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Assignment 1

 

  1. Select survey parameters:
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   channel bandwidth
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   total bandwidth
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   telescope area
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   sampling interval
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   total integration time
    suitable for finding a 0.6ms pulsar with a dispersion measure of 150 pccm tex2html_wrap_inline3998 and a flux density of 1mJy. Assume:
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   tex2html_wrap_inline4280
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   tex2html_wrap_inline4284
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   Observing frequency = 600 MHz
    tex2html_wrap_inline3922   Pulse duty cycle is 20%
    Hint: choose a channel bandwidth sufficiently narrow to to avoid dispersion smearing of the pulsar.
  2. Is such a search presently feasible? Why?
  3. Calculate the radius of the light cylinder for pulsars with periods of 10.0, 1.0, 0.1, 0.01, 0.001 seconds
  4. Calculate how much a pin head, of neutron star material would weigh.
  5. Find out how many extragalactic pulsars are known
  6. Would it be possible to find a pulsar in the Andromeda galaxy? What are the main difficulties involved?



Jon Bell
Thu Dec 19 15:15:11 GMT 1996