Parkes observations for project P1420 semester 2026APRS_01

We propose the pilot of a Murriyang CryoPAF Pulsar Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane (CPS-LowLat Pilot). The revolutionary CryoPAF receiver delivers the highest pulsar survey speed in the Southern Hemisphere, exceeding L-band capability of MeerKAT by ~2x, with a sufficiently low data rate to enable archiving and reprocessing essential to maximizing survey yields. Population synthesis predicts ~300 new pulsars in the full CPS-LowLat. Up to ~90 pulsars are predicted from this Pilot in a rich region of the Galactic Plane (-15deg < l < -10deg, |b| < 3deg), including 5-10 millisecond pulsars. 2.5-hr pointings are proposed to provide the requisite transformational pulsar detection rate, while maintaining sensitivity across a wide range of binary orbital periods, including ultra-compact systems. A frequency range of 1.3-1.85 GHz will mitigate dispersion smearing and scattering. Well-developed GPU-based searches for accelerated / binary systems and efficient coherent folding algorithms will be deployed. New discoveries from CPS-LowLat will enable strong-field tests of general relativity, equation-of-state constraints from massive neutron stars, more accurate modeling of the neutron star merger rate, and probes of exotic stellar-evolution pathways and of the ionised interstellar medium. Besides its impressive pulsar yield and the associated scientific possibilities, the proposed pilot will demonstrate the end-to-end performance of the CryoPAF for pulsar surveys prior to commencing the full CPS-LowLat, and validate pulsar population models.