Parkes observations for project P865 semester 2014APRS_BPSR_03

In this pilot observing programme, we propose to observe at high cadence the transient gravitational-wave and radio-wave Universe. The goals of these observations are threefold: 1) To improve the timing precision of secondary pulsars in the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) to accelerate the detection of gravitational waves; 2) To characterise the gravitational wave universe in the hitherto unexplored microhertz frequency band; and 3) To develop methods and search for fast radio bursts (FRBs) while conducting precision time experiments. To achieve these goals, we request 120 hours of observations with the Parkes multibeam system, divided into 10 epochs comprising 12-hour LST days.

This pilot project acts as a feasibility study for modifications to both the PPTA project and the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA), the consortium coordinating timing array observations in Australia, Europe, and North America, and assess the feasibility of searching for fast radio bursts while conduction precision timing observations.

本试点观测项目拟以高观测频次对瞬态引力波与射电波段宇宙开展观测。本次观测的目标共三项：其一，提升帕克斯脉冲星计时阵列（Parkes Pulsar Timing Array, PPTA）内次级脉冲星的计时精度，以加速引力波探测进程；其二，在迄今尚未被探索的微赫兹频段内，对引力波宇宙开展特性表征；其三，在开展高精度计时实验的同时，开发相关研究方法并搜寻快速射电暴（Fast Radio Bursts, FRBs）。为达成上述目标，我们申请使用帕克斯多波束系统开展总计120小时的观测，观测任务分为10个观测时段，每个时段对应12小时的本地恒星时（Local Sidereal Time, LST）。

本试点项目将作为帕克斯脉冲星计时阵列与国际脉冲星计时阵列（International Pulsar Timing Array, IPTA）的改造可行性研究，其中国际脉冲星计时阵列是协调澳大利亚、欧洲及北美地区计时阵列观测的国际合作联盟；同时本项目还将评估在开展高精度计时观测的同时搜寻快速射电暴的可行性。