Direct observation of pulsar microstructure
Abstract
HANKINS' observations1 of pulsars exhibiting structure on time scales as short as a few μs have set stringent requirements on the theories which attempt to explain the pulsar emission mechanism2,3. These microstructure observations1,4,5 were made at low radio frequencies where pulsar intensities are high. To overcome the effects of interstellar dispersion, which effectively `smear out' the microstructure, Hankins developed a complex computation method. Since the effects of dispersion are less pronounced at higher frequencies, microstructure should be directly observable using an appropriate bandwidth. This letter reports high-frequency observations of PSR1133+16 where the dispersion broadening and the time resolution were short enough to reveal microstructure on a time scale of 14 µs.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- March 1976
- DOI:
- 10.1038/260025a0
- Bibcode:
- 1976Natur.260...25F
- Keywords:
-
- Fine Structure;
- Pulsars;
- Pulse Duration;
- Radio Astronomy;
- Time Signals;
- Autocorrelation;
- Bandwidth;
- Periodic Variations;
- Pulsed Radiation;
- Astrophysics