MeerKAT

Abstract:

Observations of pulsars across the radio spectrum are revealing a dependence of the characteristic scattering time (τ) on frequency, which is more complex than the simple power law with a theoretically predicted power-law index. In this paper, we investigate these effects using simulated pulsar data at frequencies below 300 MHz. We investigate different scattering mechanisms, namely isotropic and anisotropic scattering, by thin screens along the line of sight, and the particular frequency-dependent impact on pulsar profiles and scattering time-scales of each. We also consider how the screen shape, location and offset along the line of sight lead to specific observable effects. We evaluate how well forward fitting techniques perform in determining τ. We investigate the systematic errors in τ associated with the use of an incorrect fitting method and with the determination of an off-pulse baseline. Our simulations provide examples of average pulse profiles at various frequencies. Using these, we compute spectra of τ and mean flux for different scattering setups. We identify setups that lead to deviations from the simple theoretical picture. This work provides a framework for interpretation of upcoming low-frequency data, both in terms of modelling the interstellar medium and understanding intrinsic emission properties of pulsars.

Abstract:

Observations of pulsars across the radio spectrum are revealing a dependence of the characteristic scattering time (τ ) on frequency, which is more complex than the simple power law with a theoretically predicted power law index. In this paper we investigate these effects using simulated pulsar data at frequencies below 300 MHz. We investigate different scattering mechanisms, namely isotropic and anisotropic scattering, by thin screens along the line of sight, and the particular frequency dependent impact on pulsar profiles and scattering time scales of each. We also consider how the screen shape, location and offset along the line of sight lead to specific observable effects. We evaluate how well forward fitting techniques perform in determining τ . We investigate the systematic errors in τ associated with the use of an incorrect fitting method and with the determination of an off-pulse baseline. Our simulations provide examples of average pulse profiles at various frequencies. Using these we compute spectra of τ and mean flux for different scattering setups. We identify setups that lead to deviations from the simple theoretical picture. This work provides a framework for interpretation of upcoming low frequency data, both in terms of modelling the interstellar medium and understanding intrinsic emission properties of pulsars.

Abstract:

We present first results from a LOFAR census of non-recycled pulsars. The census includes almost all such pulsars known (194 sources) at declinations Dec > 8 and Galactic latitudes jGbj > 3, regardless of their expected flux densities and scattering times. Each pulsar was observed for 20 min in the contiguous frequency range of 110-188 MHz. Full-Stokes data were recorded. We present the dispersion measures, flux densities, and calibrated total intensity profiles for the 158 pulsars detected in the sample. The median uncertainty in census dispersion measures (1:5 × 10-3 pc cm-3) is ten times smaller, on average, than in the ATNF pulsar catalogue. We combined census flux densities with those in the literature and fitted the resulting broadband spectra with single or broken power-law functions. For 48 census pulsars such fits are being published for the first time. Typically, the choice between single and broken power-laws, as well as the location of the spectral break, were highly influenced by the spectral coverage of the available flux density measurements. In particular, the inclusion of measurements below 100MHz appears essential for investigating the lowfrequency turnover in the spectra for most of the census pulsars. For several pulsars, we compared the spectral indices from different works and found the typical spread of values to be within 0.5-1.5, suggesting a prevailing underestimation of spectral index errors in the literature. The census observations yielded some unexpected individual source results, as we describe in the paper. Lastly, we will provide this unique sample of wide-band, low-frequency pulse profiles via the European Pulsar Network Database.