Parkes observations for project P116 semester 2024APRS_04

Radio pulsars in orbit around high-mass main-sequence stellar companions offer a rich source of extreme physics for both observational astronomers and theorists alike. First discovered over 30 years ago, PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 remains the best system that to answer fundamental questions such as: What is the structure and origin of the stellar winds of high-mass stars? Are binary companions the source of extreme spectropolarimetric variations in repeating FRB sources? In this proposal, we will conduct an unprecedented daily-cadence observing campaign on PSR B1259-63 with the Ultra-Wideband Low receiver system throughout the upcoming 2024 periastron passage. This will allow us to precisely map the charged particle density and magnetic field of the stellar wind from LS 2883 before and after the pulsar plunges through its circumstellar disc, and thereby answer the above questions.