Coherently dedispersed gated imaging of millisecond pulsars

TL;DR

This paper introduces a coherently dedispersed gating correlator for rapid localization of faint millisecond pulsars, significantly improving positional accuracy and follow-up efficiency using interferometric imaging with the GMRT.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel gating correlator that accounts for binary orbital motion, enabling precise localization of MSPs and reducing telescope time for follow-up observations.

Findings

Localized five new Fermi MSPs with +-1" accuracy

Reduced follow-up telescope time by approximately 20 times

Accelerated timing model convergence to about 100 days

Abstract

Motivated by the need for rapid localisation of newly discovered faint millisecond pulsars (MSPs) we have developed a coherently dedispersed gating correlator. This gating correlator accounts for the orbital motions of MSPs in binaries while folding the visibilities with best-fit topocentric rotational model derived from periodicity search in simultaneously generated beamformer output. Unique applications of the gating correlator for sensitive interferometric studies of MSPs are illustrated using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) interferometric array. We could unambiguously localise five newly discovered Fermi MSPs in the on-off gated image plane with an accuracy of +-1". Immediate knowledge of such precise position allows the use of sensitive coherent beams of array telescopes for follow-up timing observations, which substantially reduces the use of telescope time (~ 20X for the GMRT). In addition, precise a-priori astrometric position reduces the effect of large covariances in timing fit (with discovery position, pulsar period derivative and unknown binary model), which in-turn accelerates the convergence to initial timing model. For example, while fitting with precise a-priori position (+-1"), timing model converges in about 100 days, accounting the effect of covariance between position and pulsar period derivative. Moreover, such accurate positions allows for rapid identification of pulsar counterpart at other wave-bands. We also report a new methodology of in-beam phase calibration using the on-off gated image of the target pulsar, which provides the optimal sensitivity of the coherent array removing the possible temporal and spacial decoherences.