Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T15:59:53.955Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Precision Pulsar Timing with NASA's Deep Space Network

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2016

Lawrence Teitelbaum
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., M/S 67-201, Pasadena, CA 91109USA email: [email protected]
Walid Majid
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., M/S 67-201, Pasadena, CA 91109USA email: [email protected]
Manuel M. Franco
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., M/S 67-201, Pasadena, CA 91109USA email: [email protected]
Daniel J. Hoppe
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., M/S 67-201, Pasadena, CA 91109USA email: [email protected]
Shinji Horiuchi
Affiliation:
Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex, 421 Discovery Dr., Paddys River ACT 2620, Australia
T. Joseph W. Lazio
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., M/S 67-201, Pasadena, CA 91109USA email: [email protected]
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.

Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are a class of radio pulsars with extremely stable rotation. Their excellent timing stability can be used to study a wide variety of astrophysical phenomena. In particular, a large sample of these pulsars can be used to detect low-frequency gravitational waves. We have developed a precision pulsar timing backend for the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN), which will allow the use of short gaps in tracking schedules to time pulses from an ensemble of MSPs. The DSN operates clusters of large dish antennas (up to 70-m in diameter), located roughly equidistant around the Earth, for communication and tracking of deep-space spacecraft. The backend system will be capable of removing entirely the dispersive effects of propagation of radio waves through the interstellar medium in real-time. We will describe our development work, initial results, and prospects for future observations over the next few years.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2016 

References

Backer, D. C., Kulkarni, S. R., Heiles, C., Davis, M. M., & Goss, W. M. 1982, Nature, 300, 615 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bates, S. D., Lorimer, D. R., & Verbiest, J. P. W. 2013, MNRAS, 431, 1352 Google Scholar
Hellings, R. W. & Downs, G. S. 1983, ApJ, 265, L39 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoppe, D. J., Khayatian, B., Lopez, B., et al. 2015, Interplanetary Network Progress Report 42-202; http://ipnpr.jpl.nasa.gov/progress_report/42-202/202C.pdf Google Scholar
Lazio, J., Teitelbaum, L., Franco, M. M., et al. 2015, IAU XXIX General Assembly, #2251715Google Scholar
Withington, J. 1988, Telecommunications & Data Acquisition Progress Report, TDA PR 42-94; http://ipnpr.jpl.nasa.gov/progress_report/42-94/94X.PDF Google Scholar