Millisecond Pulsars (UPSC Notes)

Pune-based astronomers have made a significant discovery using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). The astronomers utilized a novel technique developed in-house to detect two new Millisecond Pulsars (MSPs). Read on to know more about the two new detected millisecond pulsars, an important topic for the IAS exam, science and technology segment.

Millisecond Pulsars:

• MSPs are rapidly rotating neutron stars formed from the collapse of massive stars.
• Millisecond pulsars emit pulses of radiation at regular intervals, with durations of a few milliseconds.
• These pulsars provide valuable information about neutron stars, which are among the densest known objects in the universe (excluding black holes).

Importance of MSPs:

• MSPs play a crucial role in the detection of gravitational waves.
• Areas with a significant population of MSPs increase the chances of detecting gravitational waves.
• The study of gravitational waves is currently a prominent field in astronomy.

The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT):

• The GMRT, located near Pune city, is the world’s largest low-frequency radio telescope.
• It has been operational since the early 2000s and is owned by the TIFR-National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA).

Read more about Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT).

Gated Imaging technique:

• The astronomers employed a new gated imaging technique during the ongoing GMRT sky survey.
• This technique offered higher precision timing in predicting incoming pulse signals from the MSPs.
• Compared to standard imaging techniques, this method provided a more precise analysis of pulsar parameters in a shorter time.
• The new technique allowed for precise calculation of the location of the newly discovered MSPs.
• It contributes to international programs aiming to detect gravitational wave backgrounds.
• The technique offers improved positional uncertainty, enhancing the accuracy of future observations.

Discoveries Made:

• As part of the GMRT-High-Resolution Southern Sky (GHRSS) survey led by Bhaswati Bhattarcharya, the NCRA team discovered 30 new pulsars, including three MSPs.
• Further analysis of two MSPs was conducted using the novel technique by Shyam Sundar, a PhD student.
• The upgrades in the operating bandwidth of GHRSS enabled the detection of even fainter MSPs, resulting in a 3,000-fold enhancement in positional uncertainty resolution.

Conclusion: Pune astronomers utilized the GMRT and a novel gated imaging technique to detect two new Millisecond Pulsars. These discoveries contribute to the understanding of neutron stars and advance research in gravitational wave detection. The upgrades in the GMRT’s capabilities have improved its capacity to detect faint pulsars.

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