Report on a Stable New Pulsar
Abstract
A pulsar has been discovered which not only has a very rapid pulsing period of 1.6 milliseconds and a narrow pulse width of approx. 70 microseconds, but also appears to be an isolated and very stable object. Monitoring has so far shown no signs of the instabilities or "glitches" which reduce the utility of many pulsars as precise time references. Study of this millisecond pulsar therefore yields, in principle, a time reference of greater stability than any other known. However, its utility as a possible laboratory reference is presently limited to about 1 microsecond due to systematic errors in the corrections for numerous time transfer and solar system effects. The prospects for improving these corrections and for using the millisecond pulsar both as a time reference and to improve our knowledge of solar system parameters appear very good.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA494694
Entities
People
- Kurt W. Weiler
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory