FAST——脉冲星观测研究的利器

 2016年9月25日落成的中国自行设计建造的500 m口径球面射电望远镜（FAST）是目前全世界最大口径的射电望远镜。在调试期间已成功发现了脉冲星,实现了国内设备发现脉冲星的零突破。脉冲星是宇宙中的一类奇妙天体,是验证强引力场、强磁场和高密度等极端物理环境下物理规律的"天然实验室"。作为脉冲星研究的利器,预计FAST大规模巡天能够大幅提高已知的脉冲星数目。FAST还将在低频引力波探测、脉冲星物理、星际和星系际介质探测、脉冲星时间尺度建立及脉冲星导航等领域取得突破性进展。在上述研究中,国内天文设备取长补短、相互补充,有望实现中国脉冲星观测研究跨越式发展。     

中国大型射电望远镜在引力波探测方面的潜在突破

中国已经建设、正在建设和将要建设成更多的射电望远镜,本文着眼于讨论这些望远镜在引力波直接探测方面的潜在突破.其中,基于最新的脉冲星噪声参数和望远镜设计指标,计算了使用不同射电望远镜以及他们的组合开展脉冲星测时观测的技术能力,在此基础上进一步计算并讨论了利用这些望远镜开展脉冲星测时阵列的可能性及其引力波探测的能力预期.研究发现,大型望远镜如贵州500m口径球面射电望远镜和计划中的新疆奇台110m全可动望远镜的配合将大幅度提高现有国际脉冲星阵列测时能力,建成这些望远镜之后,极有可能在短期内获得重大突破.     

利用默奇森大视场阵列旁瓣探寻北天脉冲星

探索新的方法对发现和观测脉冲星具有重要意义.本文利用澳大利亚的默奇森大视场阵列望远镜MWA(Murchison Wide-field Array)中心频率185 MHz的观测数据进行脉冲星搜寻,探测到了两颗高纬度北天脉冲星,经分析认定为J0332+5434和J2219+4754.它们位于MWA主波束视场以外赤纬30°以北,而落在MWA非相干波束的北天旁瓣.虽然射电望远镜旁瓣的灵敏度远低于主瓣,但大多数脉冲星的低频流量更高,因而仍然可以利用低频望远镜旁瓣对它们进行搜寻与观测.本文将对低频脉冲星的搜索流程和结果进行阐述,并讨论利用MWA射电望远镜旁瓣进一步搜寻和观测北天脉冲星的可能性.通过对已知射电脉冲星的统计和MWA探测灵敏度的模拟,预计有30颗已知北天脉冲星可以在MWA旁瓣中被探测到.此工作是未来使用SKA低频阵列搜寻北天脉冲星的有益探索.     

FAST脉冲星发现新视野

 脉冲星是旋转的中子星,其质量约为一个太阳而半径只有10 km,它是大质量恒星生命终结并经历超新星爆发的产物,此星体在1967年首先被英国天文学家乔瑟琳·贝尔发现^[1],堪称20世纪四大天文学发现之一。脉冲星旋转速度极快,目前探测到最快脉冲星周期为1.396 ms（相当于1秒内自转高达716圈）。根据统计,旋转周期少于20 ms的脉冲星超过300颗,占总数（约2700颗^[2]）的1/9。由于脉冲星拥有大质量和小半径,其表面存在较强的引力场,为广义相对论和引力波的检验提供了天然实验室。脉冲星的超强磁场约为地磁场的万亿倍,这为研究等离子体物理、磁层高能粒子加速机制、高能辐射、射电辐射过程提供了一个理想场所;脉冲星内部高度致密,物质主要由中子组成,这为核物理研究提供了良好场所。脉冲星还具有精确的守时性,亦即其周期变化非常有规律,每千万年减慢不到1 s,堪称宇宙最精准的钟表,此性质可以用来实现宇宙星际导航。     

脉冲星发现55年：中国天眼展望

 脉冲星的发现是人类认识宇宙的重要里程碑之一。介绍了脉冲星自发现至今55年来的研究进展，包括引力波与广义相对论的验证、毫秒脉冲星、脉冲星周期跃变、脉冲星射电辐射效率、快速射电暴与河外脉冲星等方面。展望了中国天眼（FAST）未来发现新的特殊类型脉冲星的潜力，如黑洞脉冲星系统/亚毫秒脉冲星/新型双脉冲星系统，依此实施更高精度验证引力波实验；利用FAST的高灵敏度、高精度研究脉冲星辐射的精细结构，深入了解其物理机制。     

国家天文台发现两颗新毫秒脉冲星

正近日,中国科学院国家天文台博士研究生潘之辰及其导师李菂研究员等人,成功地在杜鹃座47球状星团找到了2颗新的毫秒脉冲星,命名为J0024—7204aa和J0024—7204ab,把杜鹃座47球状星团的已知脉冲星数目从23颗更新为25颗。这是国内学者首次发现新射电脉冲星,该发现已在2016年3月的英国皇家天文学会月刊MNRAS Letters发表。为直观感受距离太阳系4kpc之远的杜鹃座球状星团脉冲星,研究人员将新发现的两颗脉冲星的自转周期     

澳大利亚联邦院士理查德·曼彻斯特教授做客新疆师范大学“昆仑国际学术前沿”

<正>2017年6月25日,澳大利亚联邦院士、澳大利亚科学院院士、澳大利亚科学与工业研究院(CSIRO)院士理查德·曼彻斯特教授接受中国科学院国际人才计划(CAS PIFI项目)邀请,做客我校"昆仑国际学术前沿",并作了题为《脉冲星——宇宙太空的时钟》的学术讲座,200余名师生参加了讲座。理查德·曼彻斯特教授长期致力于射电天文研究,是国际公认的脉冲星研究三大权威专家之一。讲座主要围绕脉冲星这一诺贝尔物理学奖的发现展开。理查德·曼彻斯特教授指出,脉冲星是     

X射线脉冲星自主导航的脉冲轮廓和联合观测方程

现在通用的X射线脉冲星导航的3维观测方程,是以3颗脉冲星发射的脉冲到达航天器和太阳系质心的时间偏差为观测量建立起来的.在实际测量过程中,这个观测量是通过比较航天器探测到的脉冲观测轮廓与相应脉冲星的标准轮廓得到的,而在累积观测轮廓的同时也得到了观测轮廓的周期,因此根据Doppler速度测量方程,就能够确定航天器的速度矢量.本文首先导出Doppler速度测量方程,提出在观测轮廓的积累过程中考虑航天器的速度和加速度,得到的观测轮廓的周期不同于标准轮廓.这样,将探测3颗脉冲星得到的观测轮廓与相应的标准轮廓进行比较时,可以同时获得脉冲到达航天器和太阳系质心的时间偏差和频率漂移6个观测量,从而确定航天器的3维位置和3维速度.由于信息量增加一倍,6维观测方程比现行观测方程更为精确和完整.     

数值相对论与引力波天文学

引力波直接探测已经被LIGO成功实现.在这个重大实验发现中,理论模型的重要作用得到充分体现.有效单体数值相对论模型不仅提升了既定硬件的灵敏度,把实验结果的置信度从4.6σ加强到5.1σ,而且还辨认出该引力波源是并合双黑洞.以这次实验结果所给出的双星并合事件率推断,地面引力波探测器接下来还会给出更多的引力波事件.这些引力波实验数据可以被用来进行天文学和基本物理学的研究.随着数据的积累和新脉冲星的加入,脉冲星计时计划的引力波探测精度也越来越高.空间引力波探测计划包括eLISA、太极和天琴等也在积极准备中.可以预期,引力波天文学将逐渐形成.在引力波天文学中,从信号读取到参数反演都离不开理论模型.不做任何解析近似的数值相对论是现实引力波源建模的通用工具.爱因斯坦方程的复杂数学结构和所需的庞大程序构架是数值相对论的两大困难.结合引力波天文学,本文对数值相对论的关键困难、发展历程、研究现状和在引力天文学中的应用等给出比较系统的描述.     

一颗离地球最近的脉冲星

最近,天文学家利用一颗新发射的人造卫星,发现了天空中第2个最强大的γ射线源的特性.这个被命名为 Geminga 的天体是距太阳最近的脉冲星,一颗每秒自转4次的致密中子星.根据脉冲星的速度变化,天文学家能够推算出它的年龄.米兰宇宙物理研究所的比格纳米和卡拉维欧发现 Geminga 诞生于370000年前,与之相比船帆座脉冲星诞生于11000年前,而巨蟹脉冲星则不足1000岁.     

A test of general relativity from the three-dimensional orbital geometry of a binary pulsar.

Binary pulsars provide an excellent system for testing general relativity because of their intrinsic rotational stability and the precision with which radio observations can be used to determine their orbital dynamics. Measurements of the rate of orbital decay of two pulsars have been shown to be consistent with the emission of gravitational waves as predicted by general relativity, but independent verification was not possible. Such verification can in principle be obtained by determining the orbital inclination in a binary pulsar system using only classical geometrical constraints. This would permit a measurement of the expected retardation of the pulse signal arising from the general relativistic curvature of space-time in the vicinity of the companion object (the 'Shapiro delay'). Here we report high-precision radio observations of the binary millisecond pulsar PSR J0437-4715, which establish the three-dimensional structure of its orbit. We see the Shapiro delay predicted by general relativity, and we determine the mass of the neutron star and its white dwarf companion. The determination of such masses is necessary in order to understand the origin and evolution of neutron stars.     

Nuclear-powered millisecond pulsars and the maximum spin frequency of neutron stars

Millisecond pulsars are neutron stars that are thought to have been spun-up by mass accretion from a stellar companion. It is not known whether there is a natural brake for this process, or if it continues until the centrifugal breakup limit is reached at submillisecond periods. Many neutron stars that are accreting mass from a companion star exhibit thermonuclear X-ray bursts that last tens of seconds, caused by unstable nuclear burning on their surfaces. Millisecond-period brightness oscillations during bursts from ten neutron stars (as distinct from other rapid X-ray variability that is also observed) are thought to measure the stellar spin, but direct proof of a rotational origin has been lacking. Here we report the detection of burst oscillations at the known spin frequency of an accreting millisecond pulsar, and we show that these oscillations always have the same rotational phase. This firmly establishes burst oscillations as nuclear-powered pulsations tracing the spin of accreting neutron stars, corroborating earlier evidence. The distribution of spin frequencies of the 11 nuclear-powered pulsars cuts off well below the breakup frequency for most neutron-star models, supporting theoretical predictions that gravitational radiation losses can limit accretion torques in spinning up millisecond pulsars.     

一种基于泊松分布的提高X射线脉冲星脉冲轮廓信噪比的方法

论述了X射线脉冲星辐射模型和脉冲轮廓构造算法,提出了以Kullback-leibler距离函数作为评价标准,提高具有泊松分布规律的X射线脉冲星脉冲轮廓信噪比的平滑算法,推导了平滑参数和平滑累积脉冲轮廓的计算公式.搭建了X射线脉冲星导航地面模拟系统,实现了对模拟X射线脉冲星单光子到达时间的记录及X射线脉冲星脉冲轮廓的构造,得到了X射线脉冲到达时间TOA.在X射线脉冲星导航地面模拟系统上,对平滑算法进行了验证,结果表明该算法对于提高累积脉冲轮廓的信噪比效果显著,信噪比提高大于10dB.     

爱因斯坦在1916:从引力波到量子电磁辐射理论

 1916年,爱因斯坦预言引力波,并提出量子电磁辐射理论、完善光子概念、指出量子过程的内在随机性。百年之后,爱因斯坦预言的引力波通过激光的干涉被探测到,而激光正是基于爱因斯坦的量子电磁辐射理论。引力波探测技术还与爱因斯坦的光子概念和布朗运动理论相关。因此引力波首次被直接探测是对爱因斯坦广义相对论、量子电磁辐射理论2 方面工作的100 周年纪念。本文梳理引力波探测技术中的“爱因斯坦元素”,即激光、光子和热噪声,然后通过对第一手资料特别是爱因斯坦那段时期的信件的分析考证,回顾爱因斯坦在1916年的研究历程,寻找爱因斯坦在引力波和量子电磁辐射理论2方面工作的历史联系。     

An increased estimate of the merger rate of double neutron stars from observations of a highly relativistic system

The merger of close binary systems containing two neutron stars should produce a burst of gravitational waves, as predicted by the theory of general relativity. A reliable estimate of the double-neutron-star merger rate in the Galaxy is crucial in order to predict whether current gravity wave detectors will be successful in detecting such bursts. Present estimates of this rate are rather low, because we know of only a few double-neutron-star binaries with merger times less than the age of the Universe. Here we report the discovery of a 22-ms pulsar, PSR J0737-3039, which is a member of a highly relativistic double-neutron-star binary with an orbital period of 2.4 hours. This system will merge in about 85 Myr, a time much shorter than for any other known neutron-star binary. Together with the relatively low radio luminosity of PSR J0737-3039, this timescale implies an order-of-magnitude increase in the predicted merger rate for double-neutron-star systems in our Galaxy (and in the rest of the Universe).     

一个脉冲星模式变化的观测和研究

用我国自行研制的脉冲星观测系统在新疆乌鲁木齐天文站２５ｍ天线上成功地观测了８颗脉冲星,并观测到ＰＳＲ１１３３＋１６的模式变化现象,就脉冲星模式变化总题进行一些探讨。     

Nanosecond radio bursts from strong plasma turbulence in the Crab pulsar

The Crab pulsar was discovered by the occasional exceptionally bright radio pulses it emits, subsequently dubbed 'giant' pulses. Only two other pulsars are known to emit giant pulses. There is no satisfactory explanation for the occurrence of giant pulses, nor is there a complete theory of the pulsar emission mechanism in general. Competing models for the radio emission mechanism can be distinguished by the temporal structure of their coherent emission. Here we report the discovery of isolated, highly polarized, two-nanosecond subpulses within the giant radio pulses from the Crab pulsar. The plasma structures responsible for these emissions must be smaller than one metre in size, making them by far the smallest objects ever detected and resolved outside the Solar System, and the brightest transient radio sources in the sky. Only one of the current models--the collapse of plasma-turbulent wave packets in the pulsar magnetosphere--can account for the nanopulses we observe.     

Abrupt acceleration of a 'cold' ultrarelativistic wind from the Crab pulsar

Pulsars are thought to eject electron-positron winds that energize the surrounding environment, with the formation of a pulsar wind nebula. The pulsar wind originates close to the light cylinder, the surface at which the pulsar co-rotation velocity equals the speed of light, and carries away much of the rotational energy lost by the pulsar. Initially the wind is dominated by electromagnetic energy (Poynting flux) but later this is converted to the kinetic energy of bulk motion. It is unclear exactly where this takes place and to what speed the wind is accelerated. Although some preferred models imply a gradual acceleration over the entire distance from the magnetosphere to the point at which the wind terminates, a rapid acceleration close to the light cylinder cannot be excluded. Here we report that the recent observations of pulsed, very high-energy γ-ray emission from the Crab pulsar are explained by the presence of a cold (in the sense of the low energy of the electrons in the frame of the moving plasma) ultrarelativistic wind dominated by kinetic energy. The conversion of the Poynting flux to kinetic energy should take place abruptly in the narrow cylindrical zone of radius between 20 and 50 light-cylinder radii centred on the axis of rotation of the pulsar, and should accelerate the wind to a Lorentz factor of (0.5-1.0)?×?10(6). Although the ultrarelativistic nature of the wind does support the general model of pulsars, the requirement of the very high acceleration of the wind in a narrow zone not far from the light cylinder challenges current models.