Parkes observations for project P1320 semester 2024APRS_04

Young pulsars are critical for probing the early stages of neutron stars, offering insights into their initial spin periods, velocities, and luminosities. If they is present in supernova remnants (SNRs) then they also illuminate the broader phenomena of star deaths and the properties of supernovae. The proximity of a newly discovered pulsar PSR J1646-4451 to a potential SNR presents a unique opportunity to study the interplay between the pulsar and its surroundings. PSR J1646-4451 was first detected as a circularly polarized source in ASKAP's VAST survey in a close proximity of a likely SNR shell. In subsequent observations with the Ultra-Wideband Low (UWL) receiver system on the Parkes radio telescope (Murriyang), the source was confirmed as a pulsar with a spin period of 217 ms and a very high dispersion measure (DM) of 930 pc cm^-3. The pulsar is highly scattered and invisible below 2 GHz, meaning that UWL is the only instrument which can be used to study this interesting pulsar. The goal of this proposal is to measure the pulsar's characteristic age by conducting follow-up timing observations in 2024APRS. Determining the characteristic age of the pulsar is the first key step to establishing evidence for or against a possible association between the pulsar and the nearby SNR.

年轻脉冲星对于探索中子星的早期阶段至关重要，能为其初始自转周期、速度及光度提供见解。若它们存在于超新星遗迹（supernova remnants, SNRs）中，则还能揭示恒星死亡的更广泛现象及超新星的性质。新发现的脉冲星PSR J1646-4451与一个潜在SNR的邻近性，为研究该脉冲星与其周围环境的相互作用提供了独特机遇。PSR J1646-4451最初是在ASKAP的VAST巡天中被探测到的圆偏振源，位于一个可能的SNR壳层附近。在后续利用帕克斯射电望远镜（Murriyang）的超宽带低频（Ultra-Wideband Low, UWL）接收系统开展的观测中，该源被确认为脉冲星，其自转周期为217毫秒，色散量（dispersion measure, DM）高达930秒差距每立方厘米（pc cm⁻³）。该脉冲星散射强烈，在2 GHz以下不可见，这意味着UWL是唯一可用于研究这颗有趣脉冲星的仪器。本提案的目标是通过在2024APRS期间开展后续计时观测，测量该脉冲星的特征年龄。确定该脉冲星的特征年龄是建立支持或反对其与邻近SNR存在关联的证据的首要关键步骤。