50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission
We use very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging of the interstellar scattering speckle pattern associated with the pulsar PSR 0834+06 to measure the astrometric motion of its emission. The D ~ 5 au interstellar baselines, provided by interference between speckles spanning the scattering disc...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3427 |
| _version_ | 1848744228920754176 |
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| author | Pen, U-l Macquart, Jean-Pierre Deller, A Brisken, W. |
| author_facet | Pen, U-l Macquart, Jean-Pierre Deller, A Brisken, W. |
| author_sort | Pen, U-l |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | We use very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging of the interstellar scattering speckle pattern associated with the pulsar PSR 0834+06 to measure the astrometric motion of its emission. The D ~ 5 au interstellar baselines, provided by interference between speckles spanning the scattering disc, enable us to detect motions with subnanoarcsecond accuracy. We measure a small pulse deflection of ~18 ± 2 km (not including geometric uncertainties), which is 100 times smaller than the characteristic resolution (λ/D) of this interstellar interferometer. This implies that the emission region is small, and at an altitude of a few hundred km, with the exact value depending on field geometry. This is substantially closer to the star than to the light cylinder. Future VLBI measurements can improve on this finding. This new regime of ultraprecise astrometry may enable precision parallax distance determination of pulsar binary displacements. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:58:08Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-3427 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:58:08Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-34272017-09-13T14:45:49Z 50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission Pen, U-l Macquart, Jean-Pierre Deller, A Brisken, W. pulsars: individual: B0834+06 techniques: high angular resolution ISM: structure astrometry We use very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging of the interstellar scattering speckle pattern associated with the pulsar PSR 0834+06 to measure the astrometric motion of its emission. The D ~ 5 au interstellar baselines, provided by interference between speckles spanning the scattering disc, enable us to detect motions with subnanoarcsecond accuracy. We measure a small pulse deflection of ~18 ± 2 km (not including geometric uncertainties), which is 100 times smaller than the characteristic resolution (λ/D) of this interstellar interferometer. This implies that the emission region is small, and at an altitude of a few hundred km, with the exact value depending on field geometry. This is substantially closer to the star than to the light cylinder. Future VLBI measurements can improve on this finding. This new regime of ultraprecise astrometry may enable precision parallax distance determination of pulsar binary displacements. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3427 10.1093/mnrasl/slu010 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. unknown |
| spellingShingle | pulsars: individual: B0834+06 techniques: high angular resolution ISM: structure astrometry Pen, U-l Macquart, Jean-Pierre Deller, A Brisken, W. 50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission |
| title | 50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission |
| title_full | 50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission |
| title_fullStr | 50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission |
| title_full_unstemmed | 50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission |
| title_short | 50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission |
| title_sort | 50 picoarcsec astrometry of pulsar emission |
| topic | pulsars: individual: B0834+06 techniques: high angular resolution ISM: structure astrometry |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3427 |