Journal article
The relativistic binary programme on MeerKAT: science objectives and first results
- Abstract:
- We describe the ongoing Relativistic Binary programme (RelBin), a part of the MeerTime large survey project with the MeerKAT radio telescope. RelBin is primarily focused on observations of relativistic effects in binary pulsars to enable measurements of neutron star masses and tests of theories of gravity. We selected 25 pulsars as an initial high priority list of targets based on their characteristics and observational history with other telescopes. In this paper, we provide an outline of the programme, and present polarization calibrated pulse profiles for all selected pulsars as a reference catalogue along with updated dispersion measures. We report Faraday rotation measures for 24 pulsars, twelve of which have been measured for the first time. More than a third of our selected pulsars show a flat position angle swing confirming earlier observations. We demonstrate the ability of the Rotating Vector Model, fitted here to seven binary pulsars, including the Double Pulsar (PSR J0737-3039A), to obtain information about the orbital inclination angle. We present a high time resolution light curve of the eclipse of PSR J0737-3039A by the companion's magnetosphere, a high-phase-resolution position angle swing for PSR J1141-6545, an improved detection of the Shapiro delay of PSR J1811-2405, and pulse scattering measurements for PSRs J1227-6208, J1757-1854, and J1811-1736. Finally, we demonstrate that timing observations with MeerKAT improve on existing data sets by a factor of, typically, 2-3, sometimes by an order of magnitude.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Authors
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Journal:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society More from this journal
- Volume:
- 504
- Issue:
- 2
- Pages:
- 2094-2114
- Publication date:
- 2021-02-15
- Acceptance date:
- 2021-02-05
- DOI:
- EISSN:
-
1365-2966
- ISSN:
-
0035-8711
- Language:
-
English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
1171338
- Local pid:
-
pubs:1171338
- Deposit date:
-
2023-01-13
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Kramer et al.
- Copyright date:
- 2021
- Rights statement:
- © 2021 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model
- Notes:
- This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©2021: The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
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