Parkes observations for project P892 semester 2016OCTS_BPSR_54

SUPERBx is an extension to the SUPERB survey which looks at the highest Galactic latitudes in a search for fast radio bursts (FRBs). Our most recent results show that there is a strong Galactic latitude dependence to FRB detectability with the detection rate being 4 times higher ~45 degrees and higher above the plane; this is where SUPERBx will focus its efforts from now on. SUPERBx uses optimised GPU codes to search for pulsars and fast radio bursts (FRBs), making discoveries in real time. Handling our data as it comes in is essential for the SKA Phase I era so this work applies directly to the high-data rates of next generation telescopes. The FRBs discovered (we have already discovered four FRBs in this project) will have much more associated information than all previous detections. Firstly our discovery lag is ~1 second, rather than months/years. The Parkes observations will be shadowed by other radio telescopes (in particular the refurbished Molonglo which has now reached a level of performance where it has independently discovered 3 FRBs in 2016) to allow localisation of the discovered FRBs, and a host of optical and high-energy telescopes will then be triggered as appropriate. This is key for identifying FRB host galaxies, so as to solve the mystery of their progenitors and to exploit their many uses as tools for precision cosmology measurements.SUPERBx是SUPERB巡天的扩展项目，旨在针对极高银纬天区开展快速射电暴（fast radio bursts, FRBs）搜寻工作。我们的最新研究结果显示，快速射电暴的可探测性存在显著的银纬度依赖性：在银道面上方约45度及更高纬度区域，探测率提升至原先的4倍——这也正是SUPERBx未来的核心观测重点。SUPERBx采用优化后的图形处理器（Graphics Processing Unit, GPU）代码开展脉冲星与快速射电暴搜寻，可实现实时发现。为适配平方千米阵（Square Kilometre Array, SKA）第一阶段的观测需求，本项目采用流式数据处理方案，其技术思路可直接推广应用于下一代望远镜的高数据率观测场景。本项目已发现4例快速射电暴，其配套关联信息将远超此前所有探测案例。首先，本项目的发现延迟仅约1秒，而非此前的数月乃至数年。帕克斯（Parkes）望远镜的观测将联合其他射电望远镜（尤其是已完成翻新的莫隆洛（Molonglo）望远镜——该望远镜目前已具备独立探测快速射电暴的性能，并于2016年独立发现了3例快速射电暴）开展协同观测，以实现对已发现快速射电暴的精确定位，随后将根据观测需求触发多台光学及高能望远镜开展后续跟进观测。这对于识别快速射电暴的宿主星系、破解其起源之谜，以及将其作为精密宇宙学测量工具开发其诸多应用场景而言，均具有关键意义。