Parkes observations for project P1330 semester 2024APRS_01

Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are created preferentially in globular clusters (GCs), compared to the Galactic disk, due to the large stellar density and the resulting interactions that occur within the clusters. Estimates have tens to hundreds of MSPs within these clusters. Furthermore, the leading hypothesis behind the gamma-ray emission from the GCs, detected by Fermi, is due to cluster MSPs. Thus, we observed three clusters, that were predicted to have tens of MSPs but did not have any detected, and found a highly accelerated binary MSP (NGC6316A) in NGC6316. Finding the first pulsar in a particular globular cluster is always the most challenging part as we have to search over the dispersion measure (DM) as well as period and acceleration. Our chances of finding more pulsars within the cluster have increased now that we know the DM of the cluster. We have a decent constraint on the orbital period of the binary but in order to fully constrain the orbital parameters and determine the type of companion star, we need subsequent observations. These subsequent observations will also be useful to search for more pulsars within the cluster. We are requesting 17 3 hour pointings to solve for the orbit of the binary pulsar and conduct a year-long timing campaign on the pulsar while searching for more pulsars.