Fermi-LAT searches for γ-ray pulsars
Abstract
The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi satellite is the first γ-ray instrument to discover pulsars directly via their γ-ray emission. Roughly one third of the 117 γ-ray pulsars detected by the LAT in its first three years were discovered in blind searches of γ-ray data and most of these are undetectable with current radio telescopes. I review some of the key LAT results and highlight the specific challenges faced in γ-ray (compared to radio) searches, most of which stem from the long, sparse data sets and the broad, energy-dependent point-spread function (PSF) of the LAT. I discuss some ongoing LAT searches for γ-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs) and γ-ray pulsars around the Galactic Center. Finally, I outline the prospects for future γ-ray pulsar discoveries as the LAT enters its extended mission phase, including advantages of a possible modification of the LAT observing profile.
- Publication:
-
Neutron Stars and Pulsars: Challenges and Opportunities after 80 years
- Pub Date:
- March 2013
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1210.7530
- Bibcode:
- 2013IAUS..291...81S
- Keywords:
-
- pulsars: general;
- gamma rays: observations;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- Proceedings of the IAU Symposium 291, IAU XXVIII General Assembly, Beijing, China, August 2012: "Neutron Stars and Pulsars: Challenges and Opportunities after 80 years", Editor: Joeri van Leeuwen. To be published by Cambridge University Press. 6 pages