The Southern-sky MWA Rapid Two-metre (SMART) pulsar survey—I. Survey design and processing pipeline

• DOI: 10.1017/pasa.2023.17
• Publication Date: 2023-04-05T13:48:03Z
• Authors: N. D. R. Bhat; N. A. Swainston; S. J. McSweeney; M. Xue; B.W. Meyers; S. Kudale; S. Dai; S. E. Tremblay; W. van Straten; R. M. Shannon; K. R. Smith; M. Sokolowski; S. M. Ord; G. Sleap; A. Williams; P. J. Hancock; R. Lange; J. Tocknell; M. Johnston-Hollitt; D. L. Kaplan; S. J. Tingay; M. Walker
• Keywords: Zenith; LOFAR; Data Processing

Abstract We present an overview of the Southern-sky MWA Rapid Two-metre (SMART) pulsar survey that exploits Murchison Widefield Array’s large field view and voltage-capture system to sky south 30 $^{\circ}$ in declination for pulsars fast transients 140–170 MHz band. The is enabled by advent Phase II MWA’s compact configuration, which offers enormous efficiency beam-forming processing costs, thereby making all-sky this magnitude tractable with MWA. Even long dwell times employed (4800 s), data collection can be completed $<$ 100 h telescope time, while still retaining ability reach a limiting sensitivity $\sim$ 2–3 mJy (at 150 MHz, near zenith), effectively 3–5 deeper than previous-generation low-frequency southern-sky survey, 1990s. Each observation processed generate 5000–8000 tied-array beams tessellate full $\sim 610\, {\textrm{deg}^{2}}$ 155 MHz), are then search pulsars. recording also allows multitude post hoc options including reprocessing higher time resolution even exploring image-based techniques candidate identification. Due substantial computational cost searches at low frequencies, undertaken multiple passes: first pass, shallow performed, where 10 min each processed, reaching about one-third full-search sensitivity. Here we details ongoing initial results. Further discoveries census detections presented companion paper. Future plans include acceleration target binary millisecond Our simulation analysis forecasts 300 new upon completion processing. SMART will complete digital record sky, serve as valuable reference future planned Square Kilometre Array.