Parkes observations for project P1173 semester 2022OCTS_05

Spider pulsar systems are compact binary pulsars with low-mass companions in tight orbits, where the primary pulsar is ablating the secondary through the output of high-energy radiation and pulsar wind due to proximity. These systems present an interesting opportunity to probe the mechanisms related to the destruction of these low-mass bodies in the radio regime, as debris surrounding the ablated secondary companion causes the pulsar emission to propagate and scatter as it moves through it, along our line of sight - revealing details of the complex, turbulent structure of this region. Recent studies have shown that the eclipsing region can cause pulsar signals to scatter, revealing small-scale structure of the turbulent field, as well as a strong variation in the pulsar’s polarsiation, rotation measure and dispersion measure. Under this proposal, we wish to study two known spider pulsars for their full orbit with the Parkes UWL capability – which has not been achieved by any other telescope. This will give us the opportunity to analyse he eclipsing effects of these systems.

蜘蛛脉冲星系统（Spider pulsar systems）是一类携带有低质量伴星的致密双星脉冲星，二者运行于紧密轨道之中。由于轨道间距极近，主脉冲星会通过自身高能辐射与脉冲星风（pulsar wind）对伴星实施剥蚀作用。该类系统为我们在射电波段探究这类低质量天体的毁灭机制提供了极具价值的研究契机：被剥蚀的伴星周围形成的碎屑会使脉冲星辐射在沿视线方向穿过该区域时发生传播与散射，进而揭示出该区域复杂且湍流的结构细节。
已有研究表明，食区会导致脉冲星信号产生散射，展现出湍流场的小尺度结构，同时还会引发脉冲星偏振、旋转测度（rotation measure）与色散测度（dispersion measure）出现显著变化。
在本研究提案中，我们计划依托帕克斯（Parkes）UWL观测能力，对两颗已知的蜘蛛脉冲星开展全轨道观测——这一观测方案是其他任何望远镜均未曾实现的，借此我们得以系统分析这类双星系统的食相效应。