The Construction of a Pulsar Interstellar Medium Array Detector

脉冲星星际介质阵列探测器的构建

• 批准号: 2330164
• 负责人: Michael Lam
• 金额: $ 34.78万
• 依托单位: SETI Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-06-01 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2330164&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Construction; Pulsar; Interstellar; Medium; Array

Interstellar space is filled with a rich medium of gas and dust. Most astronomers take images of large structures in the interstellar medium (ISM). However, observations of radio waves from pulsars traveling through the ISM allow access to much smaller scales. These pulsars act as probes within the Galaxy's active environments. Astronomers use pulsars to understand turbulence in the ISM, identify clouds and filaments, and even understand the wind of particles streaming from the Sun. The investigators will combine observations of hundreds of pulsars by many telescopes around the world. These will be combined to create Galaxy-sized detector known as a "Pulsar ISM Array." This work will connect pulsar astronomers around the world with many other communities to create a detailed picture of our dynamic Galaxy. The investigators will also build classroom laboratory and outreach demonstrations. These will engage students and the public in understanding the complex phenomena of the ISM.The investigators will construct a "Pulsar ISM Array" (PISMA) analogous to a pulsar timing array (PTA) used in the study of low-frequency gravitational waves. Since all pulsar emission is dispersed by the ISM, all pulsars can contribute to the PISMA and not just the ultra-precise ones used in PTA experiments. In combining a wide-range of observables, including but not limited to pulsar dispersion measures, scintillation parameters, flux-density variations, secondary spectra, along with non-pulsar observables such as sky maps from H-alpha surveys, the PISMA will provide key insights into understanding the processes that govern the transfer of turbulent energy from kiloparsec to sub-AU scales; the formation, morphology, and population of compact plasma structures and larger-scale over-densities; and the extreme environmental conditions around pulsars themselves. Advancing understanding in these areas will also benefit understanding in the broader astronomical communities researching Fast Radio Bursts and extragalactic transients, space weather, and intraday variability of radio quasars, and provide input into the most sophisticated Galactic electron density maps yet created.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

星际空间充满了丰富的气体和灰尘。大多数天文学家在星际介质（ISM）中拍摄大型结构的图像。但是，对穿过ISM的脉冲星的无线电波的观察可以访问较小的尺度。这些脉冲星充当银河系活动环境中的探针。天文学家使用脉冲星理解ISM中的湍流，识别云和细丝，甚至了解从太阳流出的颗粒风。调查人员将结合世界上许多望远镜的数百种脉冲星的观察结果。这些将被合并以创建星系尺寸的检测器，称为“脉冲星阵列”。这项工作将把世界各地的Pulsar天文学家与许多其他社区联系起来，以创建我们动态银河系的详细图片。调查人员还将建立课堂实验室和外展活动。这些将吸引学生和公众理解IS的复杂现象。研究人员将构建类似于低频引力波研究的PULSAR正时阵列（PTA）的“ Pulsar ism阵列”（PISMA）。由于所有脉冲星的发射都由ISM散布，因此所有脉冲星都可以促进PISMA，而不仅仅是PTA实验中使用的超精油。在结合了广泛的可观察到的物体时，包括但不限于脉冲星分散措施，闪烁参数，通量密度变化，次级光谱以及非脉冲可观察物，例如H-Alpha Surveys的天空图，PISMA将提供关键的洞察力，以理解从基尔比亚赛车的转移来理解诸如基尔的转移的过程，从紧凑的等离子体结构和更大尺度过度的形成，形态和种群；以及脉冲星本身周围的极端环境条件。在这些领域的进步理解也将有助于在更广泛的天文学群落中研究快速无线电爆发和播出外的瞬态，太空天气和无线电数量的盘中变异性，并为迄今为止创建的最复杂的银河电子密度图提供了投入。这是NSF的法定任务，反映了由评估的人的构成群体的范围。