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High Time Resolution Observations of Radio Pulsars: The First Detection of Coherent Emission

Citation

Jenet, Fredrick August (2001) High Time Resolution Observations of Radio Pulsars: The First Detection of Coherent Emission. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/frka-dh94. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:04252011-131341033

Abstract

Recent advances in recording technology and computational power have made possible the development of a wide bandwidth digital recording system for radio astronomy. A prototype 50 MHz bandwidth system along with two production systems with 10-50 MHz bandwidth have been designed and built at Caltech. Signal processing techniques have been developed in order to remove various artifacts introduced into the signal by the digitization process. These techniques along with various pulsar signal processing algorithms have been successfully implemented in a suite of highly portable analysis programs designed to run on multi-purpose parallel supercomputers, networked workstations, and stand-alone workstations. The single pulse radio emission properties of the bright millisecond pulsar PSR J0437-4715 have been studied using standard analysis methods. New techniques have been developed in order to study the single pulse properties of "weak" or low-intensity pulsars. These techniques have been used to analyze the pulse-to-pulse amplitude and pulse shape variations of the fastest millisecond pulsar PSR B1937+21. Techniques have also been developed in order to search for the presence of coherent non-Gaussian emission statistics. Such statistics have been detected in pulsars B0823+26, B0950+08, and B1133+16. This is the first time such a phenomenon has been observed.

Item Type:Thesis (Dissertation (Ph.D.))
Subject Keywords:Physics
Degree Grantor:California Institute of Technology
Division:Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy
Major Option:Physics
Thesis Availability:Public (worldwide access)
Research Advisor(s):
  • Prince, Thomas A.
Group:Astronomy Department
Thesis Committee:
  • Prince, Thomas A. (chair)
  • Blandford, Roger D.
  • Goldreich, Peter Martin
  • Harrison, Fiona A.
Defense Date:19 September 2000
Record Number:CaltechTHESIS:04252011-131341033
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:04252011-131341033
DOI:10.7907/frka-dh94
Default Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:6351
Collection:CaltechTHESIS
Deposited By: Tony Diaz
Deposited On:05 May 2011 17:23
Last Modified:12 Sep 2022 22:22

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