# Observing Pulsars with a Phased Array Feed at the Parkes Telescope

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the successful use of a phased array feed on the Parkes telescope for pulsar observations, showcasing calibration, simultaneous pulsar monitoring, and polarization capabilities, with implications for future radio transient searches.

## Contribution

It presents the first demonstration of pulsar observations with a PAF on the Parkes telescope, highlighting calibration, multiple source observation, and polarization leakage performance.

## Key findings

- PAF can be calibrated for pulsar observations
- Multiple pulsars can be observed simultaneously
- Polarization leakage of -31dB achieved

## Abstract

During February 2016, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science and the Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy installed, commissioned and carried out science observations with a phased array feed (PAF) receiver system on the 64m diameter Parkes radio telescope. Here we demonstrate that the PAF can be used for pulsar observations and we highlight some unique capabilities. We demonstrate that the pulse profiles obtained using the PAF can be calibrated and that multiple pulsars can be simultaneously observed. Significantly, we find that an intrinsic polarisation leakage of -31dB can be achieved with a PAF beam offset from the centre of the field of view. We discuss the possibilities for using a PAF for future pulsar observations and for searching for fast radio bursts with the Parkes and Effelsberg telescopes.