Aris Karastergiou

Abstract:

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>We describe system verification tests and early science results from the pulsar processor (PTUSE) developed for the newly commissioned 64-dish SARAO MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. MeerKAT is a high-gain (<jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mime-subtype="png" mimetype="image" xlink:href="S1323358020000193_inline1.png" /> <jats:tex-math> ${\sim}2.8\,\mbox{K Jy}^{-1}$ </jats:tex-math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>) low-system temperature (<jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mime-subtype="png" mimetype="image" xlink:href="S1323358020000193_inline2.png" /> <jats:tex-math> ${\sim}18\,\mbox{K at }20\,\mbox{cm}$ </jats:tex-math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>) radio array that currently operates at 580–1 670 MHz and can produce tied-array beams suitable for pulsar observations. This paper presents results from the MeerTime Large Survey Project and commissioning tests with PTUSE. Highlights include observations of the double pulsar <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mime-subtype="png" mimetype="image" xlink:href="S1323358020000193_inline3.png" /> <jats:tex-math> $\mbox{J}0737{-}3039\mbox{A}$ </jats:tex-math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, pulse profiles from 34 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) from a single 2.5-h observation of the Globular cluster Terzan 5, the rotation measure of Ter5O, a 420-sigma giant pulse from the Large Magellanic Cloud pulsar PSR <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mime-subtype="png" mimetype="image" xlink:href="S1323358020000193_inline4.png" /> <jats:tex-math> $\mbox{J}0540{-}6919$ </jats:tex-math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, and nulling identified in the slow pulsar PSR J0633–2015. One of the key design specifications for MeerKAT was absolute timing errors of less than 5 ns using their novel precise time system. Our timing of two bright MSPs confirm that MeerKAT delivers exceptional timing. PSR <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mime-subtype="png" mimetype="image" xlink:href="S1323358020000193_inline5.png" /> <jats:tex-math> $\mbox{J}2241{-}5236$ </jats:tex-math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula> exhibits a jitter limit of <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mime-subtype="png" mimetype="image" xlink:href="S1323358020000193_inline6.png" /> <jats:tex-math> $&lt;4\,\mbox{ns h}^{-1}$ </jats:tex-math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula> whilst timing of PSR <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mime-subtype="png" mimetype="image" xlink:href="S1323358020000193_inline7.png" /> <jats:tex-math> $\mbox{J}1909{-}3744$ </jats:tex-math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula> over almost 11 months yields an rms residual of 66 ns with only 4 min integrations. Our results confirm that the MeerKAT is an exceptional pulsar telescope. The array can be split into four separate sub-arrays to time over 1 000 pulsars per day and the future deployment of S-band (1 750–3 500 MHz) receivers will further enhance its capabilities.</jats:p>