GBT25B-188

Solving an enigmatic long-period pulsar through timing and spectropolarimetry

Abstract

Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that are seen to have emission across a wide range of spectral bands, from radio frequencies to high-energy gamma rays. Since their discovery, multiple classes of pulsars have emerged. Until recently, pulsars having spin periods greater than $\sim$10 sec were thought unlikely to exist because of the unfeasibility of such pulsars to sustain particle acceleration to fuel radio-pulsar emission. However, recently discovered long-period pulsars have shown the possibility of the existence of such objects. We propose GBT observations of a recent steep spectrum long-period (41-s) pulsar discovered with the Australian Square Kilometre Pathfinder (ASKAP), which can bridge our understanding between some of the existing classes of pulsars. Various follow-up efforts (e.g., Parkes/Murriyang, ASKAP) have shown that the source is potentially intermittent, but the radio frequency interference makes it strenuous to observe. The radio quiet zone of GBT will be crucial in detecting the source and understanding the spectro-temporal and polarimetric properties of this long-period source. This observation will be critical in uncovering the underlying emission mechanisms of ultra long-period sources and their origins.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Pavan Uttarkar *	Swinburne University of Technology
Pravir Kumar	Weizmann Institute of Science
Yuanming Wang	Sydney, University of
RESHMA ANNA THOMAS	West Virginia University
Ryan Shannon	Swinburne University of Technology
Vivek Gupta	Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Ziteng Wang	Sydney, University of; Curtin University

* indicates the PI