stable, drifting sub-pulse behaviour in two pulsars discovered in the recent Swinburne intermediate latitude pulsar survey. The pulsars, PSR     and PSR J1919+0134, have approximate periods ( P ) of 1.873 and 1.6039 s respectively.
Both pulsars have multicomponent profiles, and distinct drifting is observed across them. We have identified a single drift mode in both pulsars: the drift rate for PSR     being 5.4(1) ms P ⁻¹ and 5.8(2) ms P ⁻¹ for PSR 1919+0134. The drifting is linear across the profile with no departure from linearity at the edges within the sensitivity of our observations.     

Braking PSR J1734-3333 with a possible fall-back disk

The very small braking index of PSR J1734-3333, n = 0.9 ± 0.2, chal- lenges the current theories of braking mechanisms in pulsars. We present a possible interpretation that this pulsar is surrounded by a fall-hack disk and braked by it. A modified braking torque is proposed based on the competition between the magnetic energy density of the pulsar and the kinetic energy density of the fall-back disk. With this torque, a self-similar disk can fit all the observed parameters of PSR J1734-3333 with natural initial values of parameters. In this regime, the star will evolve to the re- gion having anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma repeaters in the P -/5 diagram in about 20 000 years and stay there for a very long time. The mass of the disk around PSR J1734-3333 in our model is about 10M similar to the observed mass of the disk around AXP 4U 0142＋61.     

Giant radio pulses from the millisecond pulsar PSR B1937+21 at 327 MHz

Seven giant radio pulses were recorded from the millisecond pulsar PSR B1937+21 during ≈8.1 min observation by the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) at 326.5 MHz. Although sparse, these observations support most of the giant pulse behaviour reported at higher radio frequencies (430 to 2380 MHz). Within the main component of the integrated profile, they are emitted only in a narrow (≲47 μs) window of pulse phase, close to its peak. This has important implications for doing super-high precision timing of PSR B1937+21 at low radio frequencies.     

PSR J1453+1902 and the radio luminosities of solitary versus binary millisecond pulsars

We present 3 yr of timing observations for PSR J1453+1902, a 5.79-ms pulsar discovered during a 430-MHz drift-scan survey with the Arecibo telescope. Our observations show that PSR J1453+1902 is solitary and has a proper motion of  8 ±  2  mas yr⁻¹. At the nominal distance of 1.2 kpc estimated from the pulsar's dispersion measure, this corresponds to a transverse speed of  46 ± 11   km s⁻¹  , typical of the millisecond pulsar population. We analyse the current sample of 55 millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disc and revisit the question of whether the luminosities of isolated millisecond pulsars are different from their binary counterparts. We demonstrate that the apparent differences in the luminosity distributions seen in samples selected from 430-MHz surveys can be explained by small-number statistics and observational selection biases. An examination of the sample from 1400-MHz surveys shows no differences in the distributions. The simplest conclusion from the current data is that the spin, kinematic, spatial and luminosity distributions of isolated and binary millisecond pulsars are consistent with a single homogeneous population.     

Discovery of a highly dispersed pulsar at l=304°

We report the discovery of a pulsar with a Galactic longitude of 304° and a dispersion measure (DM) of 875 cm⁻³ pc. PSR J1302−63 has the second largest DM of any known pulsar. It is also relatively weak, with a flux density of only 0.2 mJy at 1500 MHz. This is the 13th pulsar with a DM greater than 400 cm⁻³ pc located more than 50° from the Galactic Centre. It provides further evidence for a significant pulsar population and enhanced electron densities within the major spiral arms.     

Hard X-ray observations of PSR J1833−1034 and its associated pulsar wind nebula

PSR J1833−1034 and its associated pulsar wind nebula (PWN) have been investigated in depth through X-ray observations ranging from 0.1 to 200 keV. The low-energy X-ray data from Chandra reveal a complex morphology that is characterized by a bright central plerion, no thermal shell and an extended diffuse halo. The spectral emission from the central plerion softens with radial distance from the pulsar, with the spectral index ranging from  Γ= 1.61  in the central region to  Γ= 2.36  at the edge of the PWN. At higher energy, INTEGRAL detected the source in the 17–200 keV range. The data analysis clearly shows that the main contribution to the spectral emission in the hard X-ray energy range is originated from the PWN, while the pulsar is dominant above 200 keV. Recent High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) observations in the high-energy gamma-ray domain show that PSR J1833−1034 is a bright TeV emitter, with a flux corresponding to ∼2 per cent of the Crab in 1–10 TeV range. In addition, the spectral shape in the TeV energy region matches well with that in the hard X-rays observed by INTEGRAL . Based on these findings, we conclude that the emission from the pulsar and its associated PWN can be described in a scenario where hard X-rays are produced through synchrotron light of electrons with Lorentz factor  γ∼ 10⁹  in a magnetic field of ∼10 μG. In this hypothesis, the TeV emission is due to inverse-Compton interaction of the cooled electrons off the cosmic microwave background photons. Search for PSR J1833−1034 X-ray pulsed emission, via RXTE and Swift X-ray observations, resulted in an upper limit that is about 50 per cent.     

Discovery of three new pulsars in a 610-MHz pulsar survey with the GMRT

We report on the discovery of three new pulsars in the first blind survey of the north Galactic plane  (45° < l < 135°; | b | < 1°)  with the Giant Meterwave Radio telescope (GMRT) at an intermediate frequency of 610 MHz. The survey covered 106 deg² with a sensitivity of roughly 1 mJy to long-period pulsars (pulsars with period longer than 1 s). The three new pulsars have periods of 318, 933 and 1056 ms. Their timing parameters and flux densities, obtained in follow-up observations with the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank and the GMRT, are presented. We also report on pulse nulling behaviour in one of the newly discovered pulsars, PSR J2208+5500.