Pulsars with MeerKAT and the giant bursts from PSR J0540-6919 in the LMC
Abstract
In this talk I will give an introduction to spinning neutron stars called pulsars - some of the most dense and exotic objects in the Milky Way, and show how well suited MeerKAT is to timing the pulsations from these clocks of the night sky. In particular I will showcase MeerKAT data from a young pulsar in the Large Magellanic Clouds: PSR J0540-6919. This is one of the most distant known pulsars, previously only faintly observable at radio wavelengths with the Parkes telescope in Australia. With MeerKAT's increased sensitivity we discover a set of giant pulses of unprecedented quality. I discuss the energy distribution and features of these giant pulses, and consider what analysing them teaches us about the complex process of pulsar radio emission.
- Publication:
-
AFAS2 2021: Conference of the African Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- March 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021afas.confE..19G