Gamma-ray Pulsars in the Fermi LAT era

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Gamma-ray Pulsars in the Fermi LAT era

Speaker: Dr. Pablo Saz Parkinson
Affiliation: Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP), UC - Santa Cruz
Date: August 29, 2012 (Wed)
Time: 4:00p.m.
Venue: Room 522, 5/F, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building, HKU


Abstract
Since its launch, in June 2008, The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite has been surveying the GeV gamma-ray sky with unprecedented sensitivity. In particular, the LAT has dramatically improved our knowledge about gamma-ray pulsars, providing some key insights into the workings of these complicated astrophysical objects. The large number of pulsars detected (over 100), and the quality of the gamma-ray data are enabling studies unthinkable with previous-generation gamma-ray telescopes. I will briefly discuss some of the instrumental characteristics and techniques that have enabled the many LAT pulsar discoveries and review some of the key results. I will present a preview of the upcoming Fermi LAT 2nd Pulsar Catalog, containing results on all pulsars detected in the first three years of the mission. Finally, I will discuss the prospects for future gamma-ray pulsar discoveries as the LAT enters its extended mission phase.