Time : Monday, September 23th, 10:00am

Location: Small meeting room, 3rd floor

Title : Recent Developments in Pulsar Astronomy and Astrophysics

Lecturer: Prof. R. N. Manchester

Institute: CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Sydney Australia

Abstract:There are now more than 2250 pulsars known, almost all lying within our Galaxy. As well as providing an excellent basis for a wide range of pulsar-related studies, these surveys have turned up many interesting pulsars, including several high-mass binary pulsars and a magnetar near the Galactic Centre. Recent timing studies have provided new tests of theories of relativistic gravity, all so far consistent with Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Pulsar Timing Array projects have established a pulsar-based timescale and given limits on the gravitational-wave background that significantly constrain standard models for galaxy evolution and the formation of super-massive black holes in galaxy cores. Prospects for pulsar astronomy with the new large single-dish radio telescopes in China will be reviewed.