A Cyclic Spectroscopy Scintillation Study of PSR B1937+21. I. Demonstration of Improved Scintillometry

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad5af9
• Publication Date: 2024-08-22T06:35:35Z
• Authors: Jacob E. Turner; Timothy Dolch; James M. Cordes; Stella K. Ocker; Daniel R. Stinebring; Shami Chatterjee; Maura A. McLaughlin; Victoria E. Catlett; Cody Jessup; Nathaniel Jones; Christopher Schei...
• Keywords: Millisecond pulsars; QB460-466; High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE); Interstellar medium; Interstellar plasma; Intercloud medium; FOS: Physical sciences; Astrophysics; Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena; Radio pulsars; Pulsars

Abstract We use cyclic spectroscopy to perform high-frequency resolution analyses of multihour baseband Arecibo observations the millisecond pulsar PSR B1937+21. This technique allows for examination scintillation features in far greater detail than is otherwise possible under most timing array observing setups. measure bandwidths and timescales each eight subbands across a 200 MHz band observation. Through these measurements we obtain intra-epoch estimates frequency scalings bandwidth timescale. Thanks our narrow scintles this pulsar, resolve arcs secondary spectra due increased Nyquist limit, which would not have been resolved at same with traditional filterbank spectrum using NANOGrav’s current time resolutions, frequency-dependent evolution arc within individual observations. observe dimming prominent higher frequencies, possibly combination decreasing flux density dependence plasma refractive index interstellar medium. also find agreement curvature predicted by Stinebring et al. some epochs. frequency-resolution improvement provided spectroscopy, results show strong promise future such pulsars, particularly arrays, where techniques can allow detailed studies medium highly scattered pulsars without sacrificing that crucial their gravitational-wave detection efforts.