High-Resolution Pulsar and Transient Survey of the LMC

Scientific Motivation and Goals

The Parkes high-resolution survey of the LMC for pulsars is motivated by several science goals. These goals include:

  • Exploring the star formation and environmental differences between the LMC and the Milky Way.
  • Determining the effect of low metallicity on stellar winds from non-degenerate pulsar companions.
  • Obtaining a complete sample of binary radio pulsar systems in the LMC.
  • Discovering new members of different neutron star populations in the LMC.
  • Probing the high end of the pulsar luminosity function.

    Survey Status and Results

  • Percentage of total survey observed (20171220): 54/136 pointings (39.7%)
  • Number of new pulsars confirmed (20210217): 5 (from PLMC), 4 (from re-analysis of older data)

  • LMC Master Grid
  • Pointings on Tape and Processing Status
  • Beam Positions List
  • Disk Locations
  • New Pulsars and Candidates Found
  • Timing Schedule for New Pulsars (as of June 2013)

    Project Participants

  • Fronefield Crawford (F&M)
  • Josh Ridley (Murray State)
  • Duncan Lorimer (WVU)
  • Maura McLaughlin (WVU)
  • Shinnosuke Hisano (Kumamoto University)
  • Faisal Alam (F&M '19)
  • Tori Bonidie (F&M '20)
  • Jack Madden (F&M '14)
  • Kristina Rolph (F&M '15)
  • Demi St. John (Murray State)

    Publications and Presentations

  • "Discovery of PSR J0523-7125 as a Circularly Polarized Variable Radio Source in the Large Magellanic Cloud", by Y. Wang et al., Astrophysical Journal, 930, 38 (2022)

  • "A Parkes `Murriyang' Search for Pulsars and Transients in the Large Magellanic Cloud", by S. Hisano et al., Astrophysical Journal, 928, 161 (2022)

  • "Status of a Parkes Survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud for Millisecond Pulsars and Transients", by F. Crawford et al., American Astronomical Society Meeting, 231 (2018)

  • "A Search for Highly Dispersed Fast Radio Bursts in Three Parkes Multibeam Surveys", by F. Crawford et al., Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 460, 3370 (2016)

  • "Timing of Large Magellanic Cloud Pulsars", by D. St. John & J. Ridley, American Physical Society, APS April Meeting 2015, 60, B14.00009 (2015)

  • "Eight New Radio Pulsars in the Large Magellanic Cloud", by J. Ridley et al., Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 433, 138 (2013)

  • "New Radio Pulsars in the Large Magellanic Cloud", by J. Ridley et al., American Astronomical Society Meeting, 222, #218.02 (2013)

  • "A Survey for Millisecond Pulsars and Fast Transients in the Large Magellanic Cloud", by F. Crawford et al., American Astronomical Society Meeting, 221, #412.04 (2013)


    Below: Image from Manchester et al. (2006) showing the full survey coverage of the LMC (small red circles). The greyscale is the neutral hydrogen distribution in the LMC from Kim et al. (2003).