Pulsars: Recent Results from Parkes
R. N. Manchester ( CSIRO) - January 21 at 12:00 noon
The Parkes multibeam pulsar surveys have been outstandingly successful,
discovering more than 800 pulsars in the past five years or so, more
than doubling the number of known pulsars. These pulsars are widely
spread across the Galaxy, making them excellent probes of the
interstellar medium. A significant new population of young but
long-period pulsars with strong implied magnetic fields has been
discovered, highlighting the differences and similarities between radio
pulsars and anomalous X-ray pulsars. The "jewel in the crown" of the
Parkes surveys is the recently discovered double-pulsar system PSR
J0737-3039, the first such system known. The orbital period is only 2.4
hours, making it an excellent system for tests of theories of
relativistic gravitation. The second-born pulsar (B) is young but slow
(2.8-second period) and its pulsed emission is strongly modulated by
interactions with the older pulsar (A) which has a period of 22
milliseconds. Furthermore, the system is seen nearly edge-on and there
is a short eclipse of the A pulsar by the B pulsar. As well as its
potential for tests of relativity, this unique system will provide
fascinating insights into the magnetospheric physics of pulsars.
The seminar will be held in 501 Campbell Hall.
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