Parkes observations for project P892 semester 2016OCTS_BPSR_40

SUPERBx is an extension to the SUPERB survey which looks at the highest Galactic latitudes in a search for fast radio bursts (FRBs). Our most recent results show that there is a strong Galactic latitude dependence to FRB detectability with the detection rate being 4 times higher ~45 degrees and higher above the plane; this is where SUPERBx will focus its efforts from now on. SUPERBx uses optimised GPU codes to search for pulsars and fast radio bursts (FRBs), making discoveries in real time. Handling our data as it comes in is essential for the SKA Phase I era so this work applies directly to the high-data rates of next generation telescopes. The FRBs discovered (we have already discovered four FRBs in this project) will have much more associated information than all previous detections. Firstly our discovery lag is ~1 second, rather than months/years. The Parkes observations will be shadowed by other radio telescopes (in particular the refurbished Molonglo which has now reached a level of performance where it has independently discovered 3 FRBs in 2016) to allow localisation of the discovered FRBs, and a host of optical and high-energy telescopes will then be triggered as appropriate. This is key for identifying FRB host galaxies, so as to solve the mystery of their progenitors and to exploit their many uses as tools for precision cosmology measurements.

SUPERBx是SUPERB巡天的扩展项目，聚焦最高银纬区域以搜索快速射电暴（fast radio bursts, FRBs）。最新研究结果显示，FRB的可探测性与银纬存在强烈依赖关系——在银盘以上约45度及更高纬度处，探测率高出4倍；这正是SUPERBx今后的重点研究方向。SUPERBx采用优化的GPU代码搜索脉冲星与FRB，实现实时发现。实时处理传入数据对于平方公里阵列一期（Square Kilometre Array Phase I, SKA Phase I）时代至关重要，因此本工作可直接适配下一代望远镜的高数据率需求。本项目已发现的FRB将比以往所有探测结果拥有更丰富的关联信息：首先，发现延迟仅约1秒，而非数月或数年；其次，帕克斯望远镜的观测将由其他射电望远镜（尤其是经过翻新的莫朗格洛望远镜，其性能已达可独立发现FRB的水平——2016年该望远镜独立发现了3个FRB）配合，以实现对已发现FRB的定位；随后将酌情触发大量光学及高能望远镜开展后续观测。这对于确定FRB的宿主星系至关重要，进而可解开其起源之谜，并充分利用它们作为精密宇宙学测量工具的多种用途。