Understanding pulsar magnetospheres with the SKAO

TL;DR

This paper discusses how the SKA telescopes will revolutionize the study of pulsar magnetospheres by enabling large-scale surveys and detailed observations, building on recent physics advances and utilizing SKA precursors.

Contribution

It details the potential of SKA telescopes and configurations to advance understanding of pulsar radio emission physics through new observational capabilities.

Findings

Recent advances in pulsar physics facilitated by modern radio telescopes.

SKA's capabilities will enable large-scale monitoring and detailed follow-up.

Expected breakthroughs in pulsar radio emission physics in coming years.

Abstract

The SKA telescopes will bring unparalleled sensitivity across a broad radio band, a wide field of view across the Southern sky, and the capacity for sub-arraying, all of which make them the ideal instruments for studying the pulsar magnetosphere. This paper describes the advances that have been made in pulsar magnetosphere physics over the last decade, and details how these have been made possible through the advances of modern radio telescopes, particularly SKA precursors and pathfinders. It explains how the SKA telescopes would transform the field of pulsar magnetosphere physics through a combination of large-scale monitoring surveys and in-depth follow-up observations of unique sources and new discoveries. Finally, it describes how the specific observing opportunities available with the AA* and AA4 configurations will achieve the advances necessary to solve the problem of pulsar radio emission physics in the coming years.