Module 1: Getting a Pulsar Timing Solution

Overview

• Obtaining data from the Parkes Pulsar Data Archive
• Learning the basic usage of the psrchive software package
• Getting a pulsar ephemeris from the pulsar catalogue
• Forming an analytic standard template
• Using tempo2
• Improving a pulsar timing model
• Combining data sets from different observatories

• TEMPO2, a new pulsar-timing package - I. An overview, Hobbs, Edwards and Manchester (2006; MNRAS)
• TEMPO2, a new pulsar timing package - II. The timing model and precision estimates, Edwards, Hobbs and Manchester (2006; MNRAS)
• PSRCHIVE and PSRFITS: An Open Approach to Radio Pulsar Data Storage and Analysis, Hotan, Van Straten and Manchester (2004; PASA)
• The Parkes Observatory Pulsar Data Archive, Hobbs et al. (2011; PASA)
• Tutorial on the data archive (J. Khoo 2012, arXiv)
• Tutorial on tempo2 (G. Hobbs, arXiv)
• Tutorial on PSRCHIVE (W. van Straten et al. 2012, arXiv)
• Pulsar timing and relativistic gravity (Taylor 1992)

David Champion, George Hobbs, Mike Keith, Duncan Lorimer, Dick Manchester, Maura McLaughlin, Ryan Shannon, Ingrid Stairs.

The Parkes pulsar data archive and the tempo2 software package have been developed by George Hobbs.

For more information on PSRCHIVE talk to Paul Demorest and Stefan Oslowski.

For information on the various IPTA data sets speak with Dick Manchester and he’ll point you at the correct person for your query.

There are many experts on pulsar timing at the meeting. These include David Nice, Ingrid Stairs, Joris Verbiest, You Xiaopeng and Gemma Janssen.