Pulsar Webquest

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

For more information contact

Sue Ann Heatherly

What are the take away messages you gain from first hand accounts of early pulsar discoveries?

The Discovery of Pulsars: http://www.bigear.org/vol1no1/burnell.htm

How we learned what pulsars were: http://www.aip.org/history/mod/pulsar/pulsar1/01.html

What are Pulsars? Name two cool things you learned from these websites.

• http://www-outreach.phy.cam.ac.uk/camphy/pulsars/pulsars_index.htm
• http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/research/pulsar/Education/index.html
• http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/lrr-2008-8/

Why is pulsar astronomy important?

• Most massive Neutron Star yet found: http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2010/bigns/
• Double Pulsar discovery: http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/news/doublepulsar2/
• The race for Gravity waves http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100113/full/463147a.html
• Podcast with Pulsar Astronomer Scott Ransom http://www.gb.nrao.edu/epo/mra/scott.mp3

What problems do pulsar astronomers face? Could you do pulsar astronomy where you live?

• Spectrum allocation chart: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/allochrt.html
• Spectrum use details: http://www.jneuhaus.com/fccindex/spectrum.html
• FCC wireless services description: http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=wtb_services_home
• FCC Database search: http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/results.jsp
• RFI page at the NRAO: http://www.gb.nrao.edu/IPG/