Using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-D structure of the Galactic magnetic field
© 2018 International Astronomical Union. The Galactic magnetic field (GMF) plays a role in many astrophysical processes and is a significant foreground to cosmological signals, such as the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), but is not yet well understood. Dispersion and Faraday rotation measurements (DMs...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/68759 |
| _version_ | 1848761883914403840 |
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| author | Sobey, Charlotte LOFAR Collaborators MWA Collaborators |
| author_facet | Sobey, Charlotte LOFAR Collaborators MWA Collaborators |
| author_sort | Sobey, Charlotte |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | © 2018 International Astronomical Union. The Galactic magnetic field (GMF) plays a role in many astrophysical processes and is a significant foreground to cosmological signals, such as the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), but is not yet well understood. Dispersion and Faraday rotation measurements (DMs and RMs, respectively) towards a large number of pulsars provide an efficient method to probe the three-dimensional structure of the GMF. Low-frequency polarisation observations with large fractional bandwidth can be used to measure precise DMs and RMs. This is demonstrated by a catalogue of RMs (corrected for ionospheric Faraday rotation) from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), with a growing complementary catalogue in the southern hemisphere from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). These data further our knowledge of the three-dimensional GMF, particularly towards the Galactic halo. Recently constructed or upgraded pathfinder and precursor telescopes, such as LOFAR and the MWA, have reinvigorated low-frequency science and represent progress towards the construction of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will make significant advancements in studies of astrophysical magnetic fields in the future. A key science driver for the SKA-Low is to study the EoR, for which pulsar and polarisation data can provide valuable insights in terms of Galactic foreground conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:38:45Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-68759 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:38:45Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-687592018-06-29T12:35:26Z Using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-D structure of the Galactic magnetic field Sobey, Charlotte LOFAR Collaborators MWA Collaborators © 2018 International Astronomical Union. The Galactic magnetic field (GMF) plays a role in many astrophysical processes and is a significant foreground to cosmological signals, such as the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), but is not yet well understood. Dispersion and Faraday rotation measurements (DMs and RMs, respectively) towards a large number of pulsars provide an efficient method to probe the three-dimensional structure of the GMF. Low-frequency polarisation observations with large fractional bandwidth can be used to measure precise DMs and RMs. This is demonstrated by a catalogue of RMs (corrected for ionospheric Faraday rotation) from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), with a growing complementary catalogue in the southern hemisphere from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). These data further our knowledge of the three-dimensional GMF, particularly towards the Galactic halo. Recently constructed or upgraded pathfinder and precursor telescopes, such as LOFAR and the MWA, have reinvigorated low-frequency science and represent progress towards the construction of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will make significant advancements in studies of astrophysical magnetic fields in the future. A key science driver for the SKA-Low is to study the EoR, for which pulsar and polarisation data can provide valuable insights in terms of Galactic foreground conditions. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/68759 10.1017/S1743921317011255 restricted |
| spellingShingle | Sobey, Charlotte LOFAR Collaborators MWA Collaborators Using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-D structure of the Galactic magnetic field |
| title | Using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-D structure of the Galactic magnetic field |
| title_full | Using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-D structure of the Galactic magnetic field |
| title_fullStr | Using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-D structure of the Galactic magnetic field |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-D structure of the Galactic magnetic field |
| title_short | Using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-D structure of the Galactic magnetic field |
| title_sort | using low-frequency pulsar observations to study the 3-d structure of the galactic magnetic field |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/68759 |