Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T10:15:53.644Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

High precision pulsar astrometry and its applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2005

Walter Brisken
Affiliation:
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, PO Box O, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) is a radio astronomy technique that allows imaging and astrometry at milliarcsecond or better resolution. The last decade has seen improvements in VLBI techniques and equipment which have enabled precision astrometry of pulsars. Most notably, VLBI arrays have become more sensitive and calibration has become more accurate. Pulsar astrometry using VLBI can readily yield a proper motion and in many cases a trigonometric parallax as well. These observables have have numerous applications which justify the difficulty of the measurements. The goals of pulsar astrometry include: 1. determination of the distribution of pulsar birth velocities, a critical probe of supernova asymmetry; 2. improvement in understanding of the ISM through observations of pulsar bow shocks, interstellar scattering, and timing dispersion measures; and 3. understanding characteristics of individual pulsars though knowledge of their distance and velocity. I will discuss these science cases, some recent results, and prospects for better astrometry in the near future.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
© 2004 International Astronomical Union