GBT25B-362

Detecting Pulsars in Globular Clusters: A Proposal for Targeted Follow-up

Abstract

Millisecond pulsars serve as critical astrophysical laboratories for exploring fundamental physics, gravitational wave detection, and binary evolution. However, many MSPs remain undiscovered due to observational biases and limitations. In a search of 97 globular clusters using VLA Low-band Ionosphere and Transient Experiment (VLITE) data, pulsar candidates were identified as low-frequency radio sources. This search revealed 10 sources in the survey area, exceeding the expected extragalactic source count by four and has already resulted in the discovery of PSR GLIMPSE-C01A. In this proposal, we request 10 hours of observing time for five globular clusters from this sample: Terzan 4, NGC 2298, NGC 6681, Arp 2, and Terzan 3. If successful, this proposal will expand the known MSP population, enhance our understanding of these remarkable objects, and demonstrate the potential of commensal low-frequency instruments like VLITE for future pulsar discoveries

Investigators

Name	Institution
Amaris McCarver *	Virginia, University of; Texas Tech University
Scott Ransom	National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Virginia, University of
Emil Polisensky	Naval Research Laboratory

* indicates the PI