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Fermi-LAT searches for γ-ray pulsars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2013

P. M. Saz Parkinson
Affiliation:
Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 email: pablo@scipp.ucsc.edu
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Abstract

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The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi satellite is the first γ-ray instrument to discover pulsars directly via their γ-ray emission. Roughly one third of the 117 γ-ray pulsars detected by the LAT in its first three years were discovered in blind searches of γ-ray data and most of these are undetectable with current radio telescopes. I review some of the key LAT results and highlight the specific challenges faced in γ-ray (compared to radio) searches, most of which stem from the long, sparse data sets and the broad, energy-dependent point-spread function (PSF) of the LAT. I discuss some ongoing LAT searches for γ-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs) and γ-ray pulsars around the Galactic Center. Finally, I outline the prospects for future γ-ray pulsar discoveries as the LAT enters its extended mission phase, including advantages of a possible modification of the LAT observing profile.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2013

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