RUI: Relativistic Gravitation, Pulsar Beams and Birth Processes, and the Interstellar Medium

Carleton College, Northfield MN

Investigators

Abstract

Pulsars are highly compressed stars, more massive than the Sun, yet smaller than a few miles in diameter. A remarkable feature of pulsars is, because of their spin and strong magnetic field, they create regular pulses of radio waves. The investigator and his undergraduate students plan three areas of pulsar observations. The first is pulsar studies of relativistic gravitation. Pulsar pulses can be considered to be the "ticks" of a very precise clock. A pulsar's pulses are then the ticks of a very precise clock orbiting at high speed in the curved spacetime of a companion star. As such, binary pulsars are outstanding probes of relativistic gravitation The second area is measurement of pulsar beaming and birth processes. While it is generally accepted that pulsar's beamed radio emissions originates from particles streaming relativistically above their magnetic poles, many details of these processes remain to be elaborated. They plan an investigation of the correlation between pulsar spin axis and proper motion directions, which will provide experimentally derived insights into the processes leading to pulsars. Their data is needed to understand the high pulsar velocities and spin rates. The third area is the study of our galaxy's magnetic field. The radio pulses travel through our galaxy and are affected by our galaxy's magnetic field. Their measurements of the pulsar magnetic field changes with distance and position in the sky will determine part of the magnetic structure of our galaxy. The students will receive invaluable scientific training that is simply not available in the classroom, including data gathering and analysis, testing of hypotheses, collaboration across the world, and oral and written presentation of results. These activities will help students to be future astronomers, physicists, and engineers. Second, the continuing involvement of the PI in these projects will enable him to bring the excitement of research to the classroom, where it will help to inspire scientists and nonscientists alike to study science.